Some of the most celebrated videogame franchises often feature expansive worlds in which their heroes must vanquish monsters, save the village and/or unlock some latent, ancient power/sword/spirit. The best of these games—Zelda, Final Fantasy, Red Dead Redemption, etc.—often require the gameplayer to track down food or potions to replenish their health and heal from bloody battles. Sometimes the food can even boost the main character’s strength or grant temporary special powers. And if any food retailer in the real world has the kind of healthful mystique of the quaint apothecaries, inns and saloons of the videogame worlds that peddle these foods and potions, CROP most certainly would qualify.

Its menu is a dazzling array of nutrient-rich juices, smoothies and bowls, all made from 100% organic ingredients for vegan and gluten-free eaters. The back of the menu, in the bottom right corner, features a selection of caffeinated drinks, and the Coconut Mocha Joy might be the most impressive among them. Made with coconut water, cold brew coffee, unsweetened almond milk, young Thai coconut meat, stoneground almond butter, dates, cacao, vanilla and Himalayan salt, the drink contains in its earthy ingredients promises of rejuvenation and replenishment. “It makes me think of Almond Joy,” says Lexi D’Abbraccio, the attendant behind the counter. But, where the candy bar can hardly be considered part of a healthy diet, the Mocha Joy manages to feel light and rich simultaneously, with a nice balance of nuttiness from the almond butter, creaminess from the coconut meat, a dash of bitter notes from the coffee and cacao, and a hint of savory from the salt. The dates glue it all together with a bit of natural sugar.

My health stores replenished, I was ready for another grueling day of vanquishing blank pages with an inept flurry of words and sentences. CROP’s Gulf Gate location operates Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 6:00pm, and Saturday from 8:00am to 4:00pm. The University Park location has additional hours on Sunday from 9:00am to 2:00pm. 

CROP, 2320 Gulf Gate Dr. Sarasota, @cropjuice, 941-923-8640.

Click here for more.

There are breakfast people, there are sandwich people, there are dessert people and then there are pasta people. I am a dedicated and lifelong pasta person. To put it mildly, I’m crazy about pasta. Now that you know this about me, I feel comfortable sharing with you a secret I learned this past weekend. The best pasta I’ve ever had outside of Italy, and not to veer into the dramatics but some of the best I’ve ever had, is being dished out in a ‘blink and you miss it’ establishment in Gulf Gate. Looking at the reviews this place has racked up with only a few short weeks under their belt, it is clear my feelings are shared by most guests.

The Tortellino Bistrot opened on March 5th in the midst of the first days of the growing global pandemic and only a week or so before the initial shutdown. Despite this setback, owner and chef Leonardo Pierucci has not lost hope of achieving his American dream. After five years of running a successful Italian restaurant named Trattoria Bolognese in Brazil, Leonardo and his wife Merci left for the states and settled in Sarasota.

Leonardo grew up working in a family food store with his mother and grandmother in a small city right between Bologna and Florence. His restaurant’s name is an ode to Bologna’s signature pasta and style of cooking, where the tortellini was born. His grandma taught him all the classic techniques for rolling the pasta dough, but perhaps most importantly, “the passion to do it in the right way.” I can confirm from the first bite, he is most certainly doing it “the right way.” 

To start we tried the Ravioli Lobster which is stuffed with chunks of sweet lobster and mascarpone cheese in a creamed light rose sauce finished uniquely with feta crumbles. The fresh sheets of pasta folded delicately to make each ravioli provided the perfect pillow-y bite for the rich lobster.

Next we had the Tortellini Alfredo and Tortelloni Bolognese. The pasta was sensational and the service was delightfully educational. A pasta fact for you: Tortellini is the smaller, more common pasta shape filled traditionally with prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano, while the tortelloni is its bigger cousin stuffed primarily stuffed with ricotta. Leonardo rolls and stuffs each of these by hand the old-fashioned way as no pasta cutter can mimic the expertise of his deft hands.

The standout for me was by far the Tagliatelle with Red Wild Shrimp. Two shrimp served atop a heaping pile of fresh tagliatelle tossed in a buttery seafood sauce. Insanely simple, yet incredibly good, with that al dente bite only homemade pasta can achieve. The menu definitely focuses on the fresh pasta handmade daily, but Leonardo is also cooking up dishes like Lasagna with Porcini Mushrooms, Ossobuco with Saffron Risotto and Risotto Frutti di Mare.

Open for dine-in, takeaway or delivery, Tortellino Bistrot is as authentic as it gets without stamping your passport in Italy. The perfect spot for a date night, if you can’t make it to Bologna this summer, Leonardo and Merci are serving up Italian hit after hit for you Tuesday through Saturday from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. 

Tortellino Bistrot, 6584 Superior Ave, 941-388-7174.

Click here for more information and reservations.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to announce the election of several new board members and the installation of Jeffrey R. Hotchkiss as the board chair, and Dr. Sarah H. Pappas will serve as vice chair.

Other new members include H. Michael Bush, Rebecca Donelson, Cynthia Louise Peterson, Kelly Ann Romanoff, Mayra Niubo Schmidt, Mercedes Soler-Martinez, Joan Uranga and Kirk Ke Wang.

Additional members of the board include: Edward M. Swan, Jr., CFA, Treasurer, Dr. Judith F. Shank, Secretary, The Honorable Dennis Archer, Ellen S. Berman, Warren R. Colbert, Sr., Leon R. Ellin, Darrel E. Flanel, Margaret “Meg” Dunwoody Hausberg, Robert D. Hunter, Thomas F. Icard, Jr., Thomas W. Jennings, Ph.D., Ambassador James A. Joseph, Michael A. Kalman, M.D., Nancy Kotler, Dr. Lisa Merritt, Tina Shao Napoli, Leslie Pantin, Margaret A. (“Peggy”) Rolando, Debra (Deb) Short, Javi Suarez, Howard C. Tibbals,  Dr. Larry A. Wickless, and Leslie Young. 

The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading received multiple Pacesetter Honors from the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading for its work to support early school success in 2019.

Each year, the national Campaign uses its Pacesetter Honors to highlight communities that make measurable progress on key indicators of early school success: early literacy and school readiness; addressing chronic absence and its effects on reading progress; and mitigating summer learning loss by connecting children with quality educational opportunities and programs. The Suncoast Campaign, which represents aligned efforts in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties, has received Pacesetter Honors every year since 2014.

“The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is honored to once again receive recognition as a Pacesetter within the vast Network of communities working to enhance early learning efforts and improve third-grade reading proficiency,” said Beth Duda, director of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading for The Patterson Foundation. “The regional approach we take to this work allows us to accelerate progress and impact. We are grateful to our community partners and salute all of the active and engaged members of our four-county region who strengthen the work taking place in our communities. These Honors are a testament to the collaborative nature of our work and everyone who puts their hearts and heads behind it.” 

Click here to read the full article from SRQ's Summer 2020 edition.

Joint replacement specialist and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Alan Valadie with Coastal Orthopedics, a full-service provider of comprehensive orthopedics, sports medicine, pain management and physical therapy services, was recently honored with Blake Medical Center’s 2020 Doctor of the Year award. Since the awards’ inception in 1983, Dr. Alan Valadie is the only physician to receive this distinguished recognition twice. He first won the award in 2013.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive this incredible accolade again,” said Dr. Alan Valadie. “It’s a privilege to work with my colleagues at Coastal Orthopedics and Blake Medical Center to serve the medical needs of the community with high-quality care.”

Dr. Alan Valadie joined Coastal Orthopedics in 1996. Since then, he has also been a part of the medical staff at Blake Medical Center, helping to bring innovative and cutting-edge joint replacement strategies to the hospital.

“Dr. Alan Valadie’s contributions to our hospital over the last 24 years are invaluable,” said Randy Currin, president and chief executive officer of Blake Medical Center. “His leadership, dedication and intense focus on quality, safety and optimal patient outcomes have significantly shaped our award-winning orthopedic program and enhanced procedures throughout the hospital.” 

FCCI Insurance Group was recently named one of Florida’s Best Companies To Work For. This year marks the company’s 12th year on the list, ranking at number 14 in the Large Companies category. 

“This year, it was appropriate to focus on how the Best Companies to Work For responded to the impact of the coronavirus,” says executive editor, Mark Howard. “The companies we report on found creative ways to keep their businesses going while supporting their employees and continuing to serve their customers.”

FCCI was named one of the Best Companies To Work For, in part, because of its unparalleled support of its most valued resource: its people. FCCI strives to maximize the human experience through a dynamic culture and purposeful work. FCCI’s focus has been on the teammate experience amid the dramatic spread of COVID-19.

“We took proactive steps to ensure the well-being, health and safety of our teammates while providing uninterrupted support and exceptional service to agents and policyholders,” said Cina Welch, president and CEO at FCCI. “We’ve worked hard to maintain our relationships with each other through the use of virtual meetings and digital tools, including a weekly town hall forum with all teammates connected at the same time. We have thrived during this health crisis because of our dedicated teammates, who have exhibited resiliency.” 

Pictured: The Sarasota, Florida home office of FCCI Insurance Group, a 12-time 'Best Companies' honoree Courtesy photo/FCCI Insurance Group

Sarasota County's Public Works Department is inviting the community to participate in the second Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan virtual workshop at 11:00am Tuesday, Aug. 4.

"The Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan focuses on road connections and mobility options and is updated to reflect transportation trends in the community," said Patrick Lui, Bicycle, Pedestrian and Trails coordinator. "Community members are encouraged to participate in the workshop to share input on the consultant's findings and have a voice in the development of our community's mobility system."

The updated master plan is expected to be completed later this fall. The first workshop, held in December 2019, focused on plan development and information gathering. The second workshop planned for August 4th will present consultant Tindale Oliver's initial draft findings. 

For more information on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, or the public workshops, call the Sarasota County Contact Center at 941-861-5000.

How the Brain Health Initiative is providing a boost to the community when we need it most. 

Click here to read the full article from SRQ's Summer 2020 edition.

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall has just announced exciting new performances for the 2020-2021 season. Single tickets for these performances go on sale Friday, July 31, 2020 at 10:00am. The shows will be: Engelbert Humperdinck on Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 8:00pm with tickets from $37-$82. As well as, Mansion of Dreams starring Illusionist Rick Thomas on Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 8:00pm with tickets from $19-$57. 

Click here for more information.