Another amazing year has gone by for the Tampa Bay's Tailgate Taste Fest. I had the honor of being a judge for the 3rd year in a row and the event was amazing as always. Never been to the Tampa Bay's Tailgate Taste Fest? It is A FREE, family-friendly event at Tampa's Curtis Hixon Park, Tailgate Taste Fest’s robust schedule includes activities for the casual event-goer and the ultimate sports fan alike. Entertainment consists of a food competition with local restaurants servin

Go global without leaving Lakewood Ranch with Wines Around The World, a tasting + pairing series by GROVE Restaurant - Patio - Ballroom. Your $20 ticket includes 4 unique wine samples paired with light hors d'oeuvres. Health & Safety Keeping your safety in mind during COVID-19, tables will be separated by at least 6’ and parties will have pre-assigned seats. Masks are recommended to enter and navigate the ballroom. Ticket and Seating Information Tables are available for group

I had the pleasure of attending the Rhone Valley Wine Tasting Dinner at C'est La Vie - University Park. The tasting included four glasses of wine and four courses. One of the best parts was the education we received on Rhone Valley and the background of how their food and wine is made. I enjoyed the Corsica Wine Tasting so much I could not wait to try all of the delicious wines and food Rhone Valley had to offer! First was the appetizer which was a Gougère (small pastry puff

I had the pleasure of attending the Corsica Wine Tasting at C'est La Vie - University Park. The tasting included four glasses of wine and four courses. One of the best parts was the education we received on Corsica and the background of how there food and wine is made. The night started off with some amazing music that made you feel like you were right there in Corsica! First was the appetizer which was a Gougère (small pastry puff with cheese) and was paired with a glass of

Are you looking for a quick healthy meal you can track the nutrition, not compromise flavor and have delivered directly to your door? Rebuilt Meals is natural & healthy prepared meals delivered right to your door. Each meal takes only a minute to heat up and enjoy! I have been on Rebuilt Meals for about five weeks now and I am loving every minute of it. When I recently found out from my doctor that I needed to start eating cleaner I was worried because I do not have the time

It is my favorite time again! Where I get to try out the new Chef's Table menu at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar - Sarasota. Every two months a new Chef's Table is created by one of my favorite local chefs, Chef Matt Nabor! As always it was another fabulous experience at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar -Sarasota. It is one of my favorite places for a date night on the weekends. I started the night off with my favorite a dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed oliv

Are you looking for the perfect Valentine's Day date night? Look no further my friends! Love is in the air at TooJay's Deli! just in time for Valentine’s Day, the $25.99 Sweetheart “Dinner for Too” menu is back now through Sunday, February 16th. You get a choice of two soups or salads, two entrées from TooJay’s Dinner for Too menu, two non-alcoholic beverages (upgrade to beer or wine for $3) & a choice of a dessert to share. Redeem your dinner coupon HERE. Tell me where you c

Grab your besties and mark your calendars for Sunday, March 8th - 11:30am to 1:30pm! The Scout Guide Sarasota, Anna Maria, Boca Grande Presents: The 6th Annual Bestie Brunch in honor of International Women's Day! The 6th Annual Bestie Brunch is being held in celebration of International Women's Day, the Cambira way at Mote Marine Labratory & Aquarium! Tableseide Catering will create a delicious 4-course seated brunch each perfectly paired with tasty wines from the Cambria Wi

I had the pleasure last night of dining at Cassariano Italian Eatery at UTC Sarasota. Italian food is my favorite cuisine and being from New York I am always looking for new spots in Sarasota, Florida to find amazing Italian dishes! The restaurant’s name is a combination of both partners last names; Luca Cassani and Antonio Pariano, both born and raised in Northern Italy. After years working together in the restaurant business both Luca & Antonio made the decision to venture

It's that time of year again! The 13th Annual Forks & Corks had arrived and the weather was perfect! If you read my blog post from last year you know that the 12th Annual Forks & Corks had to be moved to a later date in May because of the dangerous thunderstorms. A ton of rain is something you do not want to have to deal with while at the Ringling Museum. There is plenty of marble and tile so you are bound to slip! This year we ended up with perfect weather! All sun and a bea

As most of you know I am from New York and that is the capital for amazing pizza. Also my husband is from Chicago and to me is a close runner up for delicious pizza in the US. I have been in Sarasota for 5 years now and have explored a good amount of pizza places in the area. Have I had a chance to try every pizza place. No I wish! I wanted to share with you my top five pizza places in SRQ in no particular order! 1. Evie's Tavern Evie's has several locations around our area.

Holidays can be overwhelming. Some of us have family that is out of town and we are not able to get together with during Thanksgiving. Sometimes we just don't feel like cooking twelve courses. Maybe we just want to treat ourselves and our family to a fun night out and enjoy moms homemade cooking all together. Look no further my friends. I have already made your Thanksgiving resesrvations. Put that apron up and follow me over to Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar. I had the pleasure o

I had the pleasure of attending Savor St. Pete this year and this was the events first year. I was blown away how well it was put together and had so many options for delicious food and drinks. There was literally something there for everyone! The event was November 2nd and 3rd at Straub Waterfront Park (St. Petersburg, Florida) . Tons of great food, wine, cocktails and microbrews! A percentage of ticket sales from the event also benefited The Art Institute of Tampa. There we

It is that amazing time again my friends! Where I get to try out the new Chef's Table menu at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar - Sarasota. Every two months a new Chef's Table is created by one of my favorite local chefs, Chef Matt Nabor! As always it was another fabulous experience at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar -Sarasota. Everyone is always so nice and the atmosphere is very elegant. It is one of my favorite places for a date night on the weekends. I started t

I had the pleasure of attending Brews By the Bay at the Florida Aquarium on Friday - October 11th. For 11 years, Brews by the Bay has brought people together in support of our Blue Planet. One hundred percent of the proceeds from Brews by the Bay goes towards there conservation programs of animals such as the African penguins, sharks, corals, and sea turtles. At the event there were 100+ beers from Pepin Distributing Company including: Coppertail Brewing Company, Tampa Bay Br

I am sure most of you have been to Bonefish Grill before? I mean who doesn't love the Bang Bang Shrimp and fresh fish choices? Recently Bonefish Grill has launched a perfect date night meal. The Mixed Grill Dinner for two. You get to choose One Starter - Coconut or Bang Bang Shrimp, Two salads - House or Caesar, Three Signature Sides and you get Four Wood-Grilled Selections -Atlantic Salmon with chimichurri, Argentinian Red Shrimp, Filet Mignon skewer, and Key West Ahi Tuna t

How many times have you craved moms home-cooking but didn't know where to go and find such a delicious meal? How about wanting breakfast for dinner but all of your breakfast places closed at 2:30pm? What about wanting to have a glass of wine or a mimosa with your meal and realizing they don't sell alcohol at the diner you are at? Well I have found the solution to all of your problems. I was able to dine at Metro Diner in Sarasota a few nights ago and it did not disappoint. I

I had the pleasure of dining with Fleming's Steakhouse Sarasota for the June/July Chef's table. As I am sure you all remember my delicious food from the March Chef's Table with Chef Matt Nabor. I didn't think it could happen but this months menu is even better than the last! Chef Matt Nabor always selects the freshest local ingredients and comes up with the most creative chef table menu's every month. As always I had to start my night off with one of Fleming's Steakhouse crea

Were you able to attend any of the Forks & Corks events this past week? There were so many amazing winemaker pairing dinners offered at several Sarasota-Manatee Originals participating restaurants from May 2nd - 4th. These dinners gave you opportunities to learn more about the local restaurants, wineries and have them all paired into a fun educational event. This year I was able to attend Forks & Corks University Master Class on Saturday - May 4th at Micheal's on East. Forks

Have you ventured over to Lemon Tree Kitchen in downtown Sarasota yet? If you are looking for a fun modern restaurant with healthy options Lemon Tree Kitchen is definitely for you! Today I was able to have lunch at Lemon Tree Kitchen with my favorite foodie gal pal @LetsEatSRQ. Lemon Tree Kitchen provides healthy dining options that appeal to the everyday diner in a relaxed casual atmosphere. Lemon Tree Kitchen has wholesome clean ingredients, everything is made with love and