My Valentine's Day started with my favorite weekend activity: heading down bright and early to the Farmer's
Market. It was a stressful week, and this is my
favorite way to unwind. As my mom and I made our way to our favorite breakfast spot,
C'est la Vie, we were treated to a puppet show by
Dr. Nick and Leonardo Da Cat and His International Menagerie.
Being
serenaded by Leonardo himself on Valentine's Day was such a treat. How could you not smile being entertained by a group of Marionette puppets on a portable stage that is towed by a leopard print bike? It's people like Dr. Nick
Gapeto that make me love this town, he really adds to that eclectic character of Sarasota.
Giddy from the vibe of the early AM concert, we scored a table in the popular French
café, where I ordered my favorite, the
Savoyarde Crepe - this time choosing salad instead of potatoes. Yes, I'm not your typical breakfast fan, so salad at 8:30AM is perfectly acceptable to my
palate.
After a leisurely breakfast, we hit the market, stocking up on some amazing produce. I love going to the
Farmer's Market with my mom as it's a great way to buy in bulk, then split things between us.
While we were downtown, we stopped into
Sur La Table as my mom was on a mission to get a heart shaped cookie cutter. As we were in line to pay, I noticed the napkin display... could this be a sign???
On the way back to the car, crossing Main St - in front of the
Gator Club, we were
greeted by this group of smiling faces giving
free hugs for Valentine's Day!
Whether you're
cynical about Valentine's Day being a holiday that was fabricated by Hallmark and Florists as a way of selling their goods, you've got to admit that it is nice to have an excuse to celebrate love and kindness. Yes, you should need your calender dictating a day for you to do so, but it doesn't hurt...
There is a new breakfast contender on Main Street: Buddha Belly Doughnuts. Located across the street from the Hollywood 20 cinema, Buddha Belly serves breakfast and lunch. The coffee is good and the Bavarian cream doughnut, even better.
Supporting Local and Independent Businesses is good karma.
Giddy from the vibe of the early AM concert, we scored a table in the popular French café, where I ordered my favorite, the Savoyarde Crepe - this time choosing salad instead of potatoes. Yes, I'm not your typical breakfast fan, so salad at 8:30AM is perfectly acceptable to my palate.
After a leisurely breakfast, we hit the market, stocking up on some amazing produce. I love going to the Farmer's Market with my mom as it's a great way to buy in bulk, then split things between us.
While we were downtown, we stopped into Sur La Table as my mom was on a mission to get a heart shaped cookie cutter. As we were in line to pay, I noticed the napkin display... could this be a sign???
On the way back to the car, crossing Main St - in front of the Gator Club, we were greeted by this group of smiling faces giving free hugs for Valentine's Day!
Recently, I was introduced to a local organic market that has been around since the '70s. They operate on 5 acres of land and are located next to a golf course, in the center of a suburb. Although this isn't exactly where you'd expect to find a working organic farm, I'm certainly glad they are there. Here is a sample of some of my favorite finds: the carrots are imported (Bunny Love) but the radishes are locally grown as well is the divinely green celery. We've paired it with a baguette from our local French bakery and some Applewood Smoked cheese that Target have started carrying. This was an amazing find is it is one of my favorite cheeses in England, which means I no longer have to consume my body weight in the stuff while over there.
