SRQ DAILY Feb 27, 2024
Tuesday Dining and Food Edition
"I think our space was that inspiration for trying to become a part of the community and create a gathering spot for people to enjoy their company together."
For years, the space at the corner of Florida Avenue and Boulevard of the Arts has waited for its day in the sun. This month, that day arrived with the opening of Cafe Arts, a sophisticated yet welcoming coffee shop in the Rosemary District.
Cafe Arts, co-owned by John Schopfer and his sons, Jonah and Noah Schopfer, is the result of three years of labor to transform space, which John used to pass by while driving to church. “It was a long journey of renovating the space. We encountered many permitting and renovation hiccups, and we had to redo a lot of the interior plumbing and electrical,” Jonah says. “Things didn’t go as planned for our start, but we’re very happy that we’re here now.” The cafe, which has ample indoor and outdoor seating, is bright, airy and inviting. “People don’t realize how big the space is. We have about 50 seats inside. People walk in and can hang out in the late afternoon and enjoy a coffee and dessert or stop in for a coffee at seven on their way to work. I think our space was that inspiration for trying to become a part of the community and create a gathering spot for people to enjoy their company together,” he adds. Guests will immediately notice the captivating works, all of which are for sale, by local artist Tom Stephens that adorn the cafe’s walls and add playful colors and engaging imagery to the interior. The setting is fun yet tranquil, making it an ideal spot to visit with friends or work remotely.
Cafe Arts sources its coffee from Vecinos Coffee in Port Charlotte and sells a variety of drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. “The cold brew has been a great hit. A lot of people love it, and it's perfect for grab-and-go and your everyday worker,” adds Jonah. To eat, he recommends the savory spinach and feta croissant or the Greek yogurt and cherry Danish. No matter what guests choose to eat or drink, no doubt they’ll enjoy the welcoming atmosphere at Cafe Arts.
Cafe Arts, 1355 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota, 941-953-1049, Find on Instagram at cafeartssrq. 
Pictured: Cafe Arts in the Rosemary District. Photo by Catherine O'hern.
Guests at Hooters can receive a free beer or curly fry at their local Hooters restaurant by showing their spring training game day ticket stub within 24 hours after the first pitch. A minimum $5 purchase is required for the one free beer or curly fry deal and must be 21 years of age. Hooters is proud to be an official sponsor for MLB teams with Spring Training programs taking place in Fort Myers, Sarasota and Bradenton. Hooters is sponsoring the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers, Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota and Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton. Participating Hooters locations: Hooters of Bradenton (4908 14TH Street W, Bradenton) 941-758-1175; Hooters of Cape Coral (3120 Del Prado Boulevard, Cape Coral) 239-945-4700; Hooters of Fort Myers (4411 Cleveland Avenue, Fort Myers) 239 275-4666; Hooters of Naples (3625 Gateway Lane, Naples) 239-513-9964; Hooters of Port Charlotte (1360 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte) 941-625-0200; Hooters of Sarasota (6507 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota) 941-923-4666. LTP Management, a Franchisee of Hooters of America, owns and operates 15 locations in South Florida. For more information about South Florida Hooters please visit www.HootersFlorida.com or follow us at Twitter @HootersFlorida, Instagram @SouthFLHooters and Facebook @HootersSarasota.
he highly anticipated Sarasota-Manatee Originals "Set the Bar" Cocktail Competition is back for a 2024 edition, scheduled for Sunday, April 14, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, FL. This year marks the 6th edition of this exciting event, showcasing the region's top mixologists in a vibrant display of creativity and innovation. While the spirited competition, which was launched in 2017, took a brief hiatus in 2020 due to Covid, and a 2023 pause for scheduling reasons, it returns stronger than ever this Spring, promising an unforgettable evening of expertly crafted cocktails, delicious bites, and lively competition. 25 accomplished mixologists, representing restaurants from across Sarasota and Manatee Counties, will present their innovative concoctions in five distinct spirit categories. In addition to a panel of industry experts, attendees will have the opportunity to sample these creations and vote for their favorites, with the judging criteria encompassing flavor, appearance, bartender presentation, and imagination. This year's competition is partnered with Children First, a local non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the healthy development of children and families. All proceeds from a silent auction will benefit this important cause. Tickets are now on sale for $85 each, with a limited number available. At-the-door tickets will be offered at $95 per person, subject to availability. Event highlights include: Exclusive access to 25 of the region's top mixologists and their signature cocktails; Tasting and voting on a variety of innovative creations; Exciting auction benefiting Children First; Live music and entertainment; Delicious light bites presented by SMO member restaurants. Liza Kubik, SMO Marketing & Communications, states: "Set the Bar was created to celebrate the immense talent of our local bar programs. Just like chefs in the kitchen, our bartenders play a crucial role in creating memorable dining experiences. We're thrilled to shine a spotlight on their creativity and expertise." For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: www.eatlikealocal.com/events/setthebar.
The 2024 spring training baseball season begins this week, marking Sarasota County's commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of spring training baseball. Spring Training began in Sarasota County in 1924 when Sarasota joined the Florida Grapefruit League. The first team to play a spring training baseball game in Sarasota was the New York Giants at Payne Park in the City of Sarasota. Six additional major league teams have called Sarasota County home for spring training baseball since 1924 including the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox, the Cincinnati Reds, the Baltimore Orioles and most recently the Atlanta Braves. The Atlanta Braves and the Baltimore Orioles currently hold spring training each year in Sarasota County and were champions of their respective divisions in 2023. The Baltimore Orioles play at Ed Smith Stadium in the City of Sarasota and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park in North Port. Sarasota County will be recognizing the milestone 100th anniversary at two upcoming Spring Training games: CoolToday Park, Saturday, March 9, 1:05 p.m. start; Ed Smith Stadium, Wednesday, March 13, 6:05 p.m. start. Spring training continues to be an integral part of Sarasota County’s rich sports history. To learn more about the history of Spring Training in Sarasota County, call 311 or visit www.sarasotacountyparks.com.
On Tuesday, March 5 from 11am-1pm at the downtown Sarasota campus, join us for an enlightening keynote lecture by Dr. Melissa Chiu, Director of the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in celebration of our 2024 Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition, Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe. One of the world’s experts in Asian contemporary art, Dr. Chiu commissioned the groundbreaking exhibition Yayoi Kusama | Infinity Mirrors at the Hirshhorn Museum during 2017. This acclaimed exhibition toured across the country to five other museums and acquisitions by Kusama remain part of the Hirshhorn's permanent collection. The event will include a plated lunch.
Creative Liberties Artist Studios and Gallery continues its season’s offerings with an all-packed March, starting with its House of Hues Pop Up Shop, February 29, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and March 1 and 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Artists will take over the community space at Creative Liberties 927 N Lime Avenue location, filling the space floor to ceiling with everything that makes a house a home. Art, furnishings, and more!
Pictured: House Of Hues Work by Deb Lambert.
Join us on the Great Lawn of Selby Gardens Downtown Sarasota campus for a casually elegant outdoor Garden to Plate dining experience. Enjoy fine wines selected by Michael Klauber that complement a multi-course dinner personally designed by Phil Mancini. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit selby.org.
Join us for a brunch benefitting ALSO Youth, a local non-profit organization serving the LGBTQ youth community in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, at Tsunami Sushi and Hibachi on Sunday, March 3rd, 2024. Enjoy incredible food courtesy of Tsunami Sushi and Hibachi, a unique auction, and live music during this event supporting our mission to empower LGBTQ youth and allies and create inclusive communities. Learn more and purchase tickets at alsoyouth.org.
To celebrate Leap Year on Feb. 29, Viento Kitchen at Zota Beach Resort is hosting a one-night-only Worldly Wine Dinner, Winederlust Dinner, a blend of the words wine and wanderlust, which refers to the act of exploring and experiencing different wines from around the world. Hosted exclusively at select Florida Opal resort restaurants for one night, the series, created in collaboration with Jackson Family Wines, features five-course prix-fixe dinners highlighting varietals plucked from all over the globe. Each course is expertly crafted to accentuate the flavors of the showcased wines. The Winederlust Dinner at Viento Kitchen on Longboat Key will begin at 6 p.m. and costs $139.70 per person. Book now at OpalCollection.com/leap-day-winederlust-dinners.
Longtime friends Chef Charles Amherst of Chaz 51 Steakhouse in Venice and Barbara Gerdeman, co-founder of Creative Liberties Artist Studios in Sarasota, have joined forces to create a series of interactive live art dinner showcases called A Taste of Art. The first of these events takes place Thursday, February 1, 5:30-8 p.m., at Chaz 51 Steakhouse, 549 US 41 Bypass N, Venice. The events will continue on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings. Guests who visit Chaz 51 on these evenings will be able to witness the creation of captivating works of art in real-time. To make a reservation, call Chaz 51 Steakhouse at 941-484-6200. To find out which artists are scheduled for February, check out the calendar at CreativeLiberties.net.
Join us for our Coffee With A Scientist series, a free public event held on Tuesdays in Boca Grande and hosted by Mote Marine Laboratory. Hear from Mote scientists on January 16, February 13 and March 26 as they share with you the latest in their groundbreaking research and their plans for the future with a Q and A session to follow. On Visit mote.org/pages/coffee to sign up and for more information.
Join your friends, after-work buddies and the team at Geckos for our new Late Night Happy Hours. Every Friday and Saturday from 10 pm to Midnight, we will offer food, wine, cocktails and beer specials sure to prolong your weekend fun. Join us and ask your friendly barkeep or server about our Late Night Happy Hours. ONLY at Geckos on Hillview Street in Southside Village. GeckosGrill.com.
Siesta Key Rum runs free year-round tours for guests to learn the story of the craft distillery, the awards they have won and the secret to how they make their rums taste so good. During our 30-45 minute tour we will discuss the following topics: history of Siesta Key Rum, an overview of the awards our small company has won, what makes our rums taste so good, the rum-making process from mashing and fermentation to distillation, barrel aging and bottling of our rums. After the tour, we welcome you to sample a freshly made Siesta Key Rum cocktail, stock up on your favorite rums and browse our gift shop. 2212 Industrial Blvd., Sarasota.
Connect with local business owners at every Thursday at Oscura. Lets Connect is a community of collaborative business professionals from the Manatee and Sarasota County areas. RSVP on Eventbrite to attend, admission is free.
Visit Fresh Harvest, the newly launched weekly farmers market in Downtown Wellen. Fresh Harvest offers a selection of local goods from nearly 40 local vendors. Fresh Harvest takes place every Sunday in Downtown Wellen from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees can peruse different vendor booths and stock up on a variety of goods. Vendors will offer a wide variety of locally grown and produced food, including herbs, spices, cut flowers, teas, canned and preserved fruits and vegetables, syrups, baked goods, pickled foods, fresh seafood, meats, poultry, eggs, milk and prepared food and beverages. A limited selection of craft vendors also participate in the farmers market. For a listing of participating vendors and more information on Fresh Harvest Farmers Market, visit wellenpark.com/events/fresh-harvest-farmers-market. Downtown Wellen, 19745 Wellen Park Blvd., Venice.
Head out to Waterside Place for a rocking evening as part of the Lakewood Ranch Sights and Sounds Program. Enjoy a live concert in partnership with Easterseals and EveryoneRocks, featuring artists who are rocking their spectrum. This event is free and open to the public; there is limited seating at the Plaza, but attendees are welcome to bring their own seats. Food and beverages will be available from numerous Waterside Place merchants. For more information on shows, dates, and times, visit lakewoodranch.com/sights-sounds/. Waterside Place, 1560 Lakefront Dr., Sarasota.
Experience some of the best food and flavors of the region with more than 100, and still growing, curated vendors. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch has fast become a favorite weekly tradition for people from all over the region seeking farm-fresh produce, delicious prepared foods, and specialty items and gifts. Aside from all the goodies you can shop at the Farmers Market, find your flow in a free yoga class or have the kiddos get creative during weekly-hosted workshops. 1561 Lakefront Dr., Lakewood Ranch.
Realize Bradenton is happy to announce the return of the Bradenton Market to its weekly schedule. This beloved community gathering will be held Saturdays through May 25, 2024 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm on Old Main Street in Bradenton. Founded in 1979, the Market has expanded to include more than 90 local vendors. In addition to the weekly shopping and music, the Market hosts special event days throughout the season. Halloween at the Market will be held on Saturday, October 28. This family-friendly event includes trick or treating with vendors, face painting with Manatee School for the Arts Academic Team from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, and a dance performance by Slick Motion Studios at 10:00 am. For more information, visit RealizeBradenton.com.
Join us for live jazz at Sarasota Art Museum, hosted by the Jazz Club of Sarasota, featuring Hot Club of SRQ, and extended hours in the galleries, Bistro, and SHOP. Sip on refreshing cocktails and enjoy small bites in the Bistro. Each second Thursday of the month features a different style of jazz, from straight-ahead to free jazz, bebop to swing-programmed in partnership with Jazz Club of Sarasota. Galleries are open until 7 pm on Jazz Thursdays. Learn more and purchase tickets at sarasotaartmuseum.org.
The Perlman Music Program Suncoast presents The Carr-Petrova Duo and their new album, HERS, in a special evening of music comprised entirely of works by female composers. Featuring violist and PMP alum Molly Carr, the newest member of the acclaimed Juilliard String Quartet, and Bulgarian educator and pianist Anna Petrova, the duo will premier HERS in Sarasota. This concert vibrantly celebrates the vision, strength, resilience, and vital contributions of the female sex throughout history. Through music and storytelling, the Carr-Petrova Duo will lead the audience through the inspirations, battles, and incredible accomplishments of eight fearless women, from Hildegard Von Bingen in the 12th century to Beyonce, and share centuries of heartbreak, struggles, and triumphs that comprise the female experience. The concert is Sunday, March 3, at The Harvest, 3650 17th Street, Sarasota. The event begins with an artist talk at 6 p.m., followed by the concert at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at PMPSuncoast.org.
Former and current Sarasota Orchestra principal musicians Hannah Cope, harp and Marcelina Suchocka, percussion, join forces for an innovative program of standards for each instrument along with classics reimagined for marimba and harp duet. Cope made her mark on the harp world as the 2020 winner of the American Harp Society Foundation Grandjany Memorial Competition and is now the principal harpist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. When Suchocka is not in Sarasota, she performs as principal percussion of the Britt Festival Orchestra and as an extra with many major American orchestras. The pair perform at First Presbyterian Church on March 3 at 4:00 pm. Single ticket: $40. For tickets and more information, visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or call 941-306-1202.
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