Key Culinary Tours News

There is SO much to do in Florida’s Gulf Coast, so make the best of it during your vacation with these great events in Sarasota County. The Sarasota Music Festival runs weekends through June 22 at various venues. http://www.sarasotaorchestra.org/festivals John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is featuring the Natasha Mazurka: Order Systems for her first debut of contemporary art which runs through September 29, 2019. For all you foodies, remember we run our tours year round and the restaurants are air-conditioned! www.keyculinarytours.com The Downtown Venice Craft Festival on Miami Avenue is June 15 and 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. While in Venice take advantage of our family adventure Shark’s Teeth Tour https://www.sarasotasuncoasttours.com   or our Venice Culinary Tour https://keyculinarytours.com/culinary-tours/venice-culinary-tour/. The historic Asolo Theatre is hosting its Summer Circus Spectacular June 11 through August 3. https://www.ringling.org/events/summer-circus-spectacular Players Centre for…

“April showers bring May flowers” is a proverb which was first recorded in 1886, but along with flowers there are many events in May. – May 4 is the Kentucky Derby: Many restaurants in downtown Sarasota and St. Armands Circle will be watching the 145th Kentucky Derby with its post time at 6:50 p.m. You can enjoy a happy hour while watching the exciting Run for the Roses. – May 5 is Cinco de Mayo: For the Cinco de Mayo celebration and Mexican fare, Sarasota has an abundance of Mexican restaurants that will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of the Mexican victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, and not to be confused with the Mexican Independence Day which is celebrated on September 16.* – May 12 is…

Sarasota County, the county of the arts and fine dining, has a chock full of things to do in April whether you are on spring break or visiting for Passover or Easter. The cities in the area are the perfect vacation places for sightseeing, history buffs, theater, water sports, foodies, and much more. The city…

Saint Patrick’s Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick is celebrated on March 17th,which is the day Saint Patrick died in 461, and in the early 17th century became the official Christian feast day of Saint Patrick. It is one of the most celebrated days around the world. Saint Patrick was actually born in Roman…

Happy Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day, Saint Valentine’s Day, or Feast of Saint Valentine is celebrated on February 14th in most countries. It is known as day of love, day of love & friendship, affection day, lovers’ day and lovers’ festival around the globe. Valentine’s Day began as a Western Christian feast to honor saints of…

Happy New Year! As the saying goes for a new year, “out with the old, in with the new” but not necessarily in the Rosemary District of Sarasota. Within the last year the Rosemary District has been coming alive with new businesses, condos, apartments, and restaurants right next to historic buildings and areas. Take a walking tour through the Rosemary District starting at 5th Street and Central Avenue and head north. You will find many salons, dance studios, pet salon, Uptown Eatery open for breakfast and lunch, the Grace Howl gallery of contemporary art, Central Avenue Express convenient store, a wellness spa, kickboxing, home decorating shops, and much more. Just east of Lemon Avenue and 6th Street (Boulevard of the Arts) is Sarasota Kayak Tours Outpost/Bike Sarasota for rentals. You could eat your way through the Rosemary District between Central…

Here are some traditional foods for Hanukkah: Rugalach (RUHG-uh-luhkn) cookies with a filling of fruit, nuts, poppy seed paste, or jam. Challah (KHAH-lah, HAH-lah) traditional Jewish yeast bread. Matzah Ball Soup; Brisket; Sufganiyah – a round jelly donut. Kugel – a baked pudding usually made with potatoes or noodles and can be savory or sweet. Latkes – potato pancakes and apple sauce; Hanukkah Gelt (chocolate coins). Christmas traditions around the World: Austria – Lebkuchen – Christmas cookies made with honey, spices, citron, and almonds. Germany – Glϋhwein – A hot beverage with red wine, spices, sugar and orange or lemon peel. France – Bûche de Noël – A sponge cake made to resemble a Yule Log. Italy – Panettone – A sweet yeast bread with raisins, citron, pine nuts, and anise. Norway – Rice pudding with a raspberry sauce. Poland…

Happy Thanksgiving from the Tour Guides of Key Culinary Tours and Sarasota Suncoast Tours! Our Tour Guides share some of their Thanksgiving favorites: “I love Thanksgiving because all my favorite people are around the table with glorious food and lots of laughs.” – Susan “Thanksgiving is a time when my family and friends gather around the traditional dinner taste and give thanks for all our blessings we are thankful for throughout the year. After dinner we all began preparing to decorate for the holidays.” – Pamela “I try to have an attitude of gratitude every day. Love this holiday. Grateful for my health and family and friends.” – Denice Memory – “Traveling a mile to my Aunt’s house through a snowstorm by tractor-flatbed. Adventure! Illinois Farm County.” Tradition – “Have a turkey basket and everyone writes what they are thankful…

American Thanksgiving originated in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts as a harvest festival for thanks and prayers and was attended by pilgrims and Native Americans. George Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving as a National holiday in 1789, but was celebrated on and off for many years. President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a Federal holiday in 1863. Over the years the day to celebrate sparked great controversy by presidents and the House of Representatives and between states on which day to observe Thanksgiving—the last Thursday of the month or the fourth Thursday of the month. While President Franklin D. Roosevelt at first declared that the last Thursday of the month would be a Federal holiday for Thanksgiving, he later changed the day to the fourth Thursday of November and signed a bill on December 26, 1941 to confirm the day. Some fun facts about…

Sarasota’s Rosemary District In the early 1890s several African American families settled in an area that was called Overtown and today is known as The Rosemary District. The district dates back to 1885 and is located between Tenth Street to Fruitville Road (North to South) and North Tamiami Trail to Orange Street (West to East)….

As Sarasota was developing during the early 1900’s, so were some favorite foods. The most popular foods were Deviled Eggs, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Jell-O Salad Molds, Johnny Cakes (a flat cornmeal cake), Tomato Soup Cake, and Ambrosia Fruit Salad, just to name a few. Ambrosia was known as the food of the Greek Gods…