Although it has filed for chapter 11, but it’s business as usual at this location. A few Chloé handbags look interesting.
… more pix on Yelp
… An overlapping set of factors led to the bankruptcy, some analysts said: A debt-fueled acquisition of Neiman Marcus, the rise of online purchases, direct-to-consumer sales outside department stores and a waning appetite for sky-high luxury prices among some shoppers.
1223 Boulevard of the Arts
Sarasota, FL 34236
… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp & TA
We went for dinner at their Offshore tapas &. wine bar from our concert at Van Wezel.
I think it was Indigo before – Google Maps still shows as Indigo.
The location is good: a 7-minute walk from the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 2 miles from Sarasota Jungle Gardens, and 8 miles from Siesta Key Beach.
The lobby looks stylish, with tropical-inspired decor.
7113 South Tamiami Trl,
Sarasota, FL 34231
… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp, FB
Definitely will return.
A full Asian supermarket that opened 13 months ago, with excellent service. The staff I’ve conversations with all spoke Mandarin.
They post their site map by the entrance, which is rare and greatly appreciated.
They’ve got a butcher and a few live fish tanks, but they don’t clean the fish for you. I only got a few crabs.
Edit: two comments on FB said they do clean the fish. All the better for me.
Boulevard of the Arts & N Tamiami Trail.
Sarasota, FL 34236
… a few more pix here
A new residential building (condo or rental?) under construction is diagonally from the Voco (former Indigo) hotel, by the corner of Boulevard of the Arts & N Tamiami Trail. Their office maybe at 21 N Lemon Avenue, (941) 225 4888.
It looks out to their Van Wezel on the Sarasota Bay.
1223 Boulevard of the Arts
Sarasota, FL 34236
… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp, TA, Insta
Will return.
It’s by the entrance, on the ground floor of voco Sarasota by IHG (former Indigo). They off 10% off with the Van Wezel concert.
We’ve crab cake & steak Chimi: I really like my crab cake, the steak is a bit chewy but yummy, and the white rice is cooked to perfection.
I like their blue heavy and sturdy chairs, and simple menu. The wine glass has its label, but it could be better. The lone bartender serves the tables, too.
The hotel bathroom is clean, but one of the booth’s heaters (?) or ventilators is noisy.
City Island is a neighborhood, and a peninsula on Sarasota Bay, with a substantical downtown, around St. Armands Circle.
It has a few waterfront parks (like Ken Thompson Park), marine research (Mote Marine Laboratory’s main campus), dining (Old Salty Dog); Lido beach, etc.
The Nutcracker is one of Tchaikovsky’s most beloved ballets—a holiday ritual and a time for family. As always, the score is magnificent. However, in this production the music was played through boomboxes, which seriously diminished the beauty and richness of the melodies.
I googled the top 5 ballets, 1-3 are Tchaikovsky’s:
1. Swan Lake
2. The Nutcracker
3. The Sleeping Beauty
4. Giselle, and
5. Romeo and Juliet
My rating for this production
(Music scores: 6/5)
Music playing: 2/5
Performance: 3/5
Audience: 2/5
From the outset, the opera house feels chaotic. Will Call is mandatory, and even eight minutes before curtain, the line still stretches around the block—why?
One female staff member is outright rude, thrusting her arm across my face without the slightest apology.
I knew exactly where my seat was, yet an usher insisted otherwise. Two steps later, she conceded I was right. “My first time here,” she said.
The performance, unsurprisingly, started late, followed by a good five minutes of acknowledgements and speeches.
There are many kids in the product. Two looks to be little more than toddlers, who are cute and adorabale. It’s a great way for the young apprentices.
There are over-exuberant clap excessively throughout the performance. Are they the parents?
The woman seated to my left, accompanied by a young girl, checks her phone nonstop. Behind me, a family with children around ten years old speaks Russian, talks excessively, and makes constant noise—candy wrappers, water bottles—and in the second act, one of the children repeatedly kicks my chair.
I’ve been to a few Nutcracker elsewhere but never was this unsettling.
The Nutcracker (1892) two-act ballet by Tchaikovsky
老柴的《胡桃夹子》（1892年） 节日应景的节目
谷歌 前5芭蕾
1. Swan Lake
2. The Nutcracker
3. The Sleeping Beauty
4. Giselle, and
5. Romeo and Juliet
前三都是老柴的 👍
想不通这么美丽音乐的作者怎么会出生在…
Lido Beach @ City Island
Sarasota
Lido Beach is a beautiful barrier island beach known for its soft white sands, clear water, and proximity to St. Armand’s Circle, a popular shopping/dining area on Lido Key. It offers family-friendly amenities like lifeguards, restrooms, concessions, rentals, and ample free parking, plus distinct areas like the more secluded North Lido and nature-focused South Lido (Ted Sperling Park) with kayaking/fishing. It’s a relaxing alternative to Siesta Key, good for strolls, shelling, and watching beautiful sunsets.
… the white powder sand
… and the beach
1536 Main St,
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 555-3737
… more pix & video on Yelp*, TA*, Google Maps*
Will return to Fresco Italian Cafe E Gelato!
The small blue tiles by the entrance immediately caught my eye. When I looked inside, the sparse, white, and pleasant décor drew me in.
The wall mural to the right feels like a hand-painted escape to the Mediterranean, depicts a sun-washed Italian café scene. The palette—soft blues, warm yellows, and creamy whites—creates a breezy, coastal calm.
They seem newly opened (or at least very new). There was only one woman serving, so the line moved slowly. They offer gelato, espresso, and café treats like tiramisu, salted caramel gelato, and smoothies. I had the tiramisu gelato—it was really good.
They’re in the former Yume Sushi spot.
4844 Starlight Beach Ln
Bradenton, FL 34212
This is a new mpc within the Lakwood Ranch, by builder Del Webb. The gate house is unmanned.
Their tennis courts are hard, and the roofs aren’t tiles.
