Page 11 - Fall/Winter Taste Magazine 2021-2022

With this issue we are proud to celebrate 30 yearsofpublishingTasteDining&Travel.It’shardtobelieve that so many years have gone by so quickly. When we started Taste Magazine way back then, the was to pro-
vide our faithful readers, with as much dining news
and information about our local scene as possible.
In 1992 our area was just beginning to spread it
roots as many of our local restaurateurs, had begun toseediningpotentialinadifferentway.
Markets, Maison Blanche, Cortez Clam Factory and Hometown TASTE Desserts.Thanksforyourcontinuedsupportovertheseyears,
and to those newer advertisers who have seen their business 30 grow through advertising in Taste Dining & Travel.
30 (Apologies for omitting any).
Thanks also to those who have helped with Taste’s
production over the years including Bonner Joy of The
Islander on Anna Maria Island for her early typesetting skills,beforeI jumpedinfeetfirstwithanApplecom-
DINING & TRAVEL puter, photographer Rod Millington for his photographs of our early covers, printers the Bradenton Herald,
Creativity was now on the menu instead of
hush puppies, (well you could still “enjoy” them at the
Seafood Shack if you so desired). The Florida Winefest &
Auction spearheaded by Michael Klauber, literally blew into town in 1991 and truly put our area on the national dining scene. Thanks Michael and you too Mel, “the Velvet Fog” Torme, for making that initial eventattheRinglingMuseum thebest.Thelateradditionofthe Sarasota-Manatee Originals and the Forks & Corks festival, has helped to continue the ever-growing food and wine scene. Of course many local restaurants and their owners have also enabled broadening our hori- zons, and enjoyment of dining and drinking, offering increasingly global and sophisticated choices. We at Taste Dining & Travel were pleased to contribute with many trips and culinary articles to Canada, South America, Spain, France, England, Italy, California and more, along with our Progressive Dinners, Toys for Tots and many, many other events that were fundraisers for various food charities in our area. Glad we could help!
Over the years people in our area are travelling worldwide, (Including my bride Vanessa and myself). All our pallettes are expanding and being satiated by epicurean delights brought here from all over the world. We all came back home and requested food items from the far away lands and for the most part, the restaurants listened. Bye-bye Early Birds, hello tuna sashimi, smoked salmon pizza, Bordeaux wines, South American wine, (any wines!), pop-up restaurants, food trucks, Ramon, decent coffee, artisan breads and cell phones for food photos. No longer was it a dilemma as to where to enjoy a New York-style pizza. The Italian pizza makers in New York and New Jersey have found Southwest Florida!
Some restaurants came and went over these 30 years. Remember the Alley Cat Cafe, Chophouse Grill & Downunder Jazz Bar (we met there!), the Backstage Cafe, the Hunt Club, Centre Market, Guadalajara, Emphasis, Just Dessert, Liquor Locker, Bombay Grill, Cafe Robar, Maureen’s, Poseidon, The Buccaneer Inn, Chef’s Corner Cafe, the Waterside Room, The Wildflower, Gastronomia, The Grape Vine, Pastels, Tenderloins, The Patio Oyster Bar, Summerhouse, Chef Michelangelo’s, The Anchorage, O’Keefe’s Wine Cellar, Fandango International Cafe, Vienna Castle, L’Auberge du Bon Vivant, Coley’s, Vito’s Restaurant, Merlin’s, Zoomerz, The Reef and Bongo’s just to name a few!
Looking through our older issues we would like to thank some of our advertisers who have been with us in almost every publication for all these years. Thank you Duffy’s Tavern, Mr. Bones, Barnacle Bill’s Seafood (both recently closed), The Waterfront, Ophelia’s on the Bay, Euphemia Haye, Sandbar, Mar Vista and the BeachHouse, Gulf Drive Cafe (with original restaurateur Tom Chipain), Harry’s Continental Kitchens, Sarasota Trolley and Siesta Trolley, Clancy’s, Bridge Tender Inn, The Rosemary, Bonefish Grill, Sunnyside Cafe, Lotsa Lobster, Isan Thai, Sage Biscuit Cafe, The Feast, Ginny & Jane E’s, Morton’s
Newspaper Printing Company and Sun Publications. Thanks to all the delivery folks who have kept thousands of issues of Taste Dining
& Travel very available for you to enjoy, and our loyal webmaster Joe Tortorici of NetGain Promotions.
We all have much to be thankful for in our lives. I am very thankful for my lovely wife Vanessa, for all the joy, pleasure and the won- derful life we have had together in our 30 years of marriage. Also, through our business, lifelong memories of our world travels and adven- tures through Taste Dining & Travel. Here’s to many more.
This issue is dedicated to all the wonderful people and workers in the hospitality industry. Thanks for your continued perseverance through this pandemic and being there when needed to help keep our restaurants safe, profitable and a pleasure to enjoy in good and difficult times. Thank you all for enjoying our publication and please raise a glass to toast many more. Cheers!
Neal Finelli
T
Celebrating 30 Years! Taste Dining & Travel • Fall/Winter
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