Step right up!

By Hannah Wallace

For all our varied and wonderful Village eateries, food trucks have been a long time coming. But the Porthole Grille, currently parked alongside the Big Tiki Lounge at the Siesta Key Beach Resort and Suites, might just have been worth the wait.

Since opening in May, the mobile kitchen has been gaining fans with extravagant beach fare like Wagyu beef smash burgers, “Lobster Trap Mac,” wasabi broccoli slaw and flamegrilled octopus.

“We’re fast, we’re casual, we’re doing octopus, we’ve got a footlong Wagyu hot dog,” said Porthole proprietor Maurice Dentici with his trademark enthusiasm. “I don’t want to just serve a frozen beef patty. I want to serve the best foot-long Frankfurter. I want to do lobster quesadilla.”

Dentici knows what local diners like. A

Sarasotan since age 13, Dentici graduated Sarasota High and went into the family restaurant business, embracing a long line of culinary influences from Sicily to New Jersey to the Gulf of Mexico. He currently operates four local Rico’s pizzerias and opened Siesta’s own Spearfish Grille in 2018.

A food truck was a logical extension of Dentici’s established catering operations. The problem was where to put it. Barred by a variety of state and local ordinances for decades, food trucks had never been allowed to set up shop in Siesta Village. But mobile vendors have finally gained a sliver of permission in recent years as laws changed and regulations loosened.

On Siesta, a licensed food truck can now

Continued on page 6V

Southern Tide, the classic ocean-inspired, coastal lifestyle and performance clothing and accessories brand for men, women and boys, came ashore on Siesta Key this summer.

Shoppers will feel a definite beach vibe at this welcoming and bright boutique located in the heart of Siesta Key Village and adjacent to the Lily Pulitzer store in Davidson Plaza.

“Siesta Key has been on our radar for some time,” reported Jodi Faaborg, manager of Southern Tide.

“Everyone is so excited to be here.

It’s an ideal location for who we are.

The response has been wonderful.

“This fall, we plan on having a grand opening and a kickoff party.

Having our sibling brand, Lily Pulitzer, next door to us is also a win-win.”

Southern Tide is owned by Greenville, North Carolina-based Oxford Industries. The firm also owns Lily Pulitzer, Tommy Bahamas, Johnny Was and the Continued on page7V

… $22

Sea Scallops … $22

Shrimp and Seafood Au Gratin … $16

Fisherman Platter … $32

Baby Back Ribs … $24

Orange Pecan Chicken … $16

Filet Mignon … $24

Filet Mignon & Stuffed Shrimp … $34

Filet Mignon & Maine Lobster Tail … $48

Stuffed Shrimp & Maine Lobster Tail … $42

Twin Maine Lobster Tails … $54

FRIED SEAFOOD PLATTERS

Coconut Shrimp … $22

Large Gulf Shrimp … $20

Fish & Chips … $19

Fried Combo … $28

PASTA & BOWLS

Shrimp & Crab Scampi … $24

Salmon Pasta … $21

Chicken & Shrimp Curry … $21

Sweet ‘n Spicy Chicken & Shrimp … $22

Pasta Primavera … $16

DESSERTS

Turtle Pie … $9

Key Lime Pie … $9

Sample Platter … $12

Ice Cream Bar … $6

*Prices subject to change

Tony Bennett, Whitney Houston and Madonna were born in August

“They” say that August is a big month for singers and that must be true as there are lots of them performing in Sarasota this month.

Three very special singers will be at Florida Studio Theatre’s Court Cabaret through Sept. 10. They bill themselves as Divas

Three and will sing some of the big hits that were made famous by Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Tina Turner, Bette Midler, and Whitney Houston. Songs that can connect to and with all members of the audience, like “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “We are Family,” “It’s Raining Men,” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

Did we say that these songs from the ‘60s through the ‘90s include hits by Celine Dion, Cher, and Dolly Parton? Oh, and also ones by Donna Summer and Abba. Yes, lots of songs, from lots of great singers, to sooth our collective nostalgia.

If four is better than three, then The Surfer Boys might be right up your alley. Four tenors will be crooning that “California Sound”, made famous by The Beach Boys. These hits will include “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations,” “Barbara Ann,” and “Surfin’ USA.”

Remember, this is August -- so if you love the beach, but it’s too hot along the Gulf, head for FST’s Goldstein Cabaret any day through the 13th of this month.

If surfer music and girl groups aren’t your thing, then, starting on the 22nd, how about a little Country Rock? Or maybe, some big Country Rock, like the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival? Their hit songs, “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Fortunate Son,” and “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” just might put you in your own private groove. It seems that in the movie world, everyone loves sequels. However, there aren’t too many of them arriving on the Broadway stage as good playwrights like Shakespeare

By Rodger Skidmore

mostly killed off their top characters (think of Othello, King Lear, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, etc.). All very tragic. But a real Broadway sequel has arrived in Sarasota -- and everyone is laughing at it. But that’s a good thing as it’s a comedy. Ken Ludwig, who’s written 24 plays and got his start with his Grammy-awardwinning hit Lend Me a Tenor, has followed that hit up with A Comedy of Tenors.

This show, at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, takes place in Paris in the 1930s where an aging tenor wants to drop out of a show, causing turmoil and panic, as the producer seeks a replacement. Info for all these singers at Floridastudiotheatre.org.

The Hermitage Artists Retreat down on Manasota Key really isn’t too far, especially if you like poetry. Two prize winning poets, John Murillo and Nicole Sealey, will be reading some of their works there on Aug. 4. However, if you like your culture a bit closer to home then a quick jaunt over to the Westcoast Black Theatre’s Donelly Theatre (comfortable seats and ample parking) might just be the thing to do in the early evening on the 18th. They will be showcasing From the Heart of Philly: The works of Dave Harris. Mr. Harris is a Hermitage Fellow and awardwinning playwright (Lorraine Hansberry Award, and Mark Twain Award from The Kennedy Center, among others). His first film, Summertime, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020. And completing the literary trifecta (besides working a TV project for AMC -- Interview with the Vampire) he’s won a Cave Canem poetry fellowship. The Los Angeles Times wrote that his work “surges with raw theatrical power.” He will be sharing some of his work and discussing his creative process.

A great many of the Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys books had the word “mystery” in their titles, so that you knew there was a mystery. But did you know there was a mystery associated with Alban Berg’s composition Lyric Suite written for string quartet?

Berg, like many modern composers, used a method derived from Arnold Schoenberg’s 12-tone technique. While Berg dedicated this work to Alexander von Zemlinsky, who wrote the similarly named Lyric Symphony, it seems that there might have been a “secret dedication” to someone with whom he’d had an affair. Perhaps the public dedication was a dark ruse (not a russe au chocolat, as the young lady’s name was not Charlotte) to cover up his secret love.

On Aug. 23, Secret Song: Unraveling the Mystery of Berg’s Lyric Suite will be presented by Hilan Warshaw, a Heritage Fellow, at the Sarasota Opera House. Lyric Suite has been called “a latent opera” and attendees can hear, besides Mr. Warshaw, the Emerson String Quartet and René Fleming. All of these Hermitage Retreat Artists presentations are free but a reservation fee is necessary -- at Hermitageartistretreat.org.

Too hot for pickleball?

In a pickle about how to get your exercise and yet stay cool? Not to worry, help is not far away. Instead of going for a walk at the mall, head for the Sarasota Art Museum on South Tamiami Trail. It’s air conditioned and there are five things to do inside Sarasota’s old (and refurbished) high school. Actually, not five things to do, but five exhibitions through which you may stroll --- with many things to see.

And, if you are there between nine and three and feeling a tad hungry, or just want