Nestled into a shopping center on Lockwood Ridge Road, So French Cafe provides a tranquil oasis for guests to enjoy classic French bites. But under its dim lights on select evenings, the space transforms into a dance restaurant, a popular concept across Europe.

Owners Charly and Naty Groovin are no strangers to the business, having owned and operated dance restaurants, in which patrons enjoy drinks and a meal but also have the opportunity to twirl around a dedicated dance floor, in Paris for 30 years. After relocating to Sarasota and organizing events at various local establishments, they opened So French Cafe at the start of this year, serving up tasty and healthy delights.

Proud of France’s culinary traditions, the couple follows them in their cooking. “We make our baguettes the French way,” says Charly, “and we import flour from France that doesn’t have added sugar, preservatives and food coloring so they’re super authentic.” A star ingredient in the cafe’s sandwiches, the baguettes have a crispy exterior encasing a soft and delightful bread and a warm, intoxicating smell. For diners looking to try crepes, one of France’s most iconic dishes, the cafe doesn’t disappoint. In addition to the usual roundup of sweet crepes, often made with fruit, chocolate or nuts, the menu features savory crepes. While in the United States, many restaurants use the same egg, milk and flour-based batter for the crepe shell, So French Cafe offers a buckwheat option, the go-to batter for savory crepes back in France, encouraging guests to sample this exciting flavor. The gluten-free buckwheat flour has a charcoal color and robust taste that pairs well with the fillings. Charly recommends the Complete Ham Crepe, with Swiss cheese and a sunnyside-up egg served on buckwheat flour alongside an arugula salad with cherry tomatoes. On dance nights, Naty, dubbed the Crepe DJ, closes up shop to keep the dance floor cool without heat from cooking the crepes, but other bites are still available.

The eatery’s coffee complements every dining experience, from late-night dancing to late-morning study sessions over croissants. The Nutella Latte has become a bestseller and showcases the European knack for creating rich, multi-dimensional beverages that offer a pleasant hint of sweetness. “When guests come in with a purse from a designer like Chanel, Naty tops their drink with a stencil of the brand’s logo as a special surprise,” Charly adds.

While patrons can spot some French sensibilities, like the imported macarons, with a quick glance, others are hidden in plain sight. Charly and Naty have carried the French mindset of sustainability into their business, using compostable plates to decrease waste. Guests who attend designated dance nights have the opportunity to see the cafe, and its patrons, in full swing. The couple pushes the tables and chairs to the side and offers a Latin dance class (these styles have taken over Europe), then a social dance session. Food and wine flow late into the night like the dancers themselves. With the scent of baguettes lingering in the air and the glow of a streetlamp lighting the dance floor, you’ll be transported to the streets of Paris, swaying under the moonlight along the Seine.

So French Cafe, 6280 North Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota, sofrenchcafe.com. 

Pictured: A Complete Ham Crepe with Swiss Cheese and a Sunnyside Up Egg at So French Cafe. Photo by Naty Groovin.

Want to meet a real unicorn? Have your photo with fairies? Hang out with a mermaid? Come to The Enchanted Bazaar Saturday, June 3 from 10-3pm. The courtyard will be transformed to a magical wonderland and open to all ages. Guests can also have their face painted, make a fairy door, or get fairy hair (for a fee). Enjoy live music by Sabrina, lunch at Hamlet’s Eatery (complete with magical specials), and browse the 40 local creators and curators inside The Bazaar.

The Bazaar on Apricot and Lime, 821 Apricot Ave in Sarasota, www.bazaaronapricotandlime.com, 941-445-1938. 

Dr. John L. Clark, a research botanist at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, has been reappointed as a Research Associate in the Department of Botany at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). Clark’s appointment lasts for three years, until May 2026. It continues an affiliation he has had with the Smithsonian since 2005. Specifically, the academic affiliation with the Smithsonian gives Clark personal access to the vast collections in the NMNH’s Department of Botany. The department’s herbarium, or collection of dried and preserved plants, currently holds 5 million specimens, making it one of the world’s 10 largest. The Research Associate position also will facilitate Clark’s ongoing collaborative research with botanists around the country and the world. He is particularly excited about several projects he is working on with Dr. Larry Skog, research botanist emeritus at NMNH and Clark’s advisor when he pursued his PhD at George Washington University. Clark’s sponsor for the new three-year Smithsonian appointment is Paul Peterson, a current research botanist and curator of botany at NMNH. Clark has been affiliated with Selby Gardens through a research partnership since 2009. He joined the staff full-time in January 2023. Since then, he has conducted plant research expeditions to Dominican Republic and Ecuador. Clark specializes in the plant family Gesneriaceae, flowering plants that are distributed throughout the world’s tropical forests. Gesneriads are an important part of Selby Gardens’ botanical research and a notable component of its living plant collection. About a third of gesneriads are epiphytic, meaning they grow on other plants without harming them. Selby Gardens is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the study and display of epiphytes. Selby Gardens is also a Smithsonian Affiliate, one of more than 200 museums and cultural institutions around the country that have engaged in a long-term partnership with the Smithsonian to promote “the increase and diffusion of knowledge” by creating experiences that educate and inspire. 

The Babcock Ranch Foundation is releasing discounted early-bird tickets for Nashville Night, its inaugural musical festival and fundraiser featuring Music City’s brightest stars. Limited tickets for the Nov. 18 concert in Babcock Ranch’s downtown area of Founder’s Square are $25 and are on sale to the general public June 5. Tickets can be purchased at www.babcockranchfoundation.org. Nashville Night sponsorships are also available, and include VIP seating, complimentary food and beverage and more. The music festival includes blues, rock and country performances by headliner singer-songwriter Deidre Thornell and starring artists Dave Isaacs, Meg Williams and Travis Bowlin. Seating on the event lawn overlooking Lake Babcock opens at 3 p.m. and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Music begins at 4 p.m. and continues until 9 p.m. with food and beverages served by crowd favorite food trucks, as well as the town’s restaurants: Square Scoops, Slater’s Goods & Provisions, and The Lake House Kitchen & Bar.  The Babcock Ranch Foundation also supports the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast, Babcock Schools, Boys & Girls Club of Lee County, Valerie’s House which helps children and families work though the loss of a loved one and the Heights Foundation’s enhanced School Success program. For more information about the Babcock Ranch Foundation, Nashville Night sponsorships or to donate, visit www.babcockranchfoundation.org or call 239-449-2406. For more information about Southwest Florida’s new hometown, located just northeast of Fort Myers off Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, visit the Woodlea Hall Discovery Center at 42850 Crescent Loop in Babcock Ranch, call 877-709-6620, or visit www.BabcockRanch.com.

Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice is pleased to announce that it has received Advanced Hip & Knee Replacement Certification from DNV, an international healthcare quality and accrediting organization. The certification recognizes excellence in joint replacement surgery and the full spectrum of diagnostics, surgical services and therapies related to hip and knee care. Sarasota Memorial’s flagship Sarasota campus has long been recognized for advanced hip and knee replacement. Months before opening the new hospital in late 2021, the Venice team completed all the steps necessary to emulate the program and create a clinical environment to support safe, high-quality care. To maintain DNV Advanced Hip & Knee Replacement Certification, hospitals undergo regular surveys and audits to validate their position as a leader in joint replacement surgery and demonstrate compliance with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Conditions of Participation and adherence to guidelines of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. The Sarasota County Public Hospital Board approved the funds and resources necessary to open the new hospital in Venice in 2021 as part of the health system’s ongoing commitment to strengthen the quality and accessibility of safe, quality health care on the Suncoast. 

Eye in the Sky | Producer Roma Downey speaks on her latest film, On a Wing and a Prayer, May/June 2023. 

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