Ask anyone where to find a mindblowing cannoli, and they’ll tell you Venice. Not Venice, Italy, but Venice, Florida, where Michael “Wheels” Parise runs Parise’s Original Coffee and Cannoli Bar, a mobile food trailer serving up life-changing cannolis and coffee.

Parise, now 57, grew up in Florida, where he worked in restaurants but dreamed of becoming a comedian. He moved to New York to pursue his dream and attended the Culinary Institute of America, from which he graduated in 1986. Parise worked as a chef in New York and started performing stand-up comedy in 1987. He became friends with fellow funnyman Andrew Dice Clay and moved to Los Angeles in 1990 with Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James and Jimmy Fallon to pursue comedy. While in L.A., Parise toured as a comedian and met his future wife. The pair learned that they were expecting a child, and Parise drew on his culinary expertise to brainstorm careers that didn’t involve living on the road.

As an Italian-American child, Parise loved the cannoli. “Everyone does the cupcake and donut,” he says, reflecting on the popularity of gourmet versions of these desserts, “so I thought why not take the cannoli to a creative place too?”

Parise developed his original cannoli cream and opened the L.A.-based Cannoli Kings catering company in 2004. He started the business out of a one-bedroom apartment.  Catering a party at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch catapulted his career, and Cannoli Kings then catered over 300 varieties of cannolis for events hosted by celebrities. In 2006, they were voted the number one catering company in Los Angeles. Business boomed until the 2008 recession, when Parise and his family moved to North Carolina to take over a restaurant. Following the restaurant’s success, they moved to Las Vegas, where Parise worked in comedy. By 2018, Parise had decided to retire, so they moved to Venice, Florida, but retirement wasn’t on the menu.

Returning to his roots, he opened Parise’s Original Coffee and Cannoli Bar in Oct. 2022. The bar serves a vast assortment of cannolis, including Biscoff Cookie Butter, Red Velvet and the Signature Original. “Some customers buy a dozen cannolis at a time because they’re afraid of running out,” Parise adds, “and we’re on the list of things to do when people visit Sarasota and Venice.” Customers delight in coffees like the affogato and the tiramisu latte, but they can order small-batch roasted coffees online to make at home.

Parise parks his mobile truck at the Venice Mercato every Saturday and at the Venice YMCA every Friday, unless he’s catering a special event. He shares upcoming locations via Facebook and Instagram, and focuses on Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties, but also services Lee and Hillsborough counties. Parise runs the company with his wife Sherilene and daughter Catherine. “It’s been the three of us since day one,” he says, “and we do everything together, which is why we’re here today.”

Parise’s Original Coffee and Cannoli Bar, parisecoffee.com, Facebook @parisesllc and Instagram @parisecoffee. 

Pictured: Cannolis and cookies from Parise's Original Coffee and Cannoli Bar. Photo Courtesy of Parise's Original Coffee and Cannoli Bar.

This Valentine’s Day, Landry’s restaurants across the nation will host a variety of one-of-a-kind experiences, welcoming guests of all ages to celebrate with deliciously crafted cuisine. Please see below for the full list of restaurants and their festive offerings. Chart House: It’s a perfect match! From February 10th to 14th, experience true love in every bite when you bring your Valentine in to dine. For $160 per couple, enjoy our special, limited time 3-Course prie-fixe menu. Excluding our Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Lake Charles locations. 

For more information or to make a reservation visit

The love is in the air at Mattison’s or, better said, the Love is in the Food! All three Mattison’s Restaurants will be serving special, chef-crafted Valentine’s Day menus on Valentine’s Day, February 14 th . Fall in love all over again dining on delicious menu items created by Chef Paul Mattison and his culinary team of experts. Whether you are staying home or dining out, let Mattison’s do the cooking for you so you can enjoy spending time with that special someone. Dine-in at any one of the three award winning restaurants or get it to-go for a romantic evening at home. All three restaurants offer outside dining and menus made with all natural, antibiotic and hormone free, locally and sustainably sourced ingredients. Mattison’s Forty-One specials include a 3-course Sweetheart Dinner specially priced at $139 per couple. Add a wine pairing to the Sweetheart Dinner for only $50 per couple. Forty-One will also have many of Chef Paul’s signature menu items available such as the New Zealand Rack of Lamb, slow roasted Prime Rib and a few new items like the Poached Pear Salad with a Sauvignon Blanc vinaigrette. Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille and Mattison’s City Grille Valentine’s Day specials include a Surf and Turf with Mediterranean seasoned Black Tiger prawn over a saffron, risotto herb tallow basted Filet Mignon topped with sage derby over asparagus tips and a Lobster Ravioli with North Atlantic lobster, ricotta, mozzarella, leek filled ravioli lobster morsels, tarragon sherry crème and roasted red potatoes in addition to a few new menu items like the Chesapeake Bay Oysters
Casino topped with house made hollandaise. Finish off your meal at all Mattison’s locations with the Dessert Trio – truffles, chocolate dipped strawberries, and red velvet cupcakes or opt for the Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake, Flourless Chocolate Espresso Torte or the Traditional Crème Brulé. Reservations are strongly suggested. For more information and to view the menus, visit mattisons.com or call your favorite Mattison’s to make reservations. 

The 55 plus community will discover ways to live a healthy life in 2023 at a health fair to be held in St. Petersburg. The 11 th annual health fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 25 at the Magnolia Auditorium in Five Towns, a 55+ Retirement Condo Community, located at 7950 58 th Ave. N in St Petersburg. Smart Healthy Living is organizing the event. More than 40 health and wellness vendors are expected to be available to answer questions that people might have. Vendors and sponsors represent functional medicine, healthy food and nutrition, fitness, Medicare plans, essential oils, home health care, chiropractic care, medical practices. In addition, several nonprofit organizations will be participating in the fair. They are Restore to Dream Senior Actors Guild and Education Services (SAGE), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and the Tampa Bay Research Institute, Disability Achievement Center.   Participants will be able to have health screenings, see demonstrations of products, receive door prizes and have fun. Sponsors of the event include Blue Q Health and Wellness, Arden Courts Promedica Memory Care, Humana, Home Care for U Inc. and Live Better Health Center. The health fair is open to Five Towns residents and nonresidents. Participants will not have to pay an entrance fee. For more information, contact Im, 727-512-3017 or e-mail her at healhyteam@wedeliverwellness.com . Spaces are available if health-related companies wantto be a vendor. 

The 23rd annual Art in the Park, a fine art exhibit and sale at University Park Country Club, is one of the longest running art shows in the Sarasota/Bradenton area. Open to the public March 11 and 12, the show will feature 62 artists, both professional and non-professional, and well over 150 works. Pieces range from large and small scale paintings, mixed media, photography, sculpture, as well as prints and note cards. Most are for sale. Last year’s show was a dazzling success, with over 900 visitors enjoying the impressive range of fine art. Cash prizes are determined by a panel of judges, this year: Leslie Butterfield, Painter and Fiber and Glass Artist; Colleen Cassidy, Mixed Media Artist; and Eric Austin,
Professional Photographer. In addition, visitors vote for their favorite piece to receive the highly coveted People’s Choice Award. This year’s show will be held indoors in the recently renovated Lakeside Room from 10 am until 5 pm. Guests are welcome to stay for a delightful lunch, brunch or a glass of wine overlooking the University Park Country Club championship golf course. Free admission and parking. More information at www.artintheparkupcc.com. 

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is excited to welcome Tom Jones to Sarasota! Tom Jones: Ages and Stages Tour will take place on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 10 at 10 a.m. ET. With a career spanning over 50 years, Tom Jones has gone from strength to strength, with his seminal and ubiquitous hits such as ‘It’s Not Unusual’, ‘Kiss’, ‘Delilah’, ‘What’s New Pussycat’, ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love Again’, ‘Sex Bomb’ and more. Along with sustaining his popularity as a live performer and recording artist for more than five decades, he continues to garner critical acclaim, including with the release of his most recent number one album, last year’s ‘Surrounded By Time’. The album, the latest in his series of collaborations with producer Ethan Johns, again saw Sir Tom delve further into his love of Blues & Soul, featuring his versions of songs by the likes of Bob Dylan, The Waterboys, Cat Stevens & more. It is the most recent high point in a career full of highlights, including being knighted by Her Majesty the Queen in 2006. Other highlights of his long career include receiving BRIT Awards for Best Male and Outstanding Contribution to Music, a Silver Clef Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Hitmaker Award from the [US] Songwriters Hall of Fame, GQ Man Of The Year, and the prestigious [UK] Music Industry Trust Award. Tickets for Tom Jones: Ages and Stages Tour are $63.18-$154.13 and can be purchased at www.VanWezel.org, by calling the box office at 941-263-6799 or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. Pre-show dining is available through Mattison’s at the Van Wezel which is located inside the theatre. Reservations can be made on VanWezel.org or through the box office. Join the Van Wezel E-Club at www.VanWezel.org to receive early-access presale codes to purchase tickets to newly announced shows before the general public. 

Join us on March 7, 2023 at Michael's On East for a dynamic luncheon symposium centered on conversations focused on regional philanthropic topics. The luncheon will include a panel discussion to explore the ever-changing world of non-profits and honor outstanding individuals who have made a meaningful impact within the community.  

Reserve Your Tickets Here

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