As many older shopping malls continue to decline, so too does the Great American Food Court. Some chains, like Mandarin Express, Perry’s BBQ & Asian Grill and Panda Express, are synonymous with quick and salty plates enjoyed in the bustle of a capitalist’s fever dream. For many a picky child (like yours truly), these chains even represented the first time a vegetable was eaten without being force-fed by a well-meaning parent. But for more mature palates still craving that savory food court feel-good, Sushi Bay Kitchen & Sake Bar brings the soy-laden, wok-seared goodness to life.

As the name would suggest, the largest real estate on the menu goes to sushi offerings, which come creatively plated and well portioned. In addition, an assortment of hibachi-prepped plates captures the same flavors as places like Joto’s or Benihana’s without the elaborate show. But something in the yaki udon, despite the heaping handful of fresh veggies and house-made udon noodles, just oozes with that food court flavor. Loaded with mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, onions, broccoli and snow peas tossed with thick, chewy udon noodles in soy sauce, the piping hot dish comes topped with your choice of protein and a dash of black pepper. The savoriness and seared flavor profile are enough to evoke images of parachute pants, puka-shell necklaces and Carson Daly. Just make sure your N’Sync playlist stays in your headphones. 

Sushi Bay Kitchen & Sake Bar, 3957 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota, sushibayfl.com 941-260-9992

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the Sarasota County Centennial Steering Committee has created a bookmark reflecting facts, photos, and symbols celebrating the county’s rich history. Over 4,000 bookmarks were delivered to 37 local schools encouraging students to learn more about the county. Additional bookmarks were distributed to the Venice Library and Museum.

The double-sided bookmark shows a map detailing Sarasota County’s location in the state of Florida along with historical photographs and newspaper headlines celebrating the county’s formation in 1921. Also included are the Centennial Celebration logo and a special logo developed by the Steering Committee’s Director of Communications Don Bayley in conjunction with his son, David. The special logo depicts a roadway to the future that passes by the area’s iconic palm trees on the right. And it pays tribute to the Good Roads movement which was a major player in Sarasota breaking away from Manatee County 100 years ago. The left side of the bookmark showcases the John Ringling Causeway Bridge passing over Sarasota Bay with the city skyline in the distance harkening not only to the bright future of our area, but the long-standing tradition of progress and innovators that help establish the County.

A special “Centennial Question” is included on the bookmark asking young scholars “What can you do to maintain our county as a prosperous, attractive, friendly community for the next 100 years?” This should spark several classroom and family discussions, as our youngest citizens prepare to lead us into our second century. 

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Selby Gardens announces the last chance this year to preserve their history, safeguard their collections and sustain their future as 2021 comes to a close this Friday. There are many ways to support Selby Gardens’ Master Plan and to take advantage of unique charitable contribution opportunities including: the universal charitable deduction is still applicable for this year through the CARES Act—f you do not itemize deductions on your tax returns, you can take an additional “above-the-line” deduction for gifts made in cash up to $300; if you do itemize on your tax returns, you can gift up to 100 percent of your adjusted gross income this year instead of the normal 60 percent; a few years ago, the government made a formal law that individuals aged 70 ½ and older can make a charitable gift using the required minimum distribution from an individual retirement account without incurring additional income tax on the withdrawal; and, gifts of appreciated stock—you can bypass capital gains by gifting stock that you have held for more than a year. Plus, any and all gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $2.5 million during the Capping Challenge for Phase One of the Master Plan.

 

More about the Capping Challenge.

Senior Advisor, Tony Veldkamp, CCIM of SVN Commercial Advisory Group helped to coordinate the sale of an 100,000 SF office park on Cortez Road in Bradenton. The seller was SugarOak Wildewood. The buyer is Fullerton Bradenton Wildewood. Tony represented the buyer. Angelia Young with A Young Realty represented the seller. Purchase price was $11,095,000. Wildewood Professional Park is a mixed-use office park that sits on nearly 13 acres with approximately 100,000 SF of commercial space spread among 12 buildings. The property has seen extensive upgrades over the past few years and has tremendous growth potential. Veldkamp has worked with the buyer, an investment group operating out of Toronto, on several investment opportunities in the past. They plan to use the property, with an attractive stabilized income, as an investment. 

New College Foundation’s New Topics Lecture Series continues with "A Queer Zionism: Jessie Sampter and the Paradoxes of Jewish Nationalism" with Sarah Imhoff on Tuesday, January 18, at Mildred Sainer Pavilion on the New College campus. The young, unmarried Jessie Sampter embraced a Judaism her parents had rejected, bought a trousseau, drolly declared herself “married to Palestine,” and moved there in 1918. Jessie Sampter’s own life and body hardly matched typical Zionist ideals: while Zionism celebrated the strong and healthy body, Sampter spoke of herself as “crippled” from polio and plagued by sickness her whole life; while Zionism applauded reproductive (women’s) bodies, Sampter never married or bore children—in fact, she wrote of homoerotic longings and had same-sex relationships we would consider queer. How did a queer, “crippled” woman become a leading voice of American Zionism, and why has history largely overlooked her? Sarah Imhoff, author of “Masculinity and the Making of American Judaism,” is an associate professor in the Borns Jewish Studies Program and Religious Studies Department at Indiana University Bloomington. 

The voting round for SRQ Magazine's Best of SRQ Competition opens next Wednesday, January 5! You can visit www.srqmagazine.com/2022/bestof to see who made it to the finals. Vote early and vote often!