The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota is known for providing an elevated guest experience, and that tradition continues with Rufa, the resort’s new al fresco dining concept. The inventive cocktails and shareable plates at Rufa are as vibrant and unique as the sunset views you can take in while enjoying a cool and laid-back dining experience.

The eatery is named for a shorebird called the Rufa Red Knot which has one of the longest migrations of any bird species, summering in the Arctic tundra and wintering in South America. They often stop along the east coast during their migration, and can be found in Sarasota at certain points of the year. When executive chef Yann Chupin designed the menu, he was inspired by the thought of bringing in Latin flavors from areas where the Rufa might travel and incorporating them with familiar local ingredients. The result is a playful and inventive menu that is a departure from the typical Ritz-Carlton dining experience. The shareable plates are interactive, and many are intended to be eaten with your hands, like the al pastor chicken skewers with local mango salsa and cilantro cream.

The cocktails at Rufa are the creation of lead bartender Heidi Finley. Finley recently won the prestigious Masters of the Craft beverage award from Marriott International, and she truly takes craft cocktails to a new level. Ingredients like simple syrups and purees are always made in-house, and the spirits in each cocktail are often infused to add more complexity. Even the ice cubes are carefully considered, with cocktails featuring unique elements like strawberry ice or citrus hibiscus ice. The alcohol-free cocktails get in on the fun, too - the pina colada-inspired Dove zero-proof cocktail features shell-shaped ice cubes made from coconut milk.

“I love creating zero-proof cocktails because we always want to include everybody,” says Finley. “Sometimes people want to come out and socialize and they don’t want to drink but they want something fun.”

One cocktail that’s not zero-proof but is still plenty of fun is the scarlet. This herbaceous cocktail is crafted from goji green tea-infused tequila, bergamot liqueur and a housemade citrus elixir with lemon, lime, orange and agave. The Scarlet is a shareable cocktail and can be ordered for two or four people. It arrives at your table in a teapot where it is poured into coupe glasses over pomegranate flower ice.

“Since all of our plates are shareable I also wanted to make a shareable cocktail,” Finley explains. “When I was creating all the cocktails I was thinking about all of the gardens surrounding us and I thought this was very Mad Hatter-ish.”

It’s the perfect encapsulation of the kind of whimsy and inventiveness you can find at Rufa.

If you’re ready to give this exciting new eatery a try, be sure to check out Rufa’s Soaring Sundays promotion which runs through December 29th, 2024. Every Sunday, guests who purchase the scarlet shareable cocktail will receive one of three complimentary shareable plates. The crispy potato flautitas have a little heat from guajillo oil that is beautifully balanced by fresh pomegranate salsa, creamy avocado puree and tangy queso fresco. The signature guacamole gets that elevated Ritz-Carlton twist from smoked avocado, while Rufa’s tuna crudo comes with an addictive housemade sauce featuring notes of chili and citrus among other flavors.

Rufa is open from 4pm-10pm Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and from 4pm-11pm Friday and Saturday. It is closed Monday and Tuesday.

Rufa, 1111 Ritz Carlton Drive, Sarasota, 941-309-2000. 

Pictured: The presentation of The Scarlet shareable cocktail perfectly encapsulates the whimsy and inventiveness you can expect to find at Rufa. Photo courtesy of Rufa.

Whether they're naughty or nice, the Watershed Hospitality family of restaurants has the gift sure to please everyone on your Holiday list! From Nov. 21 - Jan. 2, when you purchase $50, get a $10 bonus or a $20 bonus when you purchase $100. The gift cards are good at all Watershed Hospitality restaurants, Cask & Ale, Pie On Main, 3.14 Pi/Blase Martini Bar ...and soon, Lefty's Oyster & Seafood Bar. Cask & Ale. Craft Cocktails. Innovative Eats. Good Vibes. 

Here’s what’s happening at Taste of Spain: Holiday Catering Services - Let us handle the cooking for your holiday events! From intimate gatherings to large celebrations, our catering services bring authentic Spanish flavors to your table so you can enjoy the season. Paella for Pick-Up - We’re accepting paella orders for pick-up all season long! Perfect for holiday meals and gatherings, our paellas are freshly made and serve a minimum of 4 people. Please give us 24 hours’ notice to prepare your order. Tapas Platters for Any Occasion - Hosting friends or family? Our tapas platters offer a beautiful variety of flavors and make a festive addition to any event. NEW: Classic Spanish Bocadillos- Our new bocadillos (Spanish baguette sandwiches) are perfect for lunch or a casual gathering! Available daily from 11 am to 2 pm, each bocadillo is made with authentic Galician sourdough bread and features delicious fillings like Spanish Olive Oil Tuna with alioli, Iberico Chorizo with Manchego cheese, and Serrano Ham with Manchego cheese with tumaca sauce. Order a full or half baguette, with the option to add a cup of our best-selling gazpacho or a creamy soup. Tapas Cooking Classes & Flamenco Night - Tapas Cooking Class, Upcoming Dates: December 4th, January 15, February 12, March 12 at 6:00 pm. Flamenco Night, Upcoming Dates: December 11, January 29, February 26, March 26 at 6:00 pm. Join us for hands-on cooking or a lively flamenco evening! Both experiences feature authentic Spanish food and wine. Gourmet Foods & Unique Gift Baskets- Looking for unique holiday gifts? Our gourmet products from Spain and beautiful gift baskets are perfect for friends, family, coworkers, and Secret Santa gifts, etc. 

In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is forging ahead with its vital plans for resiliency. Selby Gardens is grateful to announce that Phase Two of its ambitious three-phase master plan for the Downtown Sarasota campus reached 66% of funds required, marking $103 million raised for the entire project. Building on the success of Phase One, this next phase will further enhance Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, securing its resiliency and expanding its beauty, research facilities, and educational offerings for the community and visitors from around the world. The capital goal for Phase Two stands at $60.9 million. $40.3 million has now been raised, which is more than 66% of the goal. The cumulative total of funds raised for both Phases One and Two has reached the $103 million mark, including nearly $8 million for endowment with 99% percent of all funds coming from private philanthropy. A visionary Selby Gardens Trustee who wishes to remain anonymous stepped forward to make a transformational commitment of $15 million to advance Phase Two. Board Chair Dr. Joel Morganroth and his wife and Campaign Co-Chair Dr. Gail Morrison Morganroth have made a new commitment of $5 million to Phase Two, bringing their total commitment to the Master Plan to $10.5 million. Attracting over 300,000 visitors a year, Selby Gardens is looking toward the future with this ambitious expansion for its Downtown Sarasota campus, which is one of the most biodiverse botanical gardens in the world. The Phase Two project team has been guided by the international landscape architecture studio OLIN with architecture by Sweet Sparkman Architecture & Interiors, civil engineer Kimley-Horn and Associates, MEP by Engineering Matrix, structural engineering by TY Lin Silman and conservatory advisory by Ron Determann and Jeffrey Woolsey and renderings by L Design. Willis Smith Construction serves as the construction manager. 

To learn more, visit

Art Center Sarasota’s 2024-2025 exhibition season continues with four exhibits, December 5-January 18. In “¡¡Come Join the Parade!! 25 Years from My Third Floor Window,” E.A. KAHANE celebrates more than 25 years of capturing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade through her camera lens from a third-floor window. (Artist Talk & Book Signing is Thursday, December 12, 5-7 p.m.) Ermin Tabakovic’s exhibition, “Sigma Series - Space, Paradox & Beauty”, includes a series of paintings that boldly embody the artist’s core vision through vibrant geometric forms, structural depth, and a metaphysical dimension. (Artist Talk is Saturday, January 11, 5:30-6:30 p.m.) Keenan Perren’s “Push” depicts new work crafted from broken skateboards, which explore human connection and resonate with personal and collective memory. (Artist Talk is Thursday, December 19, 5:30- 6:30 p.m.) The open, juried exhibition, “Trompe L'oeil,” invites artists to explore themes of illusion, perception, and reality through works that challenge viewers to question the boundaries between art and everyday life. The juror is Michael Kinsey, a portrait photographer, filmmaker and content creator based in Sarasota. (A Juror’s Critique is Wednesday, December 11, 4 p.m.) Opening Reception for all exhibits is Thursday, December 5; 5-7 p.m. All works on display are available for purchase. Art Center Sarasota’s exhibitions are paid for, in part, part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues and generous donors. Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For information, visit ArtSarasota.org or call 941-365-2032. 

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) proudly announces the appointment of Nancy Rominger as its new Associate Artist in charge of New Play Development. Rominger joins FST following an impressive 12-season tenure at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF), where she served as Associate Artistic Director and Director of the Southern Writers’ Project, ASF’s new play development program. During her time at ASF, she oversaw the development of 42 new American plays and musicals, with many receiving world premieres and moving on to regional theatres nationwide. In her new role, Rominger will lead FST’s esteemed New Play Development Program, which is the creative lifeblood of the theatre. The program’s goal is to discover new plays that speak to today’s audiences while nurturing the work of the nation’s most promising playwrights. FST’s New Play Development Program places immense value on the artistic process—recognizing that a playwright’s journey is often long and solitary, filled with rewriting and reimagining over the course of years. As part of this commitment, FST’s Playwright Collective provides an artistic home for its 14 current members, offering workshops, residencies, and ongoing support as they develop new works. In 2024, the program expanded its reach with the Recovery Project, which partnered with the Terrence McNally Foundation to commission emerging playwright Jake Brasch, who will develop a new play with mentorship from acclaimed playwright Craig Lucas. This project, along with other initiatives, exemplifies FST’s dedication to fostering bold, new voices in theatre. Audiences at FST have already experienced the fruits of the New Play Development Program through productions like Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones and In the Book Of by John Walch—plays that Nancy Rominger herself helped develop during her time at ASF. Other recent successes include the world premiere Visit Joe Whitefeather by Bruce Graham, Babel by Jacqueline Goldfinger, Paralyzed by Etan Frankel and America in One Room by Jason Odell Williams, which all originated through FST’s development efforts. FST’s New Play Development Program extends beyond adult productions, fostering the next generation of playwrights through its Under Six and Seven Up anthologies, which feature works by schoolchildren and are produced annually as part of FST’s Young Playwrights Festival. Through Rominger’s leadership, FST continues to be a vital force in shaping contemporary theatre, supporting new works that keep the art form relevant and exciting for its audiences. 

Ringling College TOWN HALL announces that Glenn Close has had to cancel her appearance for January 13, 2025. TOWN HALL is excited to share that we will welcome Academy Award-winning Director, Producer, Screenwriter, and Actor Ron Howard to the TOWN HALL Stage, in place of Glenn Close for our January program. Ron Howard is one of Hollywood’s most celebrated and prolific filmmakers. From the critically acclaimed Oscar-winning dramas A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13 to the hit comedies Parenthood and Splash, he has created some of Hollywood’s most memorable films and series. Howard’s critically acclaimed film A Beautiful Mind earned him an Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture, and the film also won for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress. Howard has also been honored by numerous organizations and in March 2013, Howard was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. In 2015, Howard was honored with a second star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making him one of the select few to have been recognized with two stars. In 2023, Apollo 13 was chosen for the Library of Congress National Film Registry, a prestigious collection of films that are selected for cultural, historic or aesthetic importance.Sarasota has long been a place for culture and the arts to flourish, attracting some of the world’s most exciting international artists, thought leaders, and authors to share their work and perspectives. Through more than 100 programs offered annually, Ringling College provides opportunities for our students, and for over 60,000 local residents and visitors from around the globe to gather, learn, and experience the power of creativity. In addition to TOWN HALL, Ringling College programs include the Sarasota Art Museum, Ringling College Galleries and Exhibitions, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College, and Englewood Art Center. Subscriptions for TOWN HALL presentations are on sale now. To learn more about TOWN HALL and purchase tickets visit www.rclassociation.org, or call 941-309-5100.  

Pictured: TOWN HALL is excited to share that we will welcome Academy Award-winning Director, Producer, Screenwriter, and Actor Ron Howard to the TOWN HALL Stage in January. Provided photo.

The Orioles will partner with All Faiths Food Bank to host their annual “ThankFULL” Thanksgiving turkey distribution for families in need in the Sarasota Community. The All Faiths Food Bank Turkey Distribution Drive, a tradition at Ed Smith Stadium since 2014, is a vital initiative that ensures those in need in Sarasota can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. Held in the East parking lot of the Orioles’ spring campus, this event is a part of All Faiths Food Bank's broader mission to end hunger in the community. This year marks the fifth straight year in which the Orioles and All Faiths Food Bank have hosted a turkey distribution at Ed Smith Stadium. In 2023, the campaign successfully distributed more than 13,000 turkeys and other side dishes to families across various locations, with a significant portion of the distributions taking place at the Ed Smith Stadium campus. Orioles staff, as part of the Orange & Black Gives Back employee volunteer program, will also be on-site to assist.

Wednesday, November 20, from 4-6 pm, Ed Smith Stadium - East Lot, 2700 12th Street, Sarasota. 

Stories Behind Local Takes On The Munchable Handheld, November 2024. 

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