SRQ DAILY Feb 13, 2024
Tuesday Dining and Food Edition
"We took the crepe and combined it with the idea of a burrito. "
Sarasota has no shortage of great breakfast and lunch joints. Among the city’s newer arrivals is the second location of The Wooden Rooster. The restaurant’s first location is in St. Pete and was opened by Owner and Chef Jeremy Duclut. Duclut, who has worked in Philadelphia and New York, won the Food Network’s Chopped television show in 2009. “I wanted to be a chef since I was a three-year-old. When kids wanted to be Superman and go to the moon, I wanted to be in the kitchen,” he says.
After working at Cassis American Brasserie in St. Pete, he decided to take on a new challenge by opening the first Wooden Rooster. Last year, he opened the second Wooden Rooster in Sarasota, bringing his passion for cooking and accommodating customers’ desires to the area. Duclut listens to his guests’ feedback when developing menus, combining his ideas with what patrons are looking to eat. While The Wooden Rooster’s menu features salads, tartines and other dishes, the crepes are the star of the show. “We took the crepe and combined it with the idea of a burrito. We made crepes stuffed with things we liked and things we felt went well together,” he adds. “But we also give guests the option to make their own. Whatever they decide, we can make it. That is really popular because it’s like offering an a la carte menu with items to pick from. You can make your own to your taste.”
Fan favorites include the Berrylicious, a crepe filled with mixed berries, ricotta, almonds, honey and raspberry coulis, and the Full Monty, with two scrambled eggs, sharp cheddar cheese with a choice of bacon, turkey or black forest ham. The eatery offers gluten-free crepes as well as the option to order sandwiches with crepe fillings served in a baguette or nine-grain bread. Whether you’re looking for something sweet or savory, enjoy a tasty and casual meal at The Wooden Rooster.
The Wooden Rooster, 1564 Main St., Sarasota, 941-953-7111, thewoodenrooster.com. 
Pictured: A crepe at The Wooden Rooster. Photo Courtesy of The Wooden Rooster.
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 cost $139.70 per person. Click here to view the menu. Book now at OpalCollection.com/leap-day-winederlust-dinners.
The Ora, Sarasota’s new premier event venue, announced today that Michael’s On East will be the venue’s exclusive food and beverage caterer. Michael Klauber and Phil Mancini, partners at Michael’s On East, will bring the famed restaurant’s innovative cuisine and impeccable service to a wide range of events at The Ora. From intimate gatherings to upscale weddings and corporate conferences, The Ora has a variety of spaces that can accommodate any event. At 30,000 square feet, The Ora is among the largest and most elegant event venues in the region. At the heart of The Ora, designed by the architecture firm FleischmannGarciaMaslowski, is the majestic 9,500-square-foot Ballroom, one of the largest in the area. With soaring ceilings, stunning light sculptures and the flexibility to divide the room into smaller spaces, the Ballroom provides a sophisticated backdrop for gatherings up to 1,000 people. The concept of The Ora was conceived by the leadership and board of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, which recognized the lack of luxury event space in the region and set out to create an elegant, versatile venue to meet that need. In addition to the quality of its architecture and finishings, The Ora will have state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities throughout, including projection mapping technology, an exciting video technique that can transform a space into a creative, immersive experience. Michael’s On East will offer an extensive selection of food and beverage options for events at The Ora, with plans to work closely with corporate meeting specialists, wedding planners and other event professionals, along with anyone who wants to have a distinctive, upscale event. The professional team has vast experience accommodating a diverse range of dietary requirements from vegetarian to vegan, gluten-free, and kosher. Tandem Construction is completing the final finishes on The Ora, located at 578 McIntosh Road in Sarasota. The location is convenient for guests throughout Florida: It’s 3 miles off I-75 and 4 miles from downtown Sarasota, and offers over 400 dedicated, well-lit parking spaces. The Ora is excited to host its first event in February. For information about the venue or to inquire about booking a space, visit the website at TheOrasrq.com, or contact Deanna McGrath, Director of Operations, at dmcgrath@theorasrq.com.
Pictured: Michael Klauber of Michael's on East signs the catering agreement as leaders from the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and Michael's On East look on.
The 12th annual HospitaBull, the elegant dining fundraising event that supports scholarships and other programs in the University of South Florida’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management on the Sarasota-Manatee campus, is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, at Michael’s on East, one of Sarasota’s most renowned restaurants. Students will work closely with the restaurant’s staff to organize, prepare and serve the dinner, allowing them to connect traditional classroom theory with real-life food and beverage operations, said Cihan Cobanoglu, dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “Moreover, it plays a crucial role in empowering students by providing financial resources, ensuring they are equipped with the tools needed to excel in their careers,” Cobanoglu said. “HospitaBull epitomizes the fusion of education, professionalism and generosity, making it an indispensable cornerstone in the journey of budding hospitality professionals." HospitaBull, which is returning to Michael’s on East for the third time in the past decade, provides USF alumni, friends and other guests with a unique opportunity to support students and faculty in the award-winning School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, which has seen substantial growth since expanding its offerings to USF’s campuses in Tampa and St. Petersburg in 2022. “Returning to this exceptional center of excellence offers our students a unique opportunity to glean insights from industry leaders, learning from the pinnacle of excellence in their field,” Cobanoglu said. "Our esteemed guests who purchase tickets to HospitaBull will not only indulge in a culinary extravaganza but also contribute invaluable resources towards educating the future leaders of the hospitality industry in Sarasota-Manatee, Florida and beyond," Cobanoglu said.
Join us on the Great Lawn of Selby Gardens' Downtown Sarasota campus Friday, March 8, 2024, 6 to 9 pm 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.Hosted by Eileen and Howard Curd, Patricia and Peter Estes, and Nora and Billy Johnson. Guests may choose from a selection of seating arrangements that can accommodate groups of 4 to 10. Proceeds from our Garden to Plate Wine Dinner support Selby Gardens’ community outreach education programs; international research and conservation; and beautiful, world-class horticulture displays.
Not Your Typical Trivia with co-hosts Mark Klecka and Scott Malouf of Sarasota Street Talk Podcast happens every Wednesday at 6:30pm. And Valentine’s Day is no exception. All players will be treated to complimentary chocolate covered strawberries. Come with your loved ones (or not)! These two will test your knowledge and keep you entertained throughout the night. Weekly prizes for 1st, 2nd & LAST Place (because losing should still be fun)! You can also join the cool kids club and win prizes just for coming each week! Doors open at 6pm for dinner. Trivia starts at 6:30pm and will end at 8pm. Reserve a table for your team by calling 941-445-1938. Hamlet’s is located in the courtyard of The Bazaar on Apricot and Lime. 821 Apricot Ave. Seating is outdoors under a covered patio. For more info Visit www.Hamletseatery.com
Choral Artists of Sarasota’s 45th season continues with “Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight,” based on a poem by Vachel Lindsay and composed by Florence Price, the first African American woman to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra. The program also features Joseph Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass” (also known as “Mass in a Time of Anxiety”), which is recognized as one of his greatest compositions. Featured soloists for both works are singers in Choral Artists: Lily Wohl, soprano; Krista Laskowski, mezzo-soprano; Stephanie Jabre, alto; Zachery Stockman, tenor; and Jesse Martin, bass. The concert is Sunday, March 10, at 7 p.m., at Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. Tickets are $40, general admission; and $5 for students. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.ChoralArtistsSarasota.org or call 941-387-4900.
WINDOOR, part of the PGT Innovations, Inc. (NYSE: PGTI) family of brands, will reveal its new brand identity, including a new look and logo, for the first time at the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 27 – 29, 2024. Founded in 2001 in Florida, WINDOOR’s portfolio consists entirely of products designed, tested, and built with coastal environments in mind. With its refreshed brand identity, WINDOOR builds on its foundation and steps forward as the first ultra-luxury window and door brand focused exclusively on coastal living innovations. To further champion the brand’s new positioning, WINDOOR has partnered with HGTV celebrity designer Sarah Baeumler as its new brand ambassador. The new branding is underscored by the foundation of four brand pillars: pioneering spirit, continually driven to innovate and improve; relationship driven, highly focused on customer service solutions; advanced adaptability, elevating coastal living engineering with the highest levels of quality and engineering at every stage; and superlative artisanship. The new WINDOOR logo introduces Winston, a hippocamp, to represent the perfect adaptation to land and sea. The hippocamp is a mythological creature that is half horse, half fish, and is referenced by the ancient Greeks as the sea god Poseidon’s steed and fine art through the ages as an eternal spirit of natural wonder and beauty. At this year’s IBS, WINDOOR will showcase new products, as well as several of its most in-demand windows and doors. On display at IBS will be the Series 8100 Narrow-Stile Sliding Glass Door, Pivot Wall, Envista Seamless Glazed Window Wall, Bifold Door, Series GD9995A Garage Door, and Series 9950A Terrace Door. Envista — WINDOOR’s new impact seamless glazed product — has been selected as a Best of IBS™ Awards finalist within the Best Window & Door Product category. Additionally, it was recognized recently as the Most Innovative Window in Window + Door Magazine’s 2023 Window + Door Awards.
SWEET TRAVELS | Our itinerary for the taste bud trip of a lifetime includes marveling at peanut butter pyramids, traveling to Turkiye via Baklava Boulevard, and crossing the bridge into the land of vegan desserts, February 2024.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hard Heart Burlesque is toasting two years of bringing Sarasota the art of the tease on Feb. 14 at 8pm at McCurdys Comedy Theatre. Join fine burlesque and variety performers as we celebrate our anniversary and the most romantic day of the year. Whether you are in love this Valentines Day or you are on your own, there is something for everyone. There will be some tease, some live vocals, dance, comedy and more. As the local burlesque company of Sarasota, Hard Heart is proud to bring artists from all over the state, and beyond, for your viewing pleasure. Created by your producers Miss Marina Elaine and Karma Kandlewick, the show features Las Vegas-based Mayven Missbehavin, Luci LeClaire, Gisele Ardente, Le Belle Michele, the Distinguished Daredevils, Nicole Dreger and emcee Burly Nathan. This is an 18 and older show. Tickets are $37. Visit mccurdyscomedy.com to learn more and purchase tickets.
Grab your sunglasses and your appetite, and come on out to celebrate a way of life on the shores of Sarasota Bay during the 42nd Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival. Celebrate a real working waterfront community dedicated to preserving their fishing way of life. Soak in the sunshine along Sarasota Bay while you boogie to live local music, browse aisles of original local artwork and nautical crafts, sip cold beverages and sample some really tasty seafood. Get up close and personal with local marine life and feed your science side during Dock Talks, educational spiels put on by the University of Florida and Florida Sea Grant. The touch tanks and the Dock Talks are located on the Fulford Docks, right across from the Kids area and next to Starfish Co. Check out the Florida Maritime Museum and the Cortez Cultural Center, which are steeped in the history of the region. Buy a raffle ticket to be entered to win one of the beautiful, refurbished custom boats lovingly restored by the F.I.S.H Boatworks. Tickets are $5, and children 12 and under get in free. To learn more, visit fishcortez.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.
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.
Celebrate 75 years of inspiring music all season long, and our Celebrate 75 special concert and gala experience will be the party to top them all. We invite you to support 75 more years, and beyond, of enriching lives through music by purchasing tickets to Celebrate 75. For access to the best seats and the full celebration, opt for a Gala ticket, which includes pre-concert cocktails and a gourmet dinner after the performance. Concert-only tickets are also available for purchase. The concert program, led by Creative Partner Peter Oundjian, captures all the euphoria of reaching this milestone in our history as Florida’s oldest continuously operating orchestra. After two stirring fanfares written by Aaron Copland and Joan Tower, legendary pianist Garrick Ohlsson joins Sarasota Orchestra for the monumental Piano Concerto No. 3 by Rachmaninoff. Paired with An American in Paris by Gershwin, a rhapsodic portrait of a stroll through the City of Lights, this one-night-only program promises to thrill. Gala begins at 6:00 pm, and concert begins at 7:00 pm. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, sarasotaorchestra.org.
Downtown Sarasota: Hindsight, Insight and Foresight is a four-part speaker series conceived to spark an informed and constructive community-wide discussion about the future of our downtown. The six-week series will take place at Art Ovation Hotel and explore the evolution of downtown Sarasota over the last two decades with a group of four distinguished speakers, Andres Duany, David Houle, Mitchell Silver, and Victor Dover. Speakers will address vital topics including the current downtown master plan and how it was shaped two decades ago, how downtown has developed since then, the macro-level forces affecting the city, effective current downtown planning practices, and insights drawn from successful urban planning in other locales. Lectures will be held on Jan. 24, Jan. 31, Feb. 14 and Feb. 28. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit architecturesarasota.org.
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