In another lifetime, Ray Mabalot was a tradesman and his wife Nikki Mabalot was a clothing designer with a storefront in the Gulf Gate neighborhood of Sarasota.

“It was never really on our radar that the food service industry would be one of our things,” says Ray.

Three or four times a year, Ray and Nikki hosted huge cookouts where they served up homemade barbecue to their friends. Their gatherings grew until they were feeding fifty or sixty people.

“A lot of our friends were like, ‘Man, you could really charge for this,’” Ray remembers. The couple took a chance on themselves and started the Mouthole BBQ food truck. Over the next ten years it would become a local favorite, receiving several honors including multiple Best of SRQ Local awards for Best Food Truck and Best BBQ. They also began doing pop-ups at local restaurants where they developed new menu items like their signature smashburger.

Through happenstance, Ray and Nikki got the chance to transition Mouthole into a brick and mortar setting. While the initial location didn’t suit their needs, some food truck acquaintances were looking to get out of a lease in Gulf Gate and this spot was a perfect fit. The Mouthole Smashburgers and BBQ storefront opened on April 20th and already business has been booming.

The restaurant is open for lunch from 12pm-3pm and for dinner from 5pm-8pm Tuesday through Saturday. It is closed Sunday and Monday. Smashburgers are a must-try menu item. One of their most popular burgers is The B.B.C., which features a certified Angus beef patty topped with bacon and boursin cheese and served on a toasted brioche with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and mayo. It’s so locally-famous, you may have seen it on the Suncoast View. Throughout the week you can also find inventive specials like smoked meatloaf topped with pickled red onion and candied jalapeno and drizzled with housemade chipotle BBQ sauce.

While the Mouthole food truck was all about the barbecue, in the restaurant it’s only on the menu on Fridays and Saturdays.

“The biggest reason for that is because we smoke the meat Thursday night for Fridays, and before we leave Friday night I put the meat on to smoke for Saturday,” Ray explains. “That way it ensures that all the meat from that service is gone. I don’t want to smoke meat on Tuesday and still be serving it on Friday, which is accepted in the industry. A lot of people smoke meat in batches and they just reheat it during the week, but we’re small enough to where we can still do it fresh. I would just rather sell out than hold onto it and try to serve it again.”

If you visit on a Friday or Saturday, check to see if the Meat Locker is available. This sampler features smoked sausage, brisket, pulled pork, a half rack of St. Louis ribs, plus all the sides, and can comfortably feed all three or four people. One special touch is the homemade cornbread Nikki bakes in the shape of little skulls.

To keep up with the latest menu items, be sure to visit the Mouthole Facebook page. There you can also find out how to pre-order barbecue items to make sure you don’t miss out.

Mouthole Smashburgers and BBQ, 2637 Mall Drive, Sarasota, (727) 746-4653, facebook.com/inyourmouthole. 

Pictured: Often available as a dinner special on Saturdays at 5pm, the Meat Locker platter is packed with ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and sausage. Sides include slaw, smoked beans, mac and cheese and skull cornbread. Courtesy photo.

Duval’s Fresh. Local. Seafood. is launching their Taste of Summer Menu on July 1st, just in time for summer. The menu features a 2-course lunch or 3-course dinner and pairs with their limited time summer cocktails. This chef-curated menu will be available all summer for $25 at lunch and $40 at dinner in conjunction with the regular menus, along with limited time $13 Summer cocktails. The menu will change each month providing fresh new selections all summer long. For reservations and to see the full menu, visit www.duvalsfreshlocalseafood.com Entrée selections on the July lunch menu are Duval’s signature Shrimp Po Boy, Chicken Gnocchi Alfredo, and Coriander Salmon. The dinner entrée selections also feature the Coriander Salmon as well as a Blackened Shrimp Rice Bowl and an Ahi Tuna Miso Salad. The full menu is available to view here: https://www.duvalsfreshlocalseafood.com/taste-of-summer-2024Duval’s also offers the Taste of Summer menu for takeout and free delivery! To view Duval’s delivery zone, visit https://www.duvalsfreshlocalseafood.com/free-delivery. To order, call (941) 312-4001 or visit the website. Please call the restaurant to reserve your spot or visit https://www.duvalsfreshlocalseafood.com/reservations. Duval’s also offers a free shuttle to transport guests to and from the restaurant. For more information about the shuttle, visit www.duvalsfls.com/shuttle.

Duval’s is located at 1435 Main St. Sarasota. 

Michael’s On East Restaurant has been honored for its outstanding wine program inWine Spectator’s 2024 Restaurant Awards, which celebrate the world’s best restaurants for wine. Launched in 1981, the Restaurant Awards represent the world’s only program focused exclusively on restaurant wine service. They are assigned on three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award. Michael’s On East Restaurant has won the BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE! Best of Award of Excellence recipients display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation. Wine Spectator’s special Restaurant Awards issue becomes available to readers July 9. 

A pinnacle solar panel ‘Power On’ moment has arrived at the 15-acre bayfront sanctuary, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, the World’s First Net Positive Energy Botanical Garden Complex and home of the World’s First Net Positive Energy Restaurant. A “Flip the Switch” solar panel dedication ceremony was held on Thursday, June 27, 2024, for the organizations’ trustees, advisory committee members, donors, government officials, and members of the press and media. Switching on the innovative solar arrays is the latest advance since the January Grand Opening of Phase One of Selby Gardens’ Three Phase Master Plan, a $52 million expansion. The Master Plan has been guided by the international landscape architecture studio OLIN, building architecture firm Overland Partners, Civil Engineer Kimley-Horn, and Willis Smith as construction manager. Selby Garden’s Phase One is powered by Barancik Foundation. As the switch flips on the state-of-the-art, 2,158 panel solar arrays, the clock starts ticking on a 12-month monitoring period for both Living Building and Living Community Petal Certification by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) to demonstrate the project produces more power than it consumes. A 50,000 square foot solar network atop a uniquely landscaped parking structure, a groundbreaking restaurant, and a plant shop, form the Morganroth Family Living Energy Access Facility (LEAF). This facility acts as the project’s true powerhouse, a model of green subregional infrastructure, supporting a solar array spanning more than one acre. The Elizabeth Moore Rooftop Garden and solar array located atop the Steinwachs Family Plant Research Center adds an additional 7,000 square feet of solar capacity. Together these installations provide a combined 57,000 square feet of solar infrastructure developed, engineered, and constructed by One80 Solar, supercharging Selby Gardens’ net positive energy status. Phase One will produce an astonishing 1.27 million kilowatt-hours of power per year, enough to power 175 average American homes. That output is expected to exceed all the facility’s energy demands by 10%. Additional benefits of the one-of-a-kind solar array include: Saving Selby Gardens over $100,000 annually in energy costs; Offset 975 tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to taking 211 cars off the road or the amount of carbon sequestered by 1,000 acres of US Forest; Provides 100% carbon-free cooking for the fully electrified, seasonally inspired culinary destination. 

Photo courtesy of Selby Gardens.

Manatee County is accepting applications for six seats on the Children’s Services Advisory Board (CSAB). The 13-member CSAB is required by Ordinance and appointed by the Manatee Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to track local data and interests regarding children and families in Manatee County. Annually, they are also required to review applications and provide recommendations to the BOCC for nonprofit investment. The CSAB year begins with a full-day retreat in October. June through January, the CSAB typically meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m. During the annual program funding review process, which runs February to May, the review meetings are weekly beginning at 3 p.m. All CSAB meetings are scheduled at the Manatee County Administration Building, 1112 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton, unless noted otherwise. Three of the open positions must have candidates provided by the following entities (terms of service are listed with each seat): Department of Children and Families (10/01/24 - 09/30/27); Manatee County School Board (10/01/24 - 09/30/26); United Way (10/01/24 - 09/30/27). The other seats to be filled include: Two Child Advocates (10/01/24 - 09/30/27); One Licensed Mental Health Professional (10/01/24 - 09/30/27). All applicants must reside within Manatee County to be considered. Applications open July 1, 2024, and will close August 14, 2024. To qualify for consideration, candidates must submit an application and resume. For more information, call (941) 748-4501, ext. 3485, or email Kristi.Hagen@mymanatee.org.

At Five-O Donut Co., Owner and Founder Christine Nordstrom unveils the scrumptious cronookie, July/August 2024.

Read Here!