I should probably start with an apology. It’s been a while since I’ve checked in, sorry. I should be better about that. It’s hard though with all of the day to day happenings that make up life here at dineSarasota. Reviews, news, dining guides, new restaurants opening, old restaurants closing and the list goes on. I’m sure that each of us has our own list that is keeping us from checking in too.

That brings us to a great excuse to slow it down a bit. Summertime! What could be a better reason? It’s a littler hotter out, so life kind of slows down naturally. It seems like we don’t really need to be told to take it a little easy during the summer months. It just happens.

The season brings with it a fantastic array of summertime foods and traditions. Backyard barbeques for one. I guess living in Florida year round doesn’t present the same rush to summertime outdoor cooking that living up north does, but who wants to heat up that kitchen. Whether it’s burgers, chicken, fish or veggies, food cooked outdoor has that summer flavor. It’s not really what’s cooking, it’s how it’s cooked. I’m sure all of us have some memories of summer that revolve around the grill.

Being originally from the sometimes frozen north, I can remember friends firing up that Weber grill in mid January just to have a culinary reminder of summer. Oh, sure they would say, “It’s really the only way to cook a steak” or “my broiler just doesn’t do the trick”. But we all know what it really is. It’s not the food. It’s a summertime feel good in the middle of winter that they’re looking for. Some hope that the cold and snow will give way to sunny summer days when you don’t need a parka and gloves to do the grilling. When your cooking protein of choice can actually thaw outdoors, when your lips won’t stick to your BBQ bottle of beer.

That’s where we’re lucky. We can pretty much barbeque 12 months a year in relative comfort. But even with our guaranteed grilling weather, there is still something about that summertime tradition of food cooked outdoors on the grill. It just seems like the thing to do.

Kids off school and playing in the yard, some friends over for a barbeque, a few cold beverages. What could possibly say summer more than that? It’s a convenient reason to stop, relax, take a pause in our hectic lives and enjoy the season for what it is. An excuse to step off the gas for a bit and slow down, a time to stop and smell the BBQ. Bon Appetit.

Larry Hoffman is the Publisher of dineSarasota.com. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Larry now works and lives in Sarasota Florida. You may contact him at: ljh@dineSarasota.com