It was at the end of a long day hiking in El Yunque rainforest when I first had a taste of what I’m told is authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. It was on Playa De Luquillo on the northeast side of the island. A long line of about 20 open air food and drink vendors set up shop there in the Kioskos de Luquillo. I was struck by the bold flavors and simplicity of the ingredients as my friends and I hopped from vendor to vendor, alternating appetizers and bottles of Medalla Light, the ubiquitous local brew.

Perhaps that’s why I was eager to try Latin Quarters, the newest addition to Sarasota’s Main Street dining scene. I had stopped by with a friend late one night soon after it had opened and found a lively scene: excellent live music, dancing, laughing, cheers-ing. It was elbow-to-elbow joy — an energy I hadn’t felt on Main Street before, and hadn’t experienced since my last trip to Viejo San Juan in 2019.

It was comparatively subdued when my wife, Janet, and I ate there for lunch recently while waiting to pick up our five-year-old daughter after her art class. Janet opted for the chicken fajitas, which came sizzling and steaming from the kitchen. We watched as every other diner took note, and sure enough, within 15 minutes the sound of the sizzle was back and making its way to our neighbors.

But I wanted to recapture that experience on Playa De Luquillo. I gave myself over to the kitchen, ordering the Caribbean appetizer sampler and encouraging them to surprise me. What arrived was a divine arrangement of bacalaitos, croquetas, yuca fries, maduros and empanadilla. And of course, a Medalla Light.

The croquetas stood out with their inviting crunch on the outside giving way to a smoky ham filling. The empanadilla was ridiculous — a perfectly formed crust wrapping marinated chicken like a warm blanket. But it was the bacalaitos that really brought be back. In Puerto Rico, they were served over the counter, the sound crashing Caribbean waves mere yards away.

And right there, in the middle of Main Street, in the renovated storefront that housed Barnacle Bills for 22 years, that I was transported back to that beach and the brief reminder that you can find good in the world wherever you are. But especially when you’re enjoying fried Puerto Rican apps at Latin Quarters.

Pictured: The Caribbean appetizer platter, an authentic sampling of deliciously fried items. Photo by Kevin Allen.

Williams Parker is pleased to announce that real estate attorney Natalie G. Coldiron has joined the firm as a partner. Ms. Coldiron, previously an attorney with Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, P.A., brings more than a decade of proven skill and demonstrated success in handling residential real estate transactions. Real estate paralegals, Lori Molnar and Kristie Tonitis, and real estate networking coordinator, Annette Bentley-Reilly, work closely with Ms. Coldiron and are also joining the firm. Ms. Coldiron’s practice includes advising on all types of real estate transactions, real property closings, and title insurance matters. She represents buyers and sellers in all varieties of real property acquisition and disposition. Ms. Coldiron has negotiated and closed hundreds of millions of dollars (and counting) of real estate transactions to date. Ms. Coldiron is an active member of the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee (RASM), teaching classes on a variety of topics for real estate agents. She is also a member of The Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and a member of the Women’s Council of Realtors Sarasota Chapter. Ms. Coldiron earned her J.D. from Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University and her B.S. from the University of Central Florida. She is a Sarasota native and attended Pine View School for the Gifted.  

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman is pleased to announce the acquisition of two state-of-the-art driving simulators. The PatrolSim law enforcement driving simulator from L3Harris provides hands-on, experiential training for emergency first responders, offering real-world experience without risk to people or equipment. The purchase of the simulators was made possible through a $240,000 grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. The simulators are replicas of actual commercial vehicle compartments, and the size, weight, turning radius, tire, and suspension characteristics can be changed to simulate any emergency vehicle. They’re able to present drivers with changing weather conditions, traffic densities, lighting parameters, and several other external factors to give the most realistic experience possible. The simulators will enhance driver training and help reduce accidents, improve fuel efficiency and limit maintenance and damage to fleet vehicles. 

Pictured: From left: Barancik Foundation CEO Teri Hansen, Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman, Longboat Key City Manager Tom Harmer and Longboat Key Police Chief George Turner. Photo courtesy of Sarasota Sheriff's Office.

Sarah Wertheimer, the executive director of Embracing Our Differences, recently announced that the organization has received a $50,000 Arts Appreciation grant from the Helen Hamilton Fund at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The grant will fund various aspects of the organization’s year-round educational initiatives. EOD partners with local educators and arts organizations to create a variety of educational programs, including free school field trips to EOD’s annual outdoor exhibit and two reading day programs for pre-k through third grade students in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Programs created for high school students include docent training as part of the Coexistence Club experience and the Unity Day program, a full-day workshop that promotes empathy and respect through team building activities. Teacher workshops that provide area educators with skills, strategies and resources relating to arts appreciation, character building and diversity education are also offered.

“Through the transformative power of the arts, Embracing Our Differences educates and inspires to create a better world—a world that embraces diversity, respects differences, and actively rejects hatred and prejudice,” says Wertheimer. “We believe these values are more important now than ever and we are grateful to the Gulf Coast Community Foundation for so consistently supporting this vital mission.” For 19 years, Embracing Our Differences has drawn on the passion and perception of artists, students, writers, and others to create powerful statements of diversity and acceptance in its annual outdoor public art exhibition consisting of 50 billboard-sized works of art and accompanying quotes. The scale and impact of this outdoor exhibition has continued to grow, attracting more than 4 million visitors since its inception. This exhibit is the heart of a year-round program of activities designed to use art as a catalyst to create awareness and promote diversity. Next year’s Bayfront Park exhibit runs January 18-March 12, 2023. In addition, for the first time, the exhibit will also be displayed at Butler Park in North Port, March 22-April 19, 2023; and at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, April 26-May 29, 2023. 

Pictured: Embracing Our Differences Teacher Workshop.

Creative Liberties, based on a foundation of artists helping artists, presents an Open Studio, Thursday, July 7, 5-7 p.m. Guests can meet artists, watch them work, purchase art, and enjoy sips and bites and inspired conversation. On Saturday, July 23, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., the “Christmas in July” event features handmade holiday gift options, festive activities and foods, and an interactive ornament-creating event. Creative Liberties Artist Studios is located at 901-B Apricot Avenue, Sarasota, in the Limelight District. For more information, visit www.creativeliberties.net or call 941- 799-6634. Creative Liberties was founded in November 2021 by Barbara Gerdeman and Elizabeth Goodwill, two artists and art educators. Goodwill explains that they launched this venture to empower regional artists with a variety of business services and studio and exhibition opportunities. The Creative Liberties Artist Studios is a collective, communal space that provides work and display space for local artists. There are also display walls available for non-studio artists to rent. Monthly artist markets provide an opportunity for local artists to sell their work—and will resume in October. Nine artists have made the Creative Liberties Artist Studios their artistic workspace. These include: Jenny Berry (oil painting); Elizabeth Goodwill (book art, fiber art and mixed media); Barbara Gerdeman (photography, acrylic painting, and mixed media); Donna Bergman (collage and mixed media); Lisa DiFranza (acrylic painting, gouache, and mixed media); Traci Kegerreis (acrylic painting, collage and mosaics); Sandy Koolkin (acrylic fluid painting, watercolor and fiber art); Jay Li (pastel portraiture) and Judy Levine (jewelry design, collage and photography). 

Southwest Florida’s premier private homebuilder, Neal Communities, has broken ground on a new community in eastern Manatee County. Marisol, located on 39 acres near Lakewood Ranch’s northeastern sector, will include 172 paired villa homes. The community will feature a British West Indies and Coastal architectural theme. All of the villas are maintenance-assisted for worry-free upkeep. Two villa home styles ranging from 1,434 square feet and 1,524-square feet will be offered inside the new neighborhood. The community will be conveniently located just outside of Lakewood Ranch’s borders on State Road 64. The homes will encircle a small lake, and some will have waterfront views from their lanais. The community also will have a private pool with bathroom facilities. Marisol residents will enjoy the close proximity to Lakewood Ranch, a 50-square-mile community filled with shopping, dining, arts, entertainment, nature and recreation. State Road 64 also offers easy access to Bradenton, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Island and I-75. Neal Communities, based in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, is Southwest Florida’s largest and most established locally owned and operated private builder. During the company’s 50-year history, it has built over 19,000 new homes in more than 90 acclaimed communities from Tampa to Naples. The company consistently ranks among the nation’s top 100 home builders and has earned numerous awards including the prestigious Builder of the Year from Professional Builder in 2015 and America’s Best Builder in 2012 from BUILDER Magazine. For more information about Neal Communities and Marisol Villas, call 941-229-0630 or visit NealCommunities.com.