SRQ DAILY Feb 3, 2026
Tuesday Dining and Food Edition
"It's a unique twist on a chocolate-coffee drink made with lesser-known parts.”"
Sarasota knows Petrichor as the mushroom people—“fun-gis” who show up at local farmers’ markets with seasonal specialty varieties praised for dense caps, clean flushes and “no off-smells”.
Co-founders Howard Schmidt and Michael Shea began cultivation in a spare bedroom before moving to a unit in Northgate, off Highway 301. “Everything happened in that tiny space,” Schmidt recalls. Rapid growth yielded five facilities for canning, extraction, farming, storage and, most recently, their functional beverage café.
Petrichor Café emerged from what Schmidt calls “a nice collision of different, great things.” Public demand for a brick-and-mortar presence aligned with the area’s hankering for quality coffee. “Hundreds of people drive in at 7am and drive out at 5pm,” he says. “Let’s offer them something real.”
The airy space features cloud-washed walls, pale wood furnishings and polka-dotted mushroom cushions. Shelves hold signature extracts in biophotonic glass bottles; a refrigerated case reveals gourmet mushrooms and cannabis-infused beverages. Manager Tom Quach runs the coffee program, pulling smooth espresso shots while elucidating the menu for eager first-timers. “It all started here,” Quach says. “There’s a lot of history.”
Winter concoctions include Carrot Cake Hojicha: roasted matcha laced with house-made spiced syrup and Daikin Dairy milk, garnished with a skewered maraschino. Banana Bread Latte features single-origin beans from Undercurrent roasters; Evergreen showcases Spirit Tea’s Kodama Sencha matcha. An optional shot addresses every situation: lion’s mane for clarity, cordyceps for stamina, reishi for calm. Bread Bandits supplies pastries.
Their crowning glory: functional mushroom beverages. Lightning, a lemon blueberry seltzer with a full-spectrum blend, targets focus and flow. “It’s perfect for work, social settings, even workouts,” Quach notes. Coming soon: Thunder, crafted with coffee fruit, cacao, chaga and lion’s mane, promising bright cherry and cacao flavors. “It’s a unique twist on a chocolate-coffee drink,” says Schmidt, “made with lesser-known parts.”
What distinguishes Petrichor is their complete control, “spore to sip”, culminating in nano-emulsification technology that delivers active compounds directly into the bloodstream, bypassing liver metabolism. “It’s truly, in orders of magnitude, more bioavailable than anything on the market,” Schmidt says—a stark contrast to powdered mushroom coffees.
Petrichor serves its community beyond the espresso machine. You might grab mushrooms for tonight’s sauté, linger over a mindful THC mocktail, or discover a beverage for your daily rhythm. “People at the farmers markets tell us how much these products have changed their lives,” Schmidt says. The café opens that door.
Petrichor Café, Mon-Fri 7:30am-2:30pm, 1600 Northgate Blvd. Suite A-11, Sarasota.
Pictured: Cafe Manager Tom Quach serves up his Carrot Cake matcha latte. Photo by Sarah Emily Miano.
Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources has launched “Culture Pass,” a new initiative that provides free or discounted access to local theaters and museums for adult residents with a library card. Library patrons can reserve a Culture Pass online by using their library card and pin number. Current Culture Pass venues include Asolo Repertory Theatre, the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, Urbanite Theatre, Big Cat Habitat, Imagine Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and more. New partners will be added in the future. A complete list of offerings can be found online. Visit sarasotacountylibraries.org for more information.
Buddy Brew Coffee and Sprouts Farmers Market announce a new partnership that will bring ten Buddy Brew Coffee cafes inside select Sprouts Farmers Market stores across the Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida region later this year. The new cafes will open across four counties including Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Pasco County, and Sarasota County. This expansion will introduce Buddy Brew cafes to Pinellas and Pasco counties for the first time, further extending the brand’s presence throughout the region. The partnership marks a major milestone for the Tampa based specialty coffee company and will more than double the total number of Buddy Brew cafe locations. Learn more at buddybrew.com or follow us on social media @buddybrewcoffee.
Le Shop, the new European-inspired coffee shop, wine bar, and petit market on St. Armands Circle has introduced a weekly Friday Happy Hour, offering a relaxed, early-evening ritual designed to bring people together at the end of the week. Held every Friday from 5–7pm, Happy Hour at Le Shop features $10 rotating wine glass selections, alongside Bites du Jour: complimentary small bites served from 5–6PM. The program draws inspiration from European café traditions, where a glass of wine and a small bite mark the transition from day to evening, often referred to as aperitivo. popcorn, or French cheese, offered complimentary with the purchase of a beverage. The rotating wine glass selections highlight Le Shop’s thoughtfully curated, mostly European wine program.
Le Shop, 28 S. Boulevard of the Presidents · Unit B , Sarasota.
The Big Game at Pie On Main is ON! Join us at Pie On Main for a Super experience at your Downtown community Sports Bar! You know us for our hand-tossed Pizzas and Calzones, our specialty cocktails & a stacked list of beers... On Feb. 8 we'll set the stage for you and your crew for the Best Seat in the House with an all-new booth setup and big screens visible from every seat. Reserve your spot with us for $25 deposit, choose your seat, and receive a Gift Card to use during the game. Nutrls, Shock Top, Three Olives & Buckets Specials + Prizes and giveaways before the game and during every quarter. www.PieOnMain.com
Make this Valentine’s Day unforgettable with a romantic dining experience at Duval’s Fresh. Local. Seafood. On February 14th, indulge in an exclusive 4-course Valentine’s dinner featuring chef-curated entrées highlighting a thoughtfully composed menu designed for a memorable dining experience. This special menu will be available from 3-11pm as the exclusive offering, meaning Duval’s regular dinner and happy hour menus will not be available. For those who prefer to dine at home, the Valentine’s menu is available for takeout and free delivery. To view Duval’s delivery zone, visit www.duvalsfreshlocalseafood.com/free-delivery. With limited seating available, early reservations are strongly recommended as few tables remain. Call 941.312.4001 to secure a reservation. Duval’s also offers a complimentary downtown shuttle service for dine-in guests, which can be reserved at the time of booking.
Join us at Lefty’s for a cocktail party featuring specialty, cold water oysters and tastings of thoughtfully paired wines. This social tasting is designed for guests to mingle, sip, and savor the gems of the sea & the vine in the good company of friends. Guests will enjoy a flight of 3 oz pours of wine curated to be paired with two samples of each oyster. Guests will then select their favorite wine and favorite oyster and receive a half dozen of your favorite oyster and a full glass of your favorite wine. Tickets via Eventbrite: Join Lefty's Oyster & Seafood Bar -A Toast to Oysters & Wine Cocktail Party Tickets, Thu, Feb 19, 2026 at 6:30pm.
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall welcomes Al Jardine and The Pet Sounds Band to Sarasota on Tuesday, March 3 at 7pm. Delivering an experience that carries on in the tradition of Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds shows and The Beach Boys’ spirit of fun, fun, fun, Al Jardine and The Pet Sounds Band will be performing the classic hits, rarities and deep cuts in a tribute to the late Brian Wilson. Reservations can be made on VanWezel.org or through the Veteran Air Box Office.
For the 10th anniversary of the annual Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series, Selby Gardens presents Alexander Calder: The Nature of Movement, which will be on view February 8 through May 31, 2026, at the Downtown Sarasota campus. This exhibition will highlight the Calder's use of abstract forms rooted in nature and emphasize his interest in science and engineering. The exhibition will also explore Calder’s enchantment with the circus, stemming from his studies of performers and animals at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1925. The circus is a subject of great local interest in Sarasota, which became the winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1927.
After opening the 2026 Winter Festival with Puccini’s La bohème on Saturday, February 14, Sarasota Opera presents Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow, opening the evening of Saturday, February 21 with nine performances through March 27. Tickets are available at the Sarasota Opera Box Office, by phone at (941) 328-1300, in person at 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, Monday through Saturday from 10 AM through 5 PM, or online at www.sarasotaopera.org.
Sarasota Concert Association presents pianist Alexander Malofeev in his Sarasota debut at Riverview Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30pm. The phenomenal 23-year-old artist has been selling out concerts around the world and brings a program of virtuosic piano works from Grieg to Prokofiev, Sibelius, and Stravinsky. Single tickets start at $35 and are available online at SCAsarasota.org or by calling the SCA Box Office at (941) 966-6161, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Join us on February 10th at the Manatee Performing Arts Center for an extraordinary evening where visual art, live music, and culture come together in celebration. Begin your creative experience at the 2026 Art Innovation Zone Exhibition presented by Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative and sponsored by John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. A time for creative conversation, moments shared by the artists presenting thoughtful dialogue, storytelling in art, and life-shaping creativity and identity. Let’s grow together!
Catered Reception: 4:15 to 6:15pm, Delicious CHAZ51 hors D'oeuvres provided along with a cash bar.
Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is delighted to conclude its 2025-26 Winter Cabaret Season with One Hit Wonders, an original revue created by Richard Hopkins and Rebecca Hopkins, with musical arrangements by Jim Prosser. Quirky, charming, and packed with guilty pleasures, this cabaret proves that sometimes one hit is all you need. Previews begin Feb. 11, officially opening Feb. 13, with performances through June 21 in FST’s Court Cabaret.
ensembleNEWSRQ (enSRQ) marks a milestone 10th anniversary with “Retrospektiv,” a program that reflects on the works that have shaped the ensemble’s artistic journey while introducing vibrant new voices. The evening begins with Sips & Sounds: A Decade with enSRQ, a special anniversary gathering at 5 p.m., at Michael’s On East Wine Cellar. The event features wine and cocktails, light bites, musical interludes and a few surprise announcements. The concert follows at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 7:30 p.m., at First Congregational Church, 1031 S. Euclid Ave., Sarasota. Tickets for the celebration reception and concert are $150. Tickets for the celebration reception only are $125. Single tickets for the concert only are $30. For more information on ticket packages and student pricing, visit www.EnSRQ.org.
The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime invites the community to The Love Experience, a free outdoor pop-up celebrating love, connection, and community on Friday, February 7 from 11am-3pm. Designed as an interactive Valentine’s-inspired experience, the event features local vendors, live music, flowers, photo opportunities, and two local personalities known as the Gurus of Love. Offering free dating profile reviews will be Christin Lilly, owner of Coral & Reef Boutique and creator of the Where We Meet docu-series, and Mark Klecka of Coldwell Banker Realty, host of the Sarasota Street Talk podcast and longtime community connector. Together, they bring humor, honesty, and real-life relationship experience to guests looking for guidance, encouragement, or a fresh perspective. The Love Experience will also feature live music by Suzanne Lucas, a vintage flower truck by Sarasota Florist, custom love poems created on a vintage typewriter, a Doggie Kissing Booth benefiting TenderHeart Charities, photography sessions, chair massages, specialty food vendors, jewelry, gifts, and more. Hamlet’s Eatery and all shops inside The Bazaar will be open throughout the event. The Love Experience is free and open to the public. For more information, visit The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, www.Bazaaronapricotandlime.com
Join us for a weekly guided tour of the night sky in our state-of-the-art planetarium. As Earth moves around the sun, different objects come into view. We'll not only discuss what you can see this season, we'll fly you there!
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St W, Bradenton
Think while you drink! Gather your friends, co-workers or family and join us for a fun-filled evening. Prizes and specials each night. Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm. Gecko’s on Clark – Monday ; Gecko’s on SR64 & Stickney Point – Tuesday ; Gecko’s on Hillview – Wednesday.
Tripletail Seafood & Spirits delicious Sunday Brunch is from 11am-3pm. Guests are invited to indulge in a delightful brunch experience on the beautiful covered patio or casual dining room with nautical touches. The brunch menu features a variety of mouth-watering dishes created by Chef Cesareo Cardenas, including his decadent Crème Brûlée French Toast, savory Steak & Eggs, succulent Lobster Benedict, the flavorful Tripletail Brunch Burger and Crab & Shrimp Omelet. Guests will receive a complimentary Bloody Mary or Mimosa with the purchase of any entrée. Prices range from $13 to $26. Reservations can be made through Open Table or by calling 941-529-0555.
Tripletail Seafood & Spirits, 4870 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
From Billy Joel to Alicia Keys, from Ray Charles to Freddie Mercury, Three Pianos celebrates the piano legends who refused to play by the rules. These aren’t your cookie-cutter rock stars: they’re the rebels, romantics, and risk-takers who turned 88 keys into pure magic.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
A gala performance by Summer Intensive dancers from around the world.
Sarasota Opera House, 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
Get ready to move this summer with Sarasota Contemporary Dance and guest teachers in sunny Sarasota for a week-long dance intensive, unlike any other! You have three weeks to choose from-or do all three!
Sarasota Contemporary Dance, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts Suite 300, Sarasota, FL 34236
There's much ado about something in this whip-smart, laugh-out-loud new romantic comedy from Lauren Gunderson. Lady Disdain is a fast-paced, razor-sharp riff on the deliciously dramatic world of Fantasy Romance novels (yes, those ones-you know them, you love them). Beatrice and Benedict, rival audiobook narrators with voices made for swooning and tempers made for sparring, are locked in a battle of wits, words, and wildly inconvenient attraction. Asolo Rep proudly presents this world premiere from one of America's most celebrated and funny playwrights.
Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
The sharp-witted, glamorous, incomparable Eartha Kitt commands the spotlight. But backstage in her dressing room, in the quiet between songs, she peels back the glitz to reveal Eartha Mae: a girl from the South Carolina cotton fields, orphaned by her mother until an audience adopted her. Told through both story and song, Urbanite Theatre’s first-ever musical production unearths the complex truth behind the icon.
Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Matthew Aucoin’s “Music for New Bodies,” created in collaboration with acclaimed director Peter Sellars, is a bold operatic meditation on humanity’s shifting place in the natural world. Premiered in 2024, this one-act visionary operetta fuses the poetic texts of Jorie Graham with visceral soundscapes for five singers, an 18-piece chamber orchestra, lighting, and electronics. Aucoin crafts a work that is at once urgent and transcendent, while Sellars’ visionary staging brings the music into striking visual focus. Presented in a historic collaboration with Artist Series Concerts, this Sarasota premiere at the Sarasota Opera House invites audiences to imagine new forms of life, connection, and transformation.
Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
ArtCenter Sarasota continues its Centennial Season with Medium Mutiny, a juried exhibition selected by Ed Swan Jr. that celebrates boundary-pushing works challenging tradition through bold experimentation in form, material, and concept. Solo exhibitions include Living by the Water by Cat Tesla, whose serene, abstract paintings reflect a journey of healing and transformation inspired by Florida's landscapes. A new body of work by Anja Palombo, blending her deep love of nature and art history into expressive visual narratives. In Architect as Artist, co-curated by Morris Hylton III, Sarasota-based architects including Carl Abbott, Jerry Sparkman, and Javi Suárez present multidisciplinary works that blur the line between design and fine art. This group exhibition honors Sarasota's architectural legacy and highlights the creative synergy between structure, space, and artistic vision.
ArtCenter Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota
Delight once again in the inspiring performances of Pinky's Players, Venice Theatre's Community Engagement Program that partners with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to develop and share their artistic talents.
Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice, FL 34285
Two of Sarasota’s finest step into the spotlight with a program that basks in the magical sounds of their ancient instruments. Accompanied by strings and harpsichord, Sarasota Orchestra principal oboe Bobby Nunes and principal harp Phoebe Powell each perform a concerto for their instrument by baroque master G.F. Handel. The two also join forces for Debussy’s enchanting Album of Five Pieces for Oboe and Harp.
First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak Street, Sarasota FL 34237
Catch the first glimpse of the newest performances being made in the Sarasota-Manatee area. Now in its third year, the HAT’s MicroWIP (Micro Works-in-Progress) presentations provide local creatives with a platform to advance new work. This evening features ten-minute max excerpts of freshly made performances and represents the museum's commitment to supporting local artists. By presenting works-in-progress, we offer a semiformal way for artists to experiment with new ideas.
Historic Asolo Theatre, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Eleven-year-old Winnie Foster yearns for a life of adventure beyond her white picket fence, but not until she becomes unexpectedly entwined with the Tuck Family does she get more than she could have imagined. When Winnie learns of the magic behind the Tuck’s unending youth, she must fight to protect their secret from those who would do anything for a chance at eternal life.
Rise Above Performing Arts Centre, 3501 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34239
A huge influence of Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash and Jimi Hendrix, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a legend in her time, adding fierce guitar and swing to traditional gospel music, becoming the Mother of Rock n Roll. Marie and Rosetta chronicles her first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duos in music history.
Asolo Repertory Theatre , 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
The Images of Dance showcase features dancers from The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory.
Sarasota Opera House, 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
All levels of Sarasota Cuban Ballet School dancers and the Gulfcoast Studio Company featured in classical and contemporary works.
Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota, FL 34231
The Elizabeth M. Eaton Memorial Pipe Organ, installed in the SCF Neel Performing Arts Center, will be on full display for this special performance of orchestra and organ music. Featuring local acclaimed organists and the Pops Orchestra, this concert will delight all who have asked to hear this amazing instrument.
SCF Neel Performing Arts Center, 5840 26th St W, Bradenton, FL 34207
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
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
Mayer explores the impact of technology on the human body through this interactive sculpture series. Slumpies invites viewers to sit and slump on these sculptures, much like furniture, and find a place of comfort while using their technological devices.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
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