An enthusiastic and vocal community of our area's frequent restaurant-diners. Successor to TableTips' popular, pocket-size Magazine,
for 20 years the Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice area's leading Dining Guide.
The Savvy Diners
Society email NEWS
"Where Word of Mouth Begins"
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A periodical compilation of Savvy Diners Society-members' tips, opinion and comments on their Sarasota - Manatee FL restaurant-dining experiences. Foodies who contribute to our discussions are welcome to request free membership in our society and receive the SDS email News: to apply Click Here
Feb 20, 2002
Greetings fellow Foodies!
Your struggling editor is back after more than a year's absence and hopes you're
all well and happy.
During my absence a lightning strike destroyed my hard drives including our data bases, programs, restaurant menus, Etc. I'll begin again but will need your help. Among other things, we need new menus and restaurant reviews. Please write us of promising new eateries launched during my absence. Tell us who bit the dust. With your input we'll resume publishing our email newsletter and begin updating this web site. After 15 months doing virtually nothing, I look forward to hearing from you and getting busy again. To email your editor direct, click here
A few notes of interest follow.
Bon appetit and fond regards,
Bob {zylph) Gilbert
We're working to perfect our fledgling Savvy Diners VIP Reservations Service and expect to make it fully functional in the near future. To check it out click here:
SDS VIP Reservations is a service for Savvy Diners; your feedback on it is appreciated. While similar systems are in place in some major cities, this is the first in our area.
Your editor,
Bob "Simon Zylph" Gilbert, S.D.
++++++++ ANNOUNCEMENTS ++++++++
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******** A message from our esteemed Advertiser ********25
The GULF COAST CONNOISSEUR CLUB ..The Hottest New Club In Town!
This innovative new program from the Klauber, Moulton, Mancini family of restaurants and
shops rewards guests for frequenting family businesses. As in frequent flyer programs,
Connoisseur Club members earn one point for each dollar spent. With every 250 points, a
$25 gift certificate for any of the following shops and restaurants is automatically
received: Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, its Restaurants, Sports Shop, Spa and Salon.
Down Under Jazz Club, Le Tennique, Michael's On East, Michael's Seafood Grille [After Dark
Disco], PattiGeorge's, Tastebuds and Gourmet Market. For details on becoming a member,
click: Here
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us or click here to
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EXCLUSIVE, MONEY-SAVING Savvy Diners
VALUES
Watch for new values to come!
TIDBITS WANTED!
Editor: How 'bout some help with this column? Please email us gossip, rumors, news
of management /ownership or menu changes, openings, closings, Etc.
How do area eateries fare in Health inspections? While not current, some interesting information may be found here: http://www.state.fl.us/dbpr/hr/hr_press.shtml
MEMORABLE FOODIE QUOTES
CAJUN ZOOS
Q: What's the difference between a normal zoo and a Cajun zoo?
A: In a normal zoo, you have a plaque next to the cage, with the animal's common name and
Latin name. In a Cajun zoo, you have a plaque next to the cage, with the animal's common
name, it's Latin name, and the recipe for how to cook it. Source: La. Senator John B. Breaux
MICHAEL'S on EAST GIFT CERTIFICATE WINNERS
We've dispatched $10 Gift Certificates to several contributors to our
group.
REQUEST FOR A RECOMMENDATION: From the Herzbruns
Someone told us that Dutch Valley had GREAT liver and onions, is this true? Please write
to tell your editor; I'll forward your opinions to Rema and Bill and include them here
next issue.
LET'S BUILD OUR MENU INVENTORY! We're working to rebuild our email Menu
Gallery.
Savvy Diners and Restaurateurs are invited to P-Mail memorable menus. email or
phone your editor at (941) 923-0131 for a postal mailing address. Your help is appreciated by all.
+++ FOODIE FORUM: Where Word of Mouth Begins ++
Please
email opinions and commentaries regarding your
recent dining experiences at area restaurants.
CRAB TRAP 11: From: "demeyers"
<s@email.msn.com>
I have always given good reviews about this restaurant but this time will have to deviate
from the norm. We have been eating there a couple times a month for most of a year. My
wife quite
often orders deep fried oysters. Due to her experience recently when the oysters were
shriveled up, dry and black she now asks if they are large, plump and moist. The waitress
assured her they were. As you can guess they were not. A few were large but most were very
small and dry. They should train their waitstaff to answer these questions truthfully up
front. After she pointed the problem out to the waitress she said it was off season for
oysters and they were not as nice as they had been in the past.
SARASOTA'S MELTING POT: From t@aol.com
Last night I had dinner at The Melting Pot - a little hard to locate - on Bahia Vista,
across from Bennigan's but in the back parking lot. If you go with an older person as I
did, beware of poor lighting. This is a fondue restaurant and takes a little "getting
used to" - I used to go to a similar restaurant in Orlando and enjoyed the food (you
prepare your own at the table by dipping your food selection in your choice of hot oil,
broth or herbed broth). Food was fresh and delicious -- the California salad was superb.
You need to warn the waiter not to bring things too fast -- it takes awhile to eat the
cheese fondue appetizer and the salad arrived a little too quickly -- we had to slow him
down. The waiter was very accommodating, once he understood we wanted to take our time.
This is not an inexpensive dinner -- dinner for two without dessert was $65., but a nice
change.
SURFRIDER, SIESTA KEY: From Sue Branch
Hi Bob and group!
Mike and I wanted to let you know that we've finally gotten back in the swing of things
and enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Surfrider Restaurant on Siesta Key last Saturday
night! It was the first time that either of us had ever been there and, while we know it's
been around for quite a while, you can be sure we'll return again and again.
We arrived at the time of our reservation and were
greeted warmly by Mary Arana, one of the restaurant's owners, and seated immediately. The
decor is charming. Lots of wood and bright
colors - very cozy and reminiscent of a ski lodge. Our waiter was excellent - very
attentive and informative. Overall, we had an excellent experience! The menu was very
varied and it was difficult to choose but Mike finally decided on a Chilean Salmon that he
said was some of the
best he's ever eaten. I chose Shrimp Surfrider which were prepared excellently in a beer
barbeque sauce. Different but delicious! The shrimp were jumbo shrimp prepared perfectly.
Both of us chose the ginger rice to accompany our dinner and the fresh green beans and
carrots were also cooked perfectly. The salad that accompanies the entree was very nice. A
great assortment of lettuces garnished with pine nuts and sprouts and served with your
choice of four homemade dressings. What a great dining experience! Of course, as full as
we were, we just HAD to have dessert. Again, a very interesting and diverse selection and
the perfect end to a perfect meal.
Anyway, it was great to be back out there again enjoying some of Sarasota's finest eateries! We'll be back in touch soon with more reviews. Sue
CRITICAL MOMENT
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Click HERE to read reviews of Savvy Diners
****** BEST CELLARS *********
Courtesy of the Klauber, Mancini, Moulton family of fine shops & restaurants:
visit http://www.florida-hospitality.com
Tasting notes by Robin Garr, TipWorld.com
TIP: DOMAINE
TEMPIER 1998 BANDOL ROSE ($19.99)
Clear bronze in color with a clear brownish hue, this high-end rose shows more herbs than
fruit in the big, open aroma: Lavender and thyme scents perhaps inspired in the taster's
mind by thoughts of Provence. Bone-dry and tartly acidic on the palate, it's fresh, clean,
and lingering.
FOOD MATCH: Works very well indeed with a sweet, honey-baked ham.
ARE YOU OUT THERE? LET'S GET ACQUAINTED
email your "intro" to appear here. Tell us a bit about you. What is your home
state? Favorite foods? Frequency of dining out? Pet restaurant-dining peeves? Favorite
eateries?
+++++ SimonSez +++++
Thanks to our correspondents! Please share your dining experiences with us; without your
input, there is no Savvy Diners E-News.
RESTAURANT TRIVIA QUIZ
Eddie Nikla managed Martine's restaurant, then opened a spot called Eddie's on
Sarasota's S. Trail near Memorial Hospital. He also operated a major restaurant on North
Hwy. 301. It housed the Duck Inn. Can you name the restaurant?
Bon Appetit & Fare Well, fellow Foodies, please
be kind and helpful to each other.
Bob (Simon Zylph) Gilbert
To share your comments, opinions, remarks, reviews, Etc. with all SDS Members, please
contact us.
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