On the other side of the world, New Zealand boasts culinary wonders influenced by England and the surrounding Polynesian countries. At Kiwi Style Fish and Chips on Holmes Beach, residents of the Gulf Coast can sample tasty New Zealand favorites in a laidback atmosphere representative of the nation’s welcoming spirit.

Husband and wife Wayne and Nicole Tagelagi own Kiwi Style, which has other locations in Nicole’s home country of Australia as well as Hawaii. The couple had intended to open up their next restaurant in New York but settled on the Sarasota area. According to Wayne, a New Zealander or “Kiwi,” a nickname given to citizens of the country, the restaurant’s name says it all. “The British brought fish and chips to New Zealand,” he says, adding that the food is as ubiquitous there as pizza is in the United States. Cod and haddock are used for the fish and chips, which are made with a secret recipe and are served beer battered, crumbed or grilled. “The batter isn’t a tempura batter, but it’s still crispy and not thick.” Sandwiches, or burgers, as Kiwis call them, are also a popular menu choice.

The fish burgers, made using cod, are topped with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and tartar sauce. While Kiwi Style uses frozen cod, the freezing process is different from traditional methods. “The cod is quick or snap frozen. On the boat, fishermen fillet the fish, then freeze it within a few seconds. This means that all the nutrients are still in there, and when you defrost the fish, it tastes like it’s just come out of the ocean.” Other crowd-pleasers include tacos, hamburgers with homemade meat patties and calamari, as well as a selection of desserts such as cheesecake.

The restaurant doesn’t serve alcohol, but patrons are invited to bring their own beverages. On the wall, a mural featuring Kiwi slang and people chowing down on a meal. Hawaiian and Polynesian music often play in the background. “We like the family vibe,” says Wayne, “and I love seeing a little kid enjoying a burger at the bar.”

Kiwi Style Fish and Chips, Anna Maria Island, 3608 East Bay Dr., Holmes Beach, https://www.kiwistylefishandchips.com/. 

Pictured: Fish and chips at Kiwi Style Fish and Chips. Photo Courtesy of Kiwi Style Fish and Chips.

In a salute to the red, white, and blue, Oak & Stone Bradenton is inviting guests to purchase tickets for a private VIP party experience on Monday, July 4th, 2023 to celebrate Independence Day with a direct view of the Manatee River fireworks show. Tickets must be purchased prior to the event and are required to gain access to the rooftop deck after 5:00 p.m. on July 4th. With each ticket purchase, guests will receive several perks including a $50 food and beverage credit, reserved seats guaranteed during the entirety of the event, and a direct view of the Manatee River fireworks show. Pricing: Tickets are $100 per person plus tax and gratuity. Guests who purchase tickets will receive access to the deck on July 4th beginning at 5:00p.m. The firework display is set to begin around 9:30p.m. Reservations are not required for the restaurant dining room which will maintain normal hours of operation on the day of the event. For more details on the event and to purchase tickets, visit www.oakandstone.com. About Oak & Stone Restaurants: Oak & Stone 

Bijou Garden Café, an iconic downtown restaurant offering fine dining with an intimate and inviting ambiance in the heart of Sarasota’s theatre and arts district since 1986, is proud to announce a new monthly offering, Broadway Night at the Bijou. This enchanting event celebrates the magic of Broadway through captivating performances by renowned local singers and musicians. The first event will take place on Wednesday, June 21st, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Bijou Garden Café and will feature Dr. Joseph Holt at the piano. Holt will be joined by an impressive lineup of singers, including Kevin Steele, Joey Panek, Justin Gomlak Greer, and the Bijou’s very own Chef Christopher Covelli. Dr. Holt is known to the local arts community having served as artistic director for both Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota and Choral Artists of Sarasota. Steele spent 14 years as a professional actor working in productions in New York City, at regional theaters and on national and international tours. Before Panek started working in local media and television, he was a professional stage actor who performed in regional theaters and on national tours. Gomlak is a veteran of nine Broadway shows, including the original casts of Suessical the Musical and Urban Cowboy. He is currently the Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Covelli’s culinary career has brought him around the world, but few know that Covelli has sung at popular piano bars and lounges in New York, Provincetown, Key West and Europe. Guests will be able to order from the restaurant’s current dinner menu. There is no charge to attend but reservations are highly recommended. To make a reservation, visit BijouGardenCafe.com or call 941-366-8111. 

Pictured: Chef Christopher Covelli Photo by Matthew Holler.

Saturday, June 17 from 10-3 the spotlight is on Limelight Market! This fun, opop up market happens in the courtyard of The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime with dogs from Tender Heart Charities looking for their fur-ever home, unique guest vendors, food, and live music with Sabrina. Check out the 40+ local creators and curators inside. Great way to support local! Free, until you buy something amazing! This month the guest vendors include Myakka’s Gold Apiary, Siesta Key Rum, The Tie Dye Nerds, Caitlin Bauer, Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, Bread Bandits, I Am So Not Cool Vintage, Butterflies & Blossoms, Mystic Blooms, Wordier Than Thou, and A Branch of All My Twigs. For more information visit www.BazaaronApricotandlime.com Located at 821 Apricot Ave, Sarasota. 

VISIT FLORIDA’s Board of Directors has elected Jennifer O. Rominiecki, president and CEO of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, as Chair for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Rominiecki, who is currently Vice Chair of the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, will begin her one-year term as Chair on July 1. Rominiecki has served on the VISIT FLORIDA Board since July 2020. During the 2022-23 fiscal year, she has chaired the organization’s Industry Services, Small Business and Rural Development Council, in addition to serving as Vice Chair. VISIT FLORIDA’s Board of Directors consists of tourism-industry experts from across the state who, along with the members of its committees and councils, provide guidance, input, and insight into the evolution of VISIT FLORIDA programs, processes, and messaging. The organization’s 2023-24 Board of Directors will serve from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. Rominiecki has served as Selby Gardens’ chief executive since 2015. After arriving, she repositioned the institution as The Living Museum®, enacting a new operating model that has yielded increases of 75% in membership and 74% in overall earned revenues. Rominiecki also has overseen the creation and Phase-One construction of an innovative, three-phase Master Site Plan for the Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus. Phase One of the project is expected to open this November, resulting in the first net-positive energy botanical garden complex in the world. In 2020, under Rominiecki’s leadership, Selby Gardens adopted Historic Spanish Point in the Osprey area of Sarasota County as a companion campus to its flagship Sarasota location. Together, Selby Gardens’ two campuses provide 45 acres of bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and regional history. Prior to joining Selby Gardens, Rominiecki gained 20 years of experience at major New York City cultural institutions. 

Local African-American service organizations are partnering with the Mayor’s Feed The Hungry Program to host a Juneteenth Celebration and Food Give-Away on June 17. The public is encouraged to come out to enjoy a meal, pick up food and participate in a non-partisan voter registration. Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates the emancipation of Slaves in the United States and also celebrates African-American culture. The holiday falls on a Monday this year, so organizers are inviting the public to come celebrate on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Mount Raymond Full Gospel Baptist Church, 2410 4th Ave. E., Palmetto. The media is welcome to arrive at noon when local leaders will deliver remarks. Pi Beta Beta Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., and The Links, Incorporated, will be working in concert with The Mayors’ Feed the Hungry Program, to provide food donations at the Mount Raymond church food pantry.