This time of year, stuffing a box full of goodies is on many a Sarasotan’s mind. At JPAN Sushi and Grill, restaurant owner and chef Daniel Dokko is also thinking “inside the box,” albeit from a perspective that’s more fishy than festive. This month, JPAN launched its new Omakase-style Toyosu box, a treasure chest filled with nine delectable bites of sushi.

“Omakase translates to ‘trust the chef,’” Dokko says. While most diners are familiar with making their own selections from a menu, an omakase-style meal invites them to open their minds, and stomachs, and allow the chef to decide what he wants to serve them. “Usually, if you go for an omakase, it’s a very intimate dining experience. You have the chef in front of you, and most omakase restaurants have eight to 10 seats maximum around the sushi bar, but those dinners will cost you at least $250, just for the food. We wanted to do something where you get the same quality fish but in a more casual setting,” he adds, hoping to channel this energy into the Toyosu boxes, which bear treasures imported all the way from Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market.

“The original fish market was called Tsukiji which was the most popular, but they built a new facility called Toyosu which replaced the older Tsukiji market,” says Dokko. “For anyone who goes to Japan, I recommend checking out the sushi market. It’s free and will blow your mind.” Restauranteurs, foodies and tourists flock like hungry seagulls to Toyosu, which is known worldwide for its tuna auctions. Unlike the Tsukiji Market, where visitors once wandered amongst vendors, the Toyosu Fish Market separated the two groups, providing observation areas that allow guests to take in the wonders of the market without getting in the way of workers. Visitors can dine at the market’s various restaurants, but if you’re still planning your trip to Japan, you can sample Toyosu’s delights closer to home at JPAN.

“Once a week, the fishmonger at Toyosu makes a box for us with four different seasonal fish. Sometimes, it’s baby octopus; sometimes it’s shellfish. Every week is a surprise for us,” Dokko says, adding that other fish, like Japanese snapper, cuttlefish, kampachi and sea bass have washed up on the shores of JPAN’s kitchen, to be topped with truffle, yuzu and other delicious morsels. Six of the pieces of sushi are nigiri, generally composed of a slice of fish atop a small rice mound, and three are sashimi, slices of fresh raw fish.

“The dish was crafted to embody authenticity and allow the patrons to try the essence of Japanese cuisine,” adds Dokko. “We have two chefs who work together to create this, Chef Rodolfo Lee and Chef Jose Mendez. Every week, it’s like those YouTubers who unwrap gifts. They get the same feeling, and they’re like ‘What are we going to get this week?’ It’s very exciting and new, especially for the customer to try things that are different.”

JPAN Sushi and Grill, Shops at Siesta Row, 3800 S. Tamiami Trail #3, Sarasota, 941-954-5726 and University Town Center, 229 N. Cattleman Rd., Sarasota, 941-954-5726. 

Pictured: The Omakase-style Toyosu box at JPAN is filled with treats from the Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo. Photo Courtesy of JPAN Sushi and Grill.

JPAN Sushi and Grill

For the eighth year in a row, Visit Sarasota County (VSC) has been presented with ConventionSouth’s Annual Readers’ Choice Award. VSC will be featured as an award recipient in the December 2023 Awards issue of ConventionSouth magazine, the national resource for planning events in the South. “We are honored to be recognized for the eighth time for the Readers’ Choice Award,” said Kelly Defebo, CMP, Director of Sales & Marketing for VSC. “We look forward to continue providing quality meeting services to meeting planners looking to host their next meeting in beautiful Sarasota County.” VSC is among 446 convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs), meeting facilities, hotels and unique venues located across the South to receive this year’s Readers’ Choice Award. Throughout the year, meeting professionals nominate the meeting sites they believe provide exemplary services for group events. The nominated sites are then compiled onto an online ballot where meeting professionals and fans are asked to vote for the best of the best. 

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Amped Fitness®, no stranger to the game in the fitness industry, is thrilled to announce the grand opening of their second Sarasota, FL location on December 4th. The growing fitness brand also brings four other brand new locations across Florida this December. These new facilities are set to provide the communities of Sarasota (12/4), Tampa (12/6), Fort Lauderdale (12/19), Daytona Beach (12/20), and Plantation (12/18) with an all-new workout experience and some much needed AMPED ENERGY! As for Sarasota, This former fitness center was acquired earlier this year and has since undergone a 360' renovation to live up to the unparalleled Amped Fitness® standard and design. It boasts an impressive 23.5k sqft and sits at 3840 S Tuttle Ave. After the overwhelming success of the current Beneva Rd location, the Amped Team is excited to finally expand their roots right on Tuttle Ave. The facility will feature a range of amenities and member perks alongside their best-in-class equipment. Amped Fitness® pre-launched their grand opening with a vendor-packed parking lot party on November 25th! Potential members stopped by to meet the team, get the inside scoop on the unique amenities, and enter for a chance to win one free year of VIP+. This new Sarasota location, along with the four other new Amped Fitness'® five new locations will join the brand's existing network of corporate fitness centers known for their best-in-class personal training, unique line of equipment, and the gym culture that comes second to none. Amped Fitness® is also rumored to be featuring a special celebrity guest on opening day! The company urges their community to stay tuned to their social page at @ampedfitnesstuttle to find out which Olympia–winning athlete will be making an appearance. "We are stoked to continue our Florida takeover with these 5 new locations," said Travis Labazzo, CEO of Amped Fitness®. "Get ready…Casselberry, Pompano Beach, and West Palm Beach–You're NEXT!" For more information about Amped Fitness® and potential franchise opportunities, please visit ampedfitness.com/franchise-opportunity. 

The Pickleball Club, a firm founded in 2019 that develops and operates private, membership-based high-amenity indoor pickleball facilities throughout Florida, recently welcomed Dominique Lemperle as its new director of programming and instructor development.Lemperle brings more than 15 years of experience in racquet sports to the organization. Most recently, she served as the director of racquet sports for Esplanade Golf and Country Club in Naples, Florida, which was comprised of six Har-Tru tennis courts, four pickleball courts and four bocce ball courts. During her time at Esplanade, she successfully ran an in-house league of 750 bocce players, made the bocce culture more inclusive and oversaw a total of 24 league teams and 82 bocce ball teams. Prior to that, Lemperle was the assistant director of sports for Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs, Florida. Her duties included hiring, training and mentoring a team of seven staff coordinators to develop them into teaching professionals, planning, scheduling and directing creative member events while meeting budget expectations and collaborating with the director of golf instruction to plan golf camps for children of all ages, among other tasks. In her new role as director of programming and instructor development for The Pickleball Club, Lemperle will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of educational programs and training initiatives. She will design, organize and evaluate programs, as well as nurture and develop instructors to ensure high-quality educational experiences for students. She will also play a key role in promoting pickleball within the community and ensuring the overall success and growth of the club’s programs, among other duties. Lemperle received her master’s degree in print journalism and her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Colorado. She has a number of certifications and qualifications, including a Leadership Academy/Racquetfit certification from USPTA Headquarters, USPTA Elite Professional, USPTA Head Pickleball Coach Developer, USPTA 2023 George Bacso Coach Developer of the Year and Certified Racquet Sports Executive. 

Pictured: Dominique Lemperle, director of programming and instructor development at The Pickleball Club.

The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce is excited to hold its annual Holiday Mixer on Wednesday, December 6th at Vista at the Top (214 Madonna Blvd, Tierra Verde, FL 33715). Join over 50 enthusiastic members in a welcoming and lively atmosphere, where you'll forge connections, bid on exclusive items in our silent auction featuring hotel stays, spa days, and dining packages, and discover the exciting upcoming plans from the Chamber team. Indulge in complimentary sample menu items and a drink while immersing yourself in the festive spirit, with each registration offering a chance to win a one-of-a-kind door prize.The long-awaited Holiday Mixer is open to the public, costing just $15 for Chamber Members and $20 for Non-Chamber Members. For more information on the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce, please visit TampaBayBeaches.com, or email info@tampabaybeaches.com. 

SRQ Magazine is calling home builders, architects, landscape architects and interior designers to submit their projects from the past year. The winning entries are awarded Home of the Year Platinum, Gold, and Silver Awards and the winning entries are published in the March 2024 awards edition of SRQ Magazine. 

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A CULINARY JOURNEY | Exploring the Culinary Legacy of Anna Maria Island Restaurants, November 2023.

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