NOVEMBER 29, 2015

 CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IS OFF AND RUNNING....PEOPLE EVERYWHERE...PARKING SPACES SCARCE....GOOD TIME TO STAY HOME AND WAIT FOR THE "REAL"DEALS....

Don't look for me in this crowd.  I was smart enough to avoid the traffic!!!

FIRST SARASOTA presents their annual Singing Christmas Tree, a Christmas tradition for the past 41 years. It begins on Sunday December 6th and runs for only  6 performances.  If you've never seen this one, buy tickets now!!!  Its a holiday musical experience like none other.

Singing Christmas Tree is at the church located 1670 Main St. It is easily accessible to the many restaurants in the downtown SARASOTA  area. For a schedule and ticket purchase click here.


Hollywood 20 and AMC Sarasota 12 are the only places  in town to see one of the better movies of this or any year....SPOTLIGHT....dealing with the riveting true story of the Pulitzer Prize winning Boston Globe investigation of the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal that shocked the world.  Not since All The President's Men has there been such a compelling movie dealing with REAL newspaper reporting and investigation.

An ensemble cast led by Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber and more make you feel their pain as they discover what has been hidden by the church for years.  A true Academy Award candidate in every major category, you do not want to miss this one.

There are several well-reviewed movies open, now that the Adult season has started.  Brooklyn, Trumbo and incredibly, Sylvester Stallone has reinvented his Rocky franchise with Creed.

Every review is positive!  I thought Southpaw was the last boxing movie for me, but I am definitely going to this one.  More good movies on the horizon.

The perfect theatre going location

Several of you have been to THE  ROSEMARY at 411 N. Orange Ave.  I have been there as has my contributing Editor Debbie Yonker who writes..."Savory Street was one of our Saturday lunch group favorites, so we went to The Rosemary hoping it would be good enough to return again.  Yes, we will.

The new decor is very nice.  No more bakery counter and the back room had its wall of weeds removed.  New tables, chairs and linens.  And one of Savory's best servers, Lynn, remains.  The food was varied, well prepared and very tasty.  The menu is a work in progress, and though some of our favorite breakfast items were not available after 11, the owner told us he would work on it.

A sample of Rosemary food presentation

The Rosemary is a good location for dinner before performances at the West Coast Black Theatre as well as The Van Wezel and others as it is located on the corner of Orange and 4th.  There is ample off street parking.   Open daily for breakfast and lunch and til 9pm for dinner Wed-Sat. 
Click here for menu and days open for lunch, breakfast and dinner.

For everyone waiting the arrival of SOL MEYER NY Delicatessen, the wait is over.  SOL'S opened Friday at 1743 Main Street, and if my email folder is any indication, several of you have already been there.  Reviews so far are mixed; though I had half of a delicious sandwich hand delivered by a friend.  I will see for myself today (Sunday).  For menu and hours of operation click here.

Here is a unique idea for your Christmas/Hanukkah gift, and you don't have to go far to purchase it, SOUTHERN BASKET, a true Sarasota company  selling gourmet jams, jellies, mustard, pickles, and more from their Saturday Sarasota Farmers Market location  on Lemon and State St.  Or if you don't get down to the market,  proprietor Gail Jeffrey is available by phone 941-923-7451 or gaijeff@yahoo.com

Items too numerous to mention ; however here are a few....Strawberry Jam--low sugar, twice the fruit, Blueberry Jam--spiced with cinnamon and vanilla--and Key Lime Jelly...along with her unique pickles and mustard makes for a wonderful gift or your own use.  We've purchased several items from her over the years.  All exceptional quality and long lasting. AND, if Gail's products are good enough  for the Sarasota Ritz Carlton, then they meet a higher standard than most similar items being sold everywhere.

I am saving reviews of BEACH BISTRO, MARCELLO,  until next week.  There is more restaurant news on horizon.  It was announced in the Herald last week,  the Caragiuilo family is converting the Sam Snead property into Veronica Fish & Oyster, a more formal seafood restaurant different than Owen's Fish Camp.   And there are plans to bring a second Owen's Fish Camp to University-I75  somewhere in the Cooper Creek area, but not on that property.  The list keeps on growing. Einstein Bagels on 41 reopens tomorrow (Monday) and Fresh Kitchen is open Now in Cooper Creek Center!!! Daily Eats opens December 9 in same location.

There are some terrific television programs this week with more specials to come in the days leading up to Christmas.  Tomorrow, ABC begins a four week run of The Great Holiday Baking Show, a UK sensation seen recently on PBS.  This American version airs from10-11PM on Monday's and begins with cookies and continues from there. On Wednesday, NBC kicks off the holiday season with the 81st annual lighting of the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center with James Taylor, Andrea Bocelli and more.

On Thursday, NBC is presenting their annual live musical event The Wiz featuring Queen Latifah and a cast of unknowns, among them Shanise Williams, a 19 year old playing Dorothy. Williams will surely become an overnight sensation.  I saw a special on the making of this program, and I wouldn't miss it if I were you.  Remember that handy DVR. 

And finally, a week from today (Sunday) from 9-11PM,  CBS is celebrating what would have been Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday with a Las Vegas concert featuring Tony Bennett, Lady GaGa, Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood and many more.
 
Here's a family-fun show opening Wednesday 12/2 and running right through New Year's Eve...AMOTOWN CHRISTMAS created and directed by theatre founder Nate Jacobs.  The Westcoast Black Theatre's Christmas presentation is far different than the current sell-out FST Cabaret production Soul Mates.  All your Christmas favorites by cast members singing in the style of Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The supremes, Smokey Robinson and more.  This is an entirely new production and will rotate each season with last year's successful Black Nativity. For a complete schedule of performances and to order tickets click here.

 

JIM'S RANT....Most of my readers are of an age when BLACK FRIDAY was just that.  Stores opened at midnight; people camped out for days under tent and blanket; and outlandish specials were available for a few hours before supplies ran out.  But now, there is no real BLACK FRIDAY as those sales began several days ago and continue right until CHRISTMAS. Oh, for the good old days......

As usual, Tracy did a fabulous job of editing this mess.  And what can I say about Debbie..Just keep on finding those outstanding restaurants to write about. And forgive me for this week's length.  So much happening, I made several cuts to get to this point.   Until next week.....JIM

THE FIRST NIGHT OF HANUKKAH IS A WEEK AWAY!!!!