The problem with most dishes that feature sliced or diced pieces of meat is that cheaper cuts are often used. This leads to dishes in which the dryness and toughness of the meat must be masked with copious amounts of sauce or spices. While incredible sauces certainly deserve commendations for the heavy lifting they do in turning mediocre meat into something mesmerizing, Korean cuisine suffers no such problem.

That’s not to say that Korean sauces are lacking by any meaningful metric—they’re complex, balanced, rich—it’s to say that even their stir fries spare no expense when it comes to meat selections. Korean bulgogis—a word that translates literally into “fire meat”—use rich cuts of meat known for their characteristic fat content. A beef bulgogi most commonly is made with sirloin or ribeye, while a pork bulgogi is most commonly made with pork belly. At Korean Ssam Bar on 301 just North of 12th Street, the spicy pork bulgogi shows how big a flavor can be attained in such a simple dish when a good cut of meat is used. The stir fried plate has all the umami of the most unctuous tonkatsu ramen, all the complexity of a slow-braised short rib ragu, and just enough kick to get leave a lingering tingle. But it’s the fat from the pork, tender to bite and rendered into silky goodness, that makes this particular bulgogi exceptional.

Try it for lunch, when it comes in at a paltry $9. Sit-down diners also get an assortment of kimchi and small bites.

Korean Ssam Bar, 1303 North Washington Boulevard, Sarasota. 

The spicy pork bulgogi from Korean Ssam Bar shows how a good cut takes simple to sublime. Photo by Andrew Fabian.

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Artist Series Concerts is delighted to present the young, award-winning Risus Quartet in performance at Temple Sinai, Sunday March, 6, 2022. Grand and Gold Medal Prize winners at the 2021 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the Risus Quartet is currently the Young Professional String Quartet in residence at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas in Austin. Their program will include string quartets by Mozart, Beethoven and Debussy. The Risus Quartet was founded in 2020 by four passionate musicians living in South Korea. ‘Risus’ in Latin means ‘laugh', and the main vision of the quartet is to bring joy and laughter to their audiences. Its members - Haeni Lee, Jieun Yoo (violins), Mary Eunkyung Chang (viola), Bobae Lee (cello) - graduated from Seoul National University with a devotion to chamber music. After graduation, they moved to the United States to study, expand their view as artists and further explore the world of string quartets. Their 2021-22 season includes performances at the Seoul Arts Center Summer Music Festival, Jeju International Music Festival, Gum Nanse Music Center, The House Concert, Seocho-gu Chamber Music Festival, Tongui-dong Classic and the Samick Cultural Foundation, with support from the Busan Classical Development Council. After being awarded the Grand and Gold Medal Prizes at the 2021 Fischoff Competition, they embarked on a winner's tour which included concerts at Dame Myra Hess Series, O’Neil Hall at Notre Dame University and Howard Arts Center. Recently, they performed a virtual concert which was broadcasted by The Violin Channel and Music for Food.

Pictured: Risus Quartet. Photo courtesy of Artist Series Concerts.

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Arts Advocates is pleased to announce the receipt of a gift of two paintings by George Pappas: “Greek Time,” oil on canvas, 84 x 60 inches; and “Beauty and the Beast,” oil on canvas, 60 x 72 inches.
Dr. Sarah Pappas, wife of the late George Pappas (1929-2021), made this generous gift to the organization. These pieces are now on display in the Arts Advocates Gallery, located in the Crossings at Siesta Mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, in Sarasota. Pappas was a highly regarded artist and educator who retired in 1993 from a 40-year career as professor and chair emeritus of art at the University of South Florida. Bold, colorful, large-scale abstract paintings, many inspired by his Greek heritage and love of English literature, were his signature style, and Pappas continued creating and exhibiting art into his ninth decade. His paintings have been exhibited throughout the country in over 100 juried exhibitions including the Corcoran Biennial, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and in over 30 one-person exhibitions in museums and galleries. The National Gallery of Art, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and Tampa Museum of Art are among the numerous collections in the United States and Canada where Pappas’ work is represented. These Pappas paintings are an important addition to the Arts Advocates collection of works by Florida-based artists, which includes Highwaymen paintings and “the largest collection of Sarasota Art Colony works on public display anywhere,” according to curator Mark Ormond. The Arts Advocates Gallery is open every Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Docent-guided gallery tours are offered at 11:00 a.m. the first Wednesday of every month. 

Pictured: George Pappas: Beauty and the Beast. Photo credit: Lori Sax Photography.

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Manatee Philanthropists Will Be Recognized At 2022 Spirit of Manatee Awards Luncheon On March 30th. Manatee Community Foundation’s 2022 Spirit of Manatee Awards Luncheon will honor seven champions of philanthropy and leadership in Manatee County. Lifetime Spirit honorees Joe and Barbara Najmy, nominated by Easterseals Southwest Florida, State College of Florida Foundation, and The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund, Inc., will be celebrated for decades of servant leadership in estate planning, charitable giving and inspiring others to support the community. The couple has been active in a multitude of missions, including advancing education, inclusion and access for those with disabilities, and community building. Others to be recognized are: Leadership Spirit honorees Steve and Carolyn Roskamp, nominated by United Way Suncoast and the School District of Manatee County, and Omar Edwards, nominated by Sarasota-Bradenton Kappa Alpha Psi Project Guide Right; Community Spirit honoree Bank of America; and Young Spirit honoree Gabriella Cortes-Alban nominated by Healthy Teens Coalition of Manatee County. The Charles Clapsaddle Community Spotlight award will be presented to Paul Sharff, posthumously. Sharff was the President and CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County and passed away unexpectedly in January.

“All of the honorees have committed much of their lives to advancing opportunity for others,” said Susie Bowie, Manatee Community Foundation Executive Director. “They reflect the quiet, humble and determined way many people give in Manatee County, and they will be celebrated with gratitude.” The annual celebration will take place at the Bradenton Area Convention Center on Wednesday, March 30 at 11:30 a.m.  

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Forestar Group Inc. (“Forestar”), a leading national residential community developer, is pleased to announce AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg (“AR Homes”) as the first luxury homebuilder in Star Farms, a multigenerational lifestyle village in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. AR Homes will offer a wide selection of floorplans in various architectural styles and sizes, depending on the buyer’s preferences. The stunning custom homes will range in size from approximately 2,800 to 5,000 square feet, and the most popular designs are expected to showcase an open concept layout. This will be highlighted in the new Grandview model, which is currently scheduled to break ground in the spring of 2022, and will feature over 3,800 square feet of living space, four spacious bedrooms and four bathrooms. Located within the established and award-winning master-planned community of Lakewood Ranch, Star Farms is minutes from dining, shopping, cultural activities and top-rated beaches. Upon completion, the 700-acre gated village that Forestar is developing will be a resort ranch hometown featuring 1,500 single-family homes, paired villa retreats and townhomes with a variety of amenities, clubs and hospitality services. 

Pictured: AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg new Grandview model, currently scheduled to break ground in the spring of 2022.

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Booker High School announced Friday that Scottie Littles will lead the Tornadoes Football Program as head coach. Littles returns to Booker High School, where he has twice served as assistant coach, after a stint as head football coach at Palm Beach Central in Wellington, Florida. In the three seasons he coached the Palm Beach Broncos, Littles secured a 22-5 overall record and the team won two district titles. Littles said the third title would have been within reach, but COVID prevented the team from moving forward. Among those familiar with him, Littles is known for fostering community. In Wellington, his team competed three times in the highly rigorous crosstown rivalry: The Wellington Cup. Under his leadership, the Palm Beach Central Broncos were champions all three years. Now, Littles is excited to bring his coaching skills and relationship-building to Booker High School. He will be meeting the athletes and their families, restructuring the off-season program, creating an open-door policy of feedback, and helping student athletes create lifetime memories. Littles will officially begin on Tuesday, February 22. He’ll spend the first few months getting to know the athletes and their families, as well as work on becoming a leader on campus. Littles will move to the area with his wife, Keline, who is a graduate of Bayshore High School and the University of South Florida. He said his family is eager to move back to Sarasota and establish roots in the community. The couple have a 2-year-old son, Kason, and are expecting a second child.