SRQ DAILY Dec 9, 2025
Tuesday Dining and Food Edition
"It's all about the chocolate we use and the pistachio,"
Social media has long been the place where we go to catch up on the latest trends, whether that’s catching up on the freshest fashion moments or getting the scoop on the buzziest new shows. More recently, it has also become an unexpected guide to what we’re eating next. From viral snacks to internationally-inspired treats, the feeds we follow are now dishing up culinary inspiration as often as they do style tips and pop culture moments. Now a buzzy new eatery in Sarasota is bringing those trends to life. Crepetopia opened in September this year, and has quickly gained a devoted following with their Instagram-ready treats that are incredibly craveable to boot.
Owner Darin Abdel opened Crepetopia with her husband and kids. The family isn’t new to the food industry: they previously owned a Middle Eastern grocery store in Tampa with a kitchen in it. But when they moved to Sarasota, Abdel saw the opportunity to share sweet treats inspired by her mother’s recipe books and her heritage. The eatery offers a variety of indulgent treats, including crepes and waffles drizzled with decadent toppings, and an entire section of their menu is devoted to Dubai desserts. Dubai chocolate has been one of the biggest food trends of the past few years. Inspired by a traditional Middle Eastern dessert called knafeh, Dubai chocolate is typically a milk or dark chocolate bar filled with a pistachio cream and finely-shredded phyllo pastry. At Crepetopia, the Dubai chocolate bars are made in-house.
“It’s all about the chocolate we use, and the pistachio,” Abdel explains. “I got mine from the Middle East. The pistachio is very thick and rich.”
Abdel’s signature twist on Dubai chocolate is the Dubai crepe. A housemade crepe is stuffed with Nutella and drizzled with generous amounts of pistachio sauce, then topped with pistachios and bits of crispy phyllo for texture. One of their most popular desserts is the Dubai brownie, a decadent dessert featuring a fudgy brownie base topped with a thick layer of crunchy pistachio and shredded phyllo and topped with pistachio cream. One bite, and you’ll see what the buzz is all about.
Crepetopia, 4921 Ringwood Meadow, Sarasota, 941-365-9766, www.crepetopiaofficial.com 
Pictured: The Dubai brownie at Crepetopia is a viral sensation. Provided photo.
The Bradenton Area is catching the attention of regional and national meeting planners looking to host a memorable conference, trade show, or corporate retreat. This is largely thanks to the newly transformed Bradenton Area Convention Center, which officially completed renovations in late October. The new venue provides 95,000 square feet of dynamic event space, making it the largest Convention Center between St. Petersburg and Naples – and an asset to Florida’s West Coast and the meetings and conventions community at large. The Convention Center’s convenient location, near downtown Bradenton and the beaches of Anna Maria Island, also makes it an ideal choice for meeting planners looking to lean into the growing “bleisure” trend of mixing business and leisure to attract attendees and create unforgettable events. Meeting planners can take advantage of the thriving arts and culture scene for cultivating creativity, 16 publicly accessible nature parks and preserves for reconnecting teams, 16 miles of sugar-white sand beaches for relaxing post-meetings, and fresh Floribbean cuisine for delighting a range of palates.
Our next Dining Certificate Sale is almost here. Starting Thursday, December 11, at 7 am, you can enjoy 30 percent savings on certificates to your favorite Sarasota-Manatee Originals restaurants. These make wonderful gifts for friends, family, and clients, and they are a great way to support the local restaurants you love. Dining certificates are delivered instantly to your email and are valid for six months on the food portion of your bill. One certificate may be redeemed per table per visit. Your support means everything to the independent restaurants in our community. As a thank you, we are pleased to offer these seasonal savings four times each year to encourage dining local and enjoying the flavors that make our region special.
Duval’s Fresh. Local. Seafood. is offering a Christmas Eve dinner on December 24th from 3pm-8pm. The 3-course menu was thoughtfully created by their chefs. Entrée selections include a choice of Fresh Catch Veracruz, Holiday Surf & Turf, or a Bone-In Porkchop. The Christmas Eve menu is the exclusive menu at Duval’s for the evening meaning their regular menus will not be available after 3pm. For guests who would like something different, Duval’s offers three other options on Christmas Eve: Braised Short Rib, Seafood Puttanesca, and a Seafood Sampler. Duval’s also offers the Christmas Eve menu for takeout and free delivery! To view Duval’s delivery zone, visit https://www.duvalsfreshlocalseafood.com/free-delivery. Pre-orders are recommended for takeout and delivery to guarantee desired timeframe. To pre-order, call (941) 312-4001 or visit duvalsfreshlocalseafood.com/christmas-eve-2025
Duval’s, 1435 Main St., Sarasota.
Indulge in a new coastal tradition at The Ritz-Carlton Beach Club, where s’mores become a gourmet experience. Gather around a glowing fire pit on pristine Lido Key sand, with the ocean as your backdrop and the stars above. Savor artisanal chocolate, hand-crafted marshmallows and crisp gourmet grahams, all paired with curated wine, beer and hot chocolate. Attendees of this Gulfside event do not have to be guests or members of the hotel. Two opportunities to experience this interactive holiday event remain on Friday, December 12 and 19 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. To learn more and secure your s’mores basket, please visit The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota’s OpenTable page here: https://www.opentable.com/r/the-ritz-carlton-sarasota.
Discover Sarasota Tours (DST) announces two exciting new POP UP Tour trolley tour experiences with local arts and restaurant partners for the 2026 Season. On January 14 and May 13, 2026 from 10am-1pm, Discover Sarasota tours will offer a Behind-The-Scenes trolley tour and lunch in partnership with Sarasota Opera and Clasico Italian Chophouse. On this three-hour air-conditioned trolley tour, guests will visit one of the largest collections of Opera and theatre costumes in North America. Then, they will travel to the Sarasota Opera House for a private tour of the theatre. Finally, guests will enjoy a pris fixe lunch served family-style at Clasico Italian Chophouseon Main Street. The second POP UP tour is High Tea with Mable Ringling taking place on Saturday, Feb 87, 2026 from 1-3:30pm ,celebrating the Centennial Anniversary of the Ringling Bridge which opened on February 8, 1926. This tour features guide, Bob Collins providing a thirty-minute mini circus history tour while guests travel across the bridge to Café on St. Armands for highVictorian tea hosted by Mable Ringling portrayed by Kathryn Chesley. The High Tea includes tasty pastries and English cucumber sandwiches as well as a champagne toast to celebrate St. Armands anniversary.
Long before it became home to one of the nation’s most admired master-planned communities, the place known today as Lakewood Ranch supported a tapestry of Florida enterprise—from timber and cattle, agriculture, shell mining, and water management to recreation. This new book, Lakewood Ranch: A Legacy of Living with the Land, is a nod to Florida’s pioneering history, uncovering how American innovation and perseverance fostered intentional and careful growth, honoring what came before while building for the future. Lakewood Ranch: A Legacy of Living with the Land, written in partnership with Advantage Books, is a limited-edition coffee table book that will appeal to anyone interested in Florida’s history, community building, and the enduring relationship between people and place. To learn more or to purchase a copy, visit the Lakewood Ranch Information Center on Main Street. The book can also be preordered on Amazon.
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is preparing to welcome world-renowned soprano Renee Fleming back to Sarasota for a one-night-only performance on Friday, January 9, 2026 at 7 p.m. Her acclaimed concert program, Voice of Nature: the Anthropocene, arrives next month as part of her ongoing tour showcasing music inspired by humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Tickets on sale now. Tickets start at $66 and can be purchased at VanWezel.org, by calling the box office at 941-263-6799 or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. Pre-show dining is available through Mattison’s at the Van Wezel which is located inside the theatre. Reservations can be made on VanWezel.org or through the box office. Future updates on shows and productions can be found on the Van Wezel’s website and through social media on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. Renee Fleming Voice of Nature: the Anthropocene is locally sponsored by Rosewood Residences Lido Key and WUSF Public Media.
Please join us at SRQ East Art Studios for our open studios event Saturday December 13, 11-3pm! This is also a great opportunity to view the Best of Show exhibition one final time!! A percentage of sales from the exhibition will go to All Faiths Food Bank. Come and meet our studio artists and get a behind-the-scenes view of their process. Art makes a great gift for the holidays, so support a small business and take home your favorite piece to give (or keep for yourself)!
SRQ East Art Studios, 8326 Consumer Ct , Sarasota.
The Sarasota Farmers Market Vendors Incorporated (“SFMV”) has been established as a not for-profit organization under laws of the State of Florida, continuing the 40+ year tradition of enhancing and improving the quality of life in Sarasota. Our charitable mission is to create a social opportunity for residents and visitors to gather and interact, to bring foot traffic to downtown Sarasota sustaining the economic viability of the entire downtown area, and to provide a venue for other not-for-profit organizations benefiting Sarasota.
Sarasota Farmer's Market, N Lemon Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
Cask & Ale on Main Street lifts a toast & taps a toe to our fabulous Brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 - 3:00 with live Jazz during Sunday Brunch from Noon - 4:00. We offer a diverse chef-prepared menu with a full spread of Brunch delectables + our rotating Chef's Special menu, bottomless Mimosas and a wide selection of craft cocktails. Cask & Ale Liquor Locker owners enjoy the benefit of reservations for tables, holidays or special occasions! Continue the good vibes to make the most of your weekend. Voted Best Cocktails by SRQ Magazine!
Cask & Ale, 1548 Main St, Sarasota, FL 34236
If you are oyster curious or just craving the fresh coastal seafood & hand-crafted cocktails from your new Rosemary District favorite, join us at Lefty's for our daily Happy Hours Monday - Friday from 4 pm - 6 pm and our Late Night Happy Hours every night from 9:00-Close. With seafood offerings from the Steamer and Buck-A-Shucks on oysters plus our extensive wine, specialty and seasonal cocktails and draft beers, Lefty's has your recipe to get happier and explore our menus. Join us every day for Lunch, Happy Hours or Dinner and for our downtown neighbors and Hospitality industry colleagues, we'll have live music and keep the light on for you on the weekends!
Lefty's Oyster and Seafood Bar, 428 N Lemon Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
Delight your senses with A Taste of Art, where fine cuisine meets live creativity! Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evening, local artists demonstrate their craft live at Chaz 51 Steakhouse, offering diners a front-row seat to the artistic process. The restaurant also features a rotating gallery of local artwork available for purchase. Come for the steak—stay for the inspiration.
Chaz 51 Steakhouse, 549 US-41 BYP, Venice, FL 34285
Celebrate local changemakers at the Annual Giving Coast Luncheon, where we’ll present the Good Hero Awards and unite the philanthropic community. The event will feature a panel on giving trends, the Giving Tree Program, and the SRQ Lifetime Good Hero Achievement Award.
Michael's On East, 1212 S East Ave, Sarasota, FL 34239
This festival is crafted like a gourmet meal, blending the finest ingredients to create an unforgettable experience. Indulge in a wide selection of dishes including fresh seafood, meats, and vegetarian options, all cooked onsite. Pair your meal with a variety of side dishes, beverages, and delectable desserts. Relax and enjoy the live musical performances featuring some of Florida’s and the region’s top talents.
Sarasota Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34237
An intimate and inspiring in-studio performance featuring original choreography set to the evocative poetry from Scyllastrangefire by Scylla Liscombe — a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans poetry, dance, and visual art. This special program showcases a powerful collaboration between movement and words, with works choreographed by Associate Directors Xiao-Xuan Dancingers and Melissa Rummel.
SCD Home Studio, 1400 Blvd of the Arts, Ste 300, Sarasota, FL, 34236
Divertimento No. 15, Choreography by George Balanchine, Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Designs by Peter Farmer Mozartiana. Company Premiere, Choreography by George Balanchine, Music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. Jazz Calendar, Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton, Music by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Designs by Derek Jarman.
Sarasota Opera House, 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
Every month, we proudly partner with a local brewery to bring you exclusive tastings, exciting giveaways, and special craft features that you won't want to miss! NOW, we are also partnering with a local non-profit Nuero Challenge Foundation for Parkinson's. Gecko's will donate a portion of the beer sales back to the organization. This month, we’re thrilled to welcome Hidden Springs Ale Company to our Craft Feature Friday event! Proudly located in Tampa Heights. Bring your friends, and let’s raise a glass to local brews and philanthropy. Cheers!
Gecko's Grill & Pub
You’ve never seen Snow White like this before! Two quick-changing actors bring an entire fairy tale world to life in this inventive retelling of the classic story. From the evil queen and the magic mirror to the seven dwarfs and a brave princess, this fast-paced adventure delights audiences of all ages with creativity, heart and humor.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
“A curly-haired orphan that remains optimistic despite dealing with the Great Depression.” This musical reminds us that optimism can change the world, as a fearless young girl holds onto hope and defies the odds.
The Sarasota Players, 3501 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34239
The season’s dramatic offering is Paradise Blue, written by renowned American playwright and actress, Dominique Morisseau. In a strip of Detroit known as Paradise Valley, a man named Blue struggles to keep his father’s business, Paradise Club, afloat during a push towards gentrification. The city wants to kick African-Americans in the community of Black Bottom out by buying properties up and down the strip. Blue, who is haunted by the memory of his father, teeters on the edge of madness as he decides whether selling the club is selling his soul. The people who occupy Paradise Club begin to turn on each other and change as the city changes around them. Morisseau illuminates the effects of gentrification and the erasure of Black history on the African-American community with her first play.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N Orange Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
This is a one-of-a-kind circus event you’ll only find in Sarasota. Thousands of fifth grade students rave about this program, and now it’s your turn to experience this circus science spectacle. Explore the world of science through life-size cause-and-effect
circus machines.
Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota, FL 34239
When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. But he’s not prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town’s youth. When the reverend’s rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren’s reputation. The heartfelt story that emerges pins a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. Footloose celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people while guiding them with a warm heart and open mind.
Rise Above Performing Arts Centre, 3501 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34239
The program showcases Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. The vibrant musical depictions of Viktor Hartmann’s paintings, including the majestic Great Gate of Kiev, have been inspiring audiences for generations. Fourteen-year-old Japanese violinist Himari has been described as a once-in-a-generation talent. The prodigy will perform Bruch’s richly Romantic Violin Concerto No. 1. Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Abels is best known for his genre-defying scores for the Jordan Peele films Get Out, Us, and Nope.
SCF Neel Performing Arts Center, 5840 26th St W, Bradenton, FL 34207
An interactive exhibition exploring mental health, storytelling, and imagination through LEGO.
Galleries of Ringling College of Art and Design, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234
An exhibition showcasing the recent work of Sarasota-based artist and Ringling College alumnus Tom Stephens (Class of 1996). Known for his expressive use of color, gestural brushwork, and emotionally charged compositions, Stephens’ paintings explore the tension between abstraction and representation. His dynamic surfaces reveal a deep engagement with process and intuition, resulting in works that resonate with both personal introspection and universal human experience.
Galleries of Ringling College of Art and Design, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234
The summer 2026 exhibition at Selby Gardens will celebrate the creative collaboration between two legendary figures and longtime friends, photographer Lynn Goldsmith and singer-songwriter Patti Smith, who is Selby Gardens’ artist in residence. The exhibition will feature Goldsmith’s photographs of Smith, past and present, in the Museum of Botany & the Arts. The images will offer an intimate portrait of an iconic artist over the course of her remarkable career.
Selby Gardens, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Juana Romani (1867–1924) was one of the most fascinating and successful painters in late-nineteenth-century Paris. Born in Italy, Juana—whose given name was Giovanna Carlesimo—moved to Paris with her mother and stepfather at the age of ten. She took up painting, studying under the well-known painters Jean-Jacques Henner (1829–1905) and Ferdinand Roybet (1840–1920). Romani quickly earned both critical praise and significant fame for her deftly painted, richly colorful depictions of strong, sensual women adorned in lavish textiles.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
SRQ DAILY is a daily e-newsletter produced by SRQ MEDIA. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. The views expressed by individuals are their own, and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. SRQ DAILY includes content excerpted from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Robinson Valverde at 941-365-7702 x703 or via email |
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