Located at 1990 Main St. in the space formerly occupied by Buddha Belly Donuts and Brasserie Belge, a new Sarasota restaurant has emerged. M.A.D.E., an acronym for Modern American Delicious Eats, is the shared vision of two friends, Michael Ripatranzone and Mark D. Woodruff.

Sometimes it is the simple, well-presented things that stand out. For Chef Judi, this week represents a long-standing love affair with Selva Grill and the simple tastes of crisp plantain chips with chimichurri dipping sauce.

Since Sept. 18 marked National Cheeseburger Day, it seemed fitting to review Square 1 Burgers & Bar. Square 1 came to Florida several years ago with a location in Tampa, opened by longtime restaurateurs Bill Shumate and Joanie Corneil (Bella’s Italian Café). Square 1 opened its first Sarasota location on the South Trail in December of 2010. The second Sarasota location at the University Park Center opened in the spring of 2011. Subsequent locations were added this year in Brandon and Fort Meyers. Square 1 Burgers & Bar is focused on fun! [...]

Once a month, an acquaintance and client from work comes along and catches up with me. Sometimes we talk about her dog; other times we talk about her upcoming wedding, of which I know every detail except for the nuptial night (I have class!) and what the invite looks like, since I have not been invited. Don’t gasp, I am only an acquaintance! As this person leaves my workplace I always hear, “Don’t work too hard, Eduardo … ” Every single time I hear those four words it makes me cringe. [...]

Happy Hours are going through a transformation in many restaurants, and rightly so. The boozy Happy Hour is a relic of a bygone era where menus focused on cheap liquor with little to no attention on food. For many spots, the hours between 5 and 7 p.m. were nothing more than liquid “lead-ins” to dinner. Today’s consumer preferences, coupled with restaurants’ desire to offer expanded yet simple menu additions, are leading to some interesting and innovative Happy Hour menus. A leading innovator in the burgeoning small plates/Happy Hour menu space [...]

The last time we saw The Dating Duo they were on their way from the James Turrell Skyspace at the Ringling Museum to Blu Que Island Grill on Siesta Key in search of a pleasant atmosphere and pretty colors.   When the Dating Duo arrive at Blu Que it is raining. But have no fear, Blu Que has valet parking and the wrap-around deck is dry; live music is playing, the tabletops are changing between shades of blue and green and beautifully-presented food and drinks are arriving at the tables already full [...]