Eddie Zaki and Mark Majorie are already well-established in Sarasota’s superb culinary scene. Majorie is a professional chef whose extensive resume includes eight years as executive chef at local mainstay Veronica’s, while Zaki is a restaurateur behind several successful businesses including local favorite 1592. In November 2024, the duo opened Lucky 8 Luncheonette, an eclectic eatery with flavors inspired by Majorie’s New Orleans upbringing.

“Our menu is very short, and we intended to have it this way because we don’t want people to get lost,” Zaki says. “Often, menus have 40 or 50 dishes and the time it takes to read them is sometimes frustrating. This menu is straight to the point, and every dish on there is a favorite.”

The menu is packed with New Orleans staples, many of them recipes that Majorie learned growing up next to his mother’s stove. The bread for the muffuletta sandwich is baked locally at Mama G’s from a recipe provided by Lucky 8, and the Sicilian sesame bread is the perfect foundation for the layers of sliced meat and cheese and the briny olive salad dressing. The crispy boudin is rich and flavorful, thanks to ingredients like pork shoulder and chicken liver, and the gumbo already has a devoted following with repeat customers coming back for more. The oyster po’boy is irresistible, and the smash burgers have also proved to be popular.

Like the food menu, the beverage menu is also streamlined at Lucky 8. You won’t find Hurricanes on the menu here as there isn’t a full bar, but the drink menu is well-curated with some local beers and beer from New Orleans, and a solid selection of natural, organic wines.

Lucky 8 Luncheonette is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11am through 9pm, It is closed on Sundays.

Lucky 8, 1812 South Osprey Avenue, Sarasota, 941-444-0155, www.lucky8srq.com. 

Pictured: The crispy boudin is one of the nostalgic family favorites Chef Mark Majorie is whipping up at Lucky 8. Provided photo.

Anna Maria Oyster Bar is turning up the volume with Oysters Rock Live, a brand-new concert series at AMOB Landside! Kicking things off is Scream Machine, bringing high-energy rock classics for a night of music, fun, and Five-Star Fun hospitality.

Friday, March 14, 2025, 7pm – 11pm, Anna Maria Oyster Bar – Landside, 6906 14th St W, Bradenton. 

To learn more, visit.

The Church of the Palms is excited to welcome Reverend Eugene Cho, the President and CEO of Bread for the World to our campus Thursday, March 6, 2025, at
6:30pm in the Sanctuary, located at 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota, FL, 34239. This is a free event open to the public. 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey will be transformed into a whimsical wonderland during the annual Enchanted Garden Family Festival. Taking place March 22 and 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the family-friendly event offers a range of fun and imaginative experiences for kids of all ages. Activities planned for the two-day festival include “unicorn” rides, crafts, storytelling, face painting, balloon artists, performances by Blaise Ryndes with Spheres Bubble Show, and a few surprises. All festival activities are included with general admission and free to Selby Gardens members. Food and beverages will be available for purchase both days. In addition to grab-and-go fare available from the campus’ Bayside Cottage Café from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., offerings from specialty food vendors will include sweet treats from Big Kahuna Tropical Treats and Uncle Dave’s Popcorn, and more. 

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FLSarasota Opera will open Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro on Saturday, March 8. Commonly recognized as one of the great achievements of Western music, The Marriage of Figaro is admired by connoisseurs, musicians, and those new to the art form. There will be seven performances of the opera through March 28 at the Sarasota Opera House. 

2025 marks the 54th anniversary of Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning’s (SILL) “Global Issues” series. This hard-hitting series, which runs through March 27, features internationally renowned experts discussing a wide range of domestic and global issues. This month’s lectures feature key global issues explored by leading experts, including Dr. John Bruno on cognitive control and its role in aging and neurodegenerative diseases; Toshiko Kaneda on the impact of population shifts on global development; and Amb. John Tefft on Vladimir Putin’s place in Russia’s autocratic history.  

Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative’s (SBAC) “Beyond Regional Boundaries” initiative continues its powerful exploration of Black artistry with a dynamic exhibition, “Celebrations of Form and Grace,” showcasing paintings by Dominic Avant, March 10-30, at Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota. An opening reception, with the artist, is Monday, March 10, 5-6:30 p.m., in the Selby Lobby.  

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is excited to announce an engaging new panel discussion to close its 2024-2025 Forums Series: Bad Books: Who Should Decide? Inspired by the Stage III production Bad Books, this forum explores the timely and contentious topic of censorship in schools. The event is free to attend, but registration is required. Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org or call FST’s Box Office at (941) 366-9000 to secure your spot. 

As Manatee County educators work hard to improve grade-level literacy, the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch is doing its part to help. Through its Books for Kids program, specially trained volunteers are visiting classrooms to read aloud selected books and engaging students in discussion to improve their concentration on reading, listening comprehension skills, critical thinking and more. Superintendent Jason Wysong, principals, and volunteers from participating schools will celebrate the success of the program during the Books for Kids Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, located at 7650 Legacy Boulevard in Lakewood Ranch. 

Fox Lea Farm along with The Sertoma Club of Venice and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation are excited to announce that Friday, March 7th is the 4th Annual Charity Ride N Drive at Fox Lea Farm. Gates will open at 2:30pm. All admissions will benefit the charities of the evening. The Charity event will take place between the 3:30 $5,000 USHJA Hunter Derby and the 7:00 $24,999 Grand Prix. A horse/rider team will be paired with a golf cart team to complete a challenging course! To benefit: Sertoma Club of Venice, Children First, Inc., Laurel Civic, Venice-Nokomis Rotary Club, Family Promise of South Sarasota County, Women’s Sertoma Club of Venice, Osprey Nokomis Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Rotary Futures, The TWIG, Venice Chamber Foundation. 

To learn more, visit.