SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2013

TOMORROW WE CELEBRATE COLUMBUS DAY

 And a year from Wednesday,  UNIVERSITY TOWN CENTER is opening its doors to the public.  The largest mall in SARASOTA, and one of biggest in Central Florida, it is sure to attract locals, visitors and tourists to an area that continues to grow with retail, commercial and residential usage.

By now you know the three anchors...Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillard's and Macy's. There is a pad for one more, but no one is sure when or if that will ever happen.  Any day now, Taubman will be making an announcement of several tenants.  Already announced restaurants are Seasons 52 and The Cheesecake Factory.  I am unable to confirm a second SARASOTA Too Jays or  Mortons Steak House.  The promise has always been 50% new retail business to the area.

A visit to old friends.....over the past several weeks, we've been to several of our favorite SARASOTA restaurants.  This time of year is a wonderful time to visit the most popular, as our population is at its lowest.  Those of you returning in the next few months should visit these along with our growing list of quality eateries.

Louies  Modern opened its doors earlier this spring on Palm Avenue in ground floor space of the Palm Ave. garage.  Since that time they have grown in popularity with the food improving as they've tweaked the menu.  A recent visit found new menu items, along with the same quality and service as well as ambiance that helped establish their early presence.  The main dinning room, closed for lunch this summer, reopens on October 21 with a new menu.  If you have not been to Louies , I suggest a visit and soon before season.


Lucky Pelican in Lakewood Ranch continues to serve outstanding seafood, salads, burgers and sides that rank among the best in all of SARASOTA.  These past few months have been busy, but a manageable busy so the wait is not nearly as long as its going to get.   Pelican continues to be one of my favorites.  I especially enjoy their Cobb salad with crusted chicken as well as daily seafood specials.  Sweet potato fries are a must, and for those who partake (I do not) oysters are one of their specialties.

Apollonia in Cooper Creek Shopping center is fast becoming a neighborhood and SARASOTA favorite.  Owned by Main Street's El Grecco family, Apollonia serves all the familiar Mediterranean dishes familiar to their city location.  Modern and accessible with plenty of parking, the menu choices range from pizza to Moussaka to lemon chicken to salad to more.  Service is quick and you will find prices very reasonable.
This past Saturday, we ran into neighbors at Lee Roy Selmon's, sat outside and had great bar food while watching baseball and football on several big screen TVs.   There was a wait for inside seating.  The food ranges from ribs, to pulled beef and pork, salads, sliders, burgers and even salmon.  Sides of cheese fries or onion rings or green fried tomatoes along with draft, bottle and craft beers add to the fun of being in a sports bar big enough to accommodate many without feeling crowded.  Selmon's is a few doors from Apollonia.

Next week, I will have several more to re-visit including Yummy House and JPAN, as by now you know two of my favorites!!! Also El Toro Boro and some exciting news from Reverly which continues to evolve into a University Parkway favorite.

For those of us who were privileged to watch The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson you can read an insightful biography written by his attorney Henry Bushkin.  It drops on Tuesday, and if the excerpt I read in last week's Entertainment Weekly is any indication this is one you won't want to put down.  The story of catching his second wife cheating with Frank Gifford is hilarious.  The New York Post has been highlighting juicy details as well.   I highly recommend.


If football isn't your thing today and you haven't been to the movies lately, I highly recommend Captain Phillips, with always dependable Tom Hanks playing Phillips in this true story adapted from Phillips' best seller.  The past is frantic, the acting outstanding, and by the end you will have been rewarded with one of this year's best.  Since Phillips wrote the book, you can enjoy his detention without worrying about the outcome.  Hanks, and possibly the movie are sure Academy Award contenders.

I have not seen Gravity, but those who have tell me the ride is awesome.  And most suggest seeing it in 3-D.

Jim's Rant is the return of our street panhandlers....Yes they are back.  Maybe not in the usual places, though I have seen them on University and 301 and 41.   They are at the entrance to Cooper Creek Shopping Center and other inconspicuous places.  AND, I recognize most of them as the group here this summer before being given the boot by police.  They didn't kick hard enough!!

As you've noticed I am using a different program to send the blog.  Hopefully the kinks are worked out and you received this normally.  If not, please let me know.

Tracy, you've earned every penny of your recent raise.....See you next week...JIM