Throughout April, don’t miss the opportunity to dine at The Whitman, the restaurant concept inside the Bal Harbour Shops Access Pop-Up, which has set up camp at University Town Center. The Pop-Up is like a miniature version of the famous Bal Harbour luxury shops in Miami, inviting Sarasotans to shop, relax and enjoy some tasty fare.

The Whitman is the Pop-Up’s restaurant concept, which is headed up by Executive Chef Mark Levy. The restaurant takes its name from The Whitman by The Sea, which was a luxury Miami hotel owned by one of Bal Harbour’s current proprietors. “The idea was to create an all-day menu. We’re open from 11am to 8pm, so we have to have a large balance of items. Constellation Culinary Group, the people who are running the food element of this whole pop-up, identified the need for Latin flair and Miami flavor within the menu,” Levy says. “For example, in the salads, there’s quite a few occurrences of spices and chile and South American flavor.” He recommends the ceviche, with shrimp, octopus, scallops, avocado, Serrano chiles and leche de tigre, which has celery root, elderflower and lime juice, as a unique appetizer. The lobster fritters are also divine and are perfect for dipping in the accompanying Calabrian chili aioli. For an entree, the Whitman burger, consisting of an 8oz. beef patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, aged cheddar cheese and the special Whitman sauce on a brioche bun is a classic. It’s served with a generous portion of French fries that’s ideal for sharing. Chef Levy also suggests sampling the octopus or the fettucini with spiny lobster, one of the more high-end options. Save room for dessert and enjoy the blood orange panna cotta with pistachio crumble, orange and rose water, which is a light yet flavorful way to end a meal.

You can dine at The Whitman for lunch, brunch, happy hour, dinner and even afternoon tea. Check their website for a full schedule of these services. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, but wherever you choose to enjoy your meal, you’ll feel as though you’ve been whisked away to the tropics of Miami. “Come, sit down,” Levy adds, “and have a little taste of Miami.”

The Whitman at the Bal Harbour Shops Access Pop-Up, 297 N. Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota, balharbourshopspopup.com. 

Pictured: The luxury dining experience at The Whitman. Photo Courtesy of Bal Harbour Shops Access Pop-Up.

The Whitman

It’s a trivia takeover this Wednesday at Hamlet’s Eatery! The regular hosts of Not Your Typical Trivia were not available so Kim and Katie are taking over! It’s filled with “klassic” questions and even a round from Chef Kyia. Weekly prizes for 1st, 2nd & LAST Place (because losing should still be fun)! You can also join the cool kids club and win prizes just for coming each week! Doors open at 6pm for dinner. Trivia starts at 6:30pm and will end at 8pm. Reserve a table for your team by calling 941-445-1938. Hamlet’s is located in the courtyard of The Bazaar on Apricot and Lime. 821 Apricot Ave. Seating is outdoors under a covered patio. For more info Visit www.Hamletseatery.com. 

For a soul singer to be crowned a soul queen, naturally, she must first possess a mighty voice—one that can plumb the depths of heartbreak and rise to the pinnacle of bliss in a single set. The second requirement is a riveting stage presence that holds a full arena under her spell. After that, it’s all up to the diva herself. Chaka Khan brought the funk, Anita Baker made us swoon, and Whitney Houston’s tragic beauty broke our hearts. Sade drips with elegance, while Adele keeps it raw and real. And the woman who can channel them all in one spectacular concert—without ever dimming her own star power? It’s Capathia Jenkins. Learn more about the spectacular star of stage and screen in this concert preview, and get ready to groove at our next Pops concert! Do you have your tickets to She’s Got Soul?

Friday, April 19 | 7:30 pm | Van Wezel; Saturday, April 20 | 2:30 pm | Van Wezel; Saturday, April 20 | 7:30 pm | Van Wezel. 

To learn more, visit

New College President Richard Corcoran proudly announces that esteemed entrepreneur and philanthropist Joe Ricketts will be the commencement speaker at this year's graduation ceremony on Friday, May 17, 2024. Ricketts will deliver his address to a valued assembly of graduates and their families amidst the serene backdrop of the Sarasota Bayfront, adjacent to College Hall and the Historic Ringling Mansion. A titan in the business realm, Ricketts boasts over 35 years of experience in building one of the largest brokerage firms, TD Ameritrade, recently sold to Charles Schwab. His visionary approach to recognizing market opportunities in the deregulated discount securities market, coupled with innovative technologies and distinctive marketing strategies, propelled TD Ameritrade into a global financial juggernaut after its inception as First Omaha Securities in 1975. Beyond his illustrious business achievements, Ricketts is also celebrated for his family's ownership of the Chicago Cubs, culminating in the end of the franchise's century-long title drought with a historic World Series win in 2016. However, his impact extends far beyond the financial sector and realm of sports, as evidenced by his dedication to philanthropy and entrepreneurship. Earlier this year, Ricketts embarked on a groundbreaking venture in Sarasota, announcing New College as the first institution in the nation to adopt a distance-learning curriculum from Ricketts Great Books College. This innovative initiative enables students worldwide to access a rigorous liberal arts education, with many eligible for scholarships that will allow them to graduate with little to no debt, thanks to Ricketts' generous philanthropy. Some of Ricketts’s other notable ventures in entrepreneurship and philanthropy include Opportunity Education Foundation and Quest Forward Learning, The Cloisters on the Platte Foundation, Straight Arrow News, Village PieMaker, High Plains Bison, The Ricketts Conservation Foundation, and The Ricketts Art Foundation. Ricketts is a native of Omaha, Nebraska, and a graduate of Creighton University. He resides in Little Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with his wife of 60 years, Marlene. New College's commencement ceremony remains an exclusive affair, reserved for graduates and their invited guests. For further insights into the transformative collaboration between New College and Ricketts Great Books College, please visit NCF.edu/Worldwide. 

The Ringling is proud to participate once again in the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s Giving Challenge! La Gloria, a contemporary bronze and steel sculpture created by Mexican artist Jorge Marín in 2007, is in need of some conservation attention. After years of proudly standing outside the entrance to the museum La Gloria has accumulated grimy deposits of dirt and the metal is corroding. If we don’t act now to shower her with love, in the form of conservation, her luminescence will begin to fade. Fortunately, helping her is simple for outdoor sculpture conservators. The dirt and grime will be eliminated and unstable corrosion products will be removed. The severely rusted steel base and the interior of the bronze will also be cleaned and treated to prevent further corrosion. This effort will help to ensure preservation of the sculpture and will restore La Gloria’s original appearance for all to enjoy. The 2024 Giving Challenge is hosted by the Community Foundation of SarasotaCounty with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation. 

Manatee County is looking for a citizen to be a part of the advisory committee on Infrastructure Sales Tax. The committee, which makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners, meets periodically and prepares an annual report reviewing spending of the half-cent infrastructure sales tax approved by voters in 2016. Committee applicants must reside in unincorporated areas of Manatee County. The term of this appointment is for two years. All meetings will be publicly noticed. The committee meets periodically at 5:30 p.m. at the Manatee County Government Administrative Center, Conference Room “A”, 7th Floor, 1112 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL, 34205. Applications are due April 26, 2024, and can be found online. For more information, call (941) 745-3778 or email jessica.pollard@mymanatee.org. For up-to-date information about Manatee County Government, visit mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ManateeGov. 

2024 BEST OF SRQ LOCAL PARTY | Join us on Friday, April 12, 2024, from 5-8 pm at the Aloft Hotel in Downtown Sarasota to taste and experience some of this year's "Best of SRQ Local" restaurants and cocktails. Share a hip evening with our area’s passionate localvores and foodies. 

Buy Your Tickets Here

A PALATABLE PALETTE | At Bistro, Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College's restaurant, Kaytlin and John Dangaran redefine the term "culinary arts," April 2024. 

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