Is there a better day than Thanksgiving Day? I think not.

From our table to yours, have a happy and thankful Thanksgiving Day.

Can “new” really compete with some old favorites? Not surprisingly, yes!

The menu. The concept seems benign enough. If you walk into any restaurant, in any city, you will at some point be faced with some choices. Your options may be written on a white board mounted on a nearby wall. Or, they sometimes come in the form of elegant raised lettering on linen paper. These choices can and do come is a dizzying array of styles, but, that does not change the fact that you will have to make them.

Here’s the rub. I like the comfort of knowing what decisions need to be made prior to making them. I also relish the experience of being surprised by the unexpected. This creates problems. Allow me to illustrate.

Lets just say, I have a craving for this fantastic lamb dish. I’ve had it a couple of times before at this quaint little restaurant. This lamb is really good. My wife and I jump in the car. We fight a little pre-season traffic, we’re lucky enough to find a parking spot without too much circling and we stroll up to the front door.

Then you see the words. Most likely they are handwritten on a specials board. “You’ll love our new menu”. What? New menu? I didn’t get off my comfy couch, get in the car and be lucky enough to win the parking space lottery for a “new menu”. I want the OLD menu! What about my lamb? Sound vaguely familiar? Of course it does.

This is the point when the anxiety builds. Was my favorite lamb dish good enough to make the cut for the new menu? Did enough other diners think it was just as spectacular? Or, was the chef just sick and tired of making it day in, day out?

We’ve all been there. And, we’ve all had to settle at one time or another. At times our taste buds have been mildly disappointed by a substitute offering. But, things are bound to change.

But, there is another possible and preferable scenario.

You arrive at the restaurant, you’re greeted by the new menu sign and soon find out that something wonderful is about to take place.

Not only is your favorite lamb dish on the menu, but, so are a mouthwatering assortment of new and interesting choices. That’s exactly what’s happening at Libby’s Café + Bar. Lots of your old favorites, with a liberal mix of soon to be Libby’s classics.

Over at Libby’s they have a habit of refining their menu offerings two or three times a year. It’s a good habit. This winters menu makeover is destined to be a hit. I’m sure the job of re-working a menu is daunting and time consuming. It just seems like hard work. Lucky for us they’re damn good at it.

Let’s have a look.

Those are the “Karubi” Pork Belly Ribs. That’s right, pork belly ribs. If you want the same flavor profile in a sandwich it’s no problem. The Buffalo Inspired Pork Belly Sandwich is for you. Same rich, delicious taste, but, in a convenient handheld form.

All kinds of new offerings dot Libby’s winter menu. From Small Plates to Egg Rolls to Dinner and Lunch Specialties. There is lots to try and lots to love.

We all like our favorites. That’s why they’re our favorites. And, nobody’s saying you have to abandon yours. That’s the beauty of the new winter menu at Libby’s. Your old feel good favorites can play right along side the new kids on the block. And, they can play nicely.

LIBBY’S CAFE + BAR
1917 Osprey Avenue
Sarasota, Florida 34239
941-487-7300

For more information

Summer and beer. They go together like… (insert your own song lyrics here). But, it’s true. Summer and beer do go pretty great together. It’s either the step up in outdoor temperature or our increased activity level. I’m not sure exactly, but, I do know that a cold beer is pretty darn good in the summer (an ice cold lemonade isn’t bad either!).

The folks over at Libby’s Café + Bar want to help you out with your beer drinking needs this summer. And to that end they are debuting a new line of craft brewed beer and a tasting menu to go along with it.

Beginning Monday, July 11th and continuing every Monday through the end of September you can enjoy one of the eighteen great craft beers from Libby’s list. As you would imagine, there are some fantastic food parings to go along with all of those suds. Plus, there’s a bonus. 50% off all craft beer from 11:30am to close!

Here’s some tasting menu highlights for you to drool over while you make your way there.

Libby’s Café + Bar Craft Beer Pairings

90 min IPA with Crispy Grouper Fish Tacos
Abby Ale with Blackened Boneless Prime Rib
Whale’s Tale Pale Ale with BBQ Pork Mac + Cheese
Dales Pale Ale with “Karubi” Pork Belly Ribs
Maximus IPA with Wasabi Crusted Tuna
Tangerine Wheat with Orange Miso Spinach Salad

LIBBY’S CAFE + BAR
1917 Osprey Avenue
Sarasota, Florida 34239
941-487-7300

Move over Hob Nob and Five Guys, Sarasota has a brand new hamburger joint and it’s called Square 1 Burgers & Bar.

Newly opened at 1737 S. Tamiami Trail (just across from Sarasota Memorial Hospital), Square 1 has a fantastic looking menu of burger choices. And, I mean choices.

Of course you can have your burger creation made up with 100% Angus Beef.  But, if you want something a little different try buffalo, chicken, turkey and even ostrich! Now that’s having it your way.

We’ll have a more in depth look at this sure to be popular Sarasota restaurant in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out. If you happen to get over to Square 1 to sample a burger leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Square 1 Burgers & Bar
1737 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
941-870-8111

Sometime around the beginning of 2010, I decided that dineSarasota.com needed some better food photos. Not that the shots I was posting were horrific or embarrassing, but, I thought that the great food that was being prepared in our local restaurants deserved a little better representation.

Now, I have this camera. When I bought it last February, my goal was to use some Sarasota restaurants as, kind of, photo Guinea Pigs to improve my photography skills. Thanks to all of you who have let me tromp through your kitchens and dining rooms in search of edible subjects for the past few months.

I have been using the images in our dSDISH newsletter and on the site for the past six months or so. I’ve gotten some great feedback too. Thanks for that. It’s been fun and humbling trying to get that perfect shot.

I’m going to use this space to post some of those images without a lot of fanfare or editorial. My goal is to get these photos of our fantastic Sarasota food out there for you to see. Maybe you’ll be inspired to sit down and eat that dish! Oh, I’m also cooking up a few food contest ideas surrounding some of those posts. So, keep an eye out for that.

So, without further adieu, here is our:

dineSarasota Gratuitous Food Foto of the Moment (#1).

Word of Mouth - Turkey Reuben

When I think baseball, I think egg rolls. Don’t you? OK, it’s a stretch, I’ll give you that.

Back about four years ago, I had the opportunity to take a baseball trip with my son. Philadelphia was one of our stops. Obviously, The City of Brotherly Love, has a lot of things to do and food to eat.

I know there are great culinary adventures in Philly, Le Bec-Fin, Parc and Morimoto come to mind. But, my main interest was a little, shall we say, more pedestrian. Pat’s The King of Steaks.

That’s right. How could I trek all the way to Philly and not sample the wares of one of the greatest food stands in the country. The answer, I couldn’t. So, right before the ballgame we made a quick trip to South Philly for a steak.

We hit Pat’s around noontime. It was busy. It’s open 24 hours a day, so, I’m guessing it’s busy most times. You’ve probably seen Pat’s on a Food Network or Travel Channel show. Nothing fancy, that’s for sure. Just great, simple street food.

I ordered a steak, wit (step 1), cheez whiz (step 2) and paid (step 3). I made sure to practice (step 4), knowing how long I waited, the back of the line seemed an unreasonable punishment. No need to worry.

When we got our steaks they were nothing short of amazing! Tender, juicy and full of flavor, just like they had been serving them for the past 77 years. That was a food side trip that was well worth the detour.

Stomach full and Philly Steak Sandwich craving satisfied we were off to Citizen’s Bank Park to catch the Phillies in action.

What does all of this talk of Philly, baseball and  Pat’s have to do with Libby’s Cafe + Bar here in Sarasota? Here goes. I’m at Libby’s having a drink at the bar for their happy hour. I glance over at their bar menu and nestled between the Truffled-White Cheddar Popcorn and the Carolina Pulled Pork, is the Citizen’s Park Cheesesteak Egg Roll. That explains the Philly flashback (somewhat).

I had to have one. I mean how could I not. This could either be a crazy good combo of flavors or a deep fried food nightmare. If you could take all of the goodness of a Pat’s steak and wrap it an an egg roll, you would have a fantastic bar snack that would be hard to top. I ordered one up.

It came delivered on its own little platter accompanied by a nice dish of Sirachai Catsup. Interesting pairing. I thought maybe they would have a bowl of cheez whiz for dipping (it’s a thought, right?).

The egg roll was fried to a perfect golden brown, perfect. The wrapper was crisp and crunchy. Not at all oil soaked and soggy like some egg rolls we’ve all eaten.

Inside was combination of tender beef and cheese (that explains the missing bowl of cheez whiz). A really nice amount of both. I thought going into this that the finished product would be heavy and filling, but, that’s not the case. You wouldn’t want to down a half dozen of these, but, they were pretty light and bursting with flavor.

I usually relegate catsup/ketchup to french fries and french fries only (OK, it’s great on top of a meatloaf too). Rarely do I make an exception to my unwritten rule. But, this wasn’t your average Heinz Ketchup. This stuff had some zip. It worked really well with the egg roll and gave the whole thing a little kick. Not that a cheese steak really needs a kick, but, in this “mashup” preparation it worked. A hit for sure!

The Bottom Line: You have to travel some 1,100 miles to get an original Pat’s steak. Not practical most days. I’m not suggesting that a Libby’s Citizen’s Bank Cheesesteak Egg Roll is a substitute for the real thing, but, it sure makes a fantastic, tasty bar treat. And, as a bonus, if you make a mistake in ordering, they probably won’t send you to the back of the line!

Click here to see what other things Libby’s Cafe + Bar has on the bar menu.

Libby’s Cafe + Bar
1917 Osprey Avenue
Sarasota, Florida 34239
941-487-7300

Here’s our weekly list of the most searched for Sarasota restaurants on dineSarasota.com for the past week. The more things change, the more they stay the same. No change at the top, but a little shuffling of the deck.

Check out the top twenty each month on The LIST.

Here’s our weekly list of the most searched for Sarasota restaurants on dineSarasota.com for the past week. No Change at the top, but a little shuffling of the deck.

Check out the top twenty each month on The LIST.

In Chicago, back in the mid-1990′s, New York toy seller, FAO Schwarz tried a new concept. A candy store that was stocked to the gills with every type of confection known (and even unknown) to man. It was called FAO Schweetz. If you were under the age of ten, your eyes would almost bulge out of your head just by walking in the front door. You could smell the sweetness in the air. And, if you were lucky enough to have a cooperating adult, you could stuff a basket with enough sugar to make any respectable dentist jump for joy.

Now, imagine a store packed with every spice, sugar, salt and tea imaginable. That’s what the Spice and Tea Exchange located on St. Armands circle is like. It’s FAO Schweetz for cooks. If you’re looking for that just right flavor to make a dish, chances are you can find it here. It doesn’t matter if you’re a full time professional chef or a weekend dabbler, if you need that special something, a trip to St. Armands circle is in order.

Not sure what you’re looking for? They have a great knowledgeable and helpful staff that can guide you through the dizzying array of choices. On my most recent visit, I was looking for some specialty salts. I love salt and had lots to choose from.

After some window shopping through the “salt aisle” I decided that some help would be in order. I was looking for something a little different. I’ve had all the usual’s; Murray River, Cyprus Black Lava and Hawaiian Red (that one sounds illegal). I even own a block of Bolivian Rose and a micro planer.

A few tastes later, I decided on two salts I hadn’t used in my kitchen. The first was a Black Truffle salt. It had a nice truffle flavor, not to overpowering, but, not to subtle either. I thought this one would be a great finishing salt or even used to season a nice steak. Pretty tame stuff really.

My second selection wasn’t quite as safe. India Black, a type of mineral salt. This was different! This salt apparently has a very high sulfur content which makes it taste like hard boiled eggs. When you first taste it your senses are really fooled. It looks nothing like eggs. In fact, it has a pale pink dusty texture. So when it hits your tongue it’s like “where did that come from!”. Cool.

I really wanted to take home the India Black. But, what could you possibly do with this stuff except freak your friends out by offering them a small taste (blindfolded of course)? My new salt consultant said it would go great in any dish that used hard boiled eggs. Hey, why didn’t I think of that! Tuna salad came to mind. How about potato salad? I think I might miss the actual eggs themselves. Egg salad? No I guess that doesn’t work.

A little after the trip research yielded some additional info. This India Black salt is also called Kala Namak and is used extensively in Indian cuisine. It is mixed into a variety of dishes including chutneys and chaats. Here’s a link to a Tandoori Cauliflower With Mint Chutney recipe that uses Kala Namak.

I am taking that salt home. It’s too interesting to pass up. I’ll write another post when I figured out what to do with it. Stay tuned.

If you’re out hunting for that perfect rub, spice or seasoning, The Spice and Tea Exchange probably has something for you. With literally an endless of combination of spices available it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll come away empty handed. Just wandering through the store and smelling the aromas make you realize that sometime it’s the spice IN life that matters most.

The Spice and Tea Exchange
345 St. Armands Circle
Sarasota, Florida 34236
941-388-1411

Usually I reserve this space for some kind of snappy, somewhat food related banter. Not so today. Today’s edition of the dSDISH is going to be a little different and something I’m thinking about doing from time to time. It’s not quite a photo essay, but, it’s not a food/restaurant review either. I think it’s maybe more like a photo show and tell.

So, if you’re ready let’s get started.

I was at the Siesta Key Oyster Bar (SKOB) recently and noticed that they had a few new items on their menu. I asked their Chef, Geoff Carroll, if I could take a few shots to show all of you. Not surprisingly, he agreed. Here’s a look at a few of the new offerings at one of Siesta Key’s hot spots.

OK, if you own a place that has “Oyster” in the name you’ve got to have some great ones, and SKOB does. Above is their Oysters Rockefeller. As you can see they are loaded! Of course, you can still pick up a dozen on the half shell or steamed. They also have rolled out an oyster menu with about a half dozen new oyster variations.

Soft shell crab. It’s not quite as popular as some other types, namely snow and king, but, just as tasty. There was a time when you could only get this delicate tasting crustacean at certain times of the year. Not anymore. Lucky for us advances in aquaculture have made these crabs available practically year round.

SKOB’s version is lightly battered and fried. It’s then topped with a great Chipotle Aioli. As you can see the crab is sharing the plate with a nice assortment of mixed veggies. If you’ve never tried a soft shell crab, this is your big opportunity.

There’s something a little different coming out of the SKOB kitchen. Every Saturday and Sunday the Siesta Key Oyster Bar is serving brunch. They have all of the traditional things you might expect from a brunch menu. But, they’ve also thrown in a few surprises. One is the Crab Cake Benedict. A perfectly cooked crab cake, topped with a poached egg and finished with key lime hollandaise sauce. Some lightly grilled asparagus spears round out this nice brunch plate. It’s a great variation on the theme and makes for a satisfying entrée.

Looks like SKOB’s kitchen has really got it going! Now you can think of them for more than just great wings, live music and a laid back island atmosphere. There’s new food, dig in!

Siesta Key Oyster Bar
5238 Ocean Boulevard
Sarasota, FL 34242
941-346-5443