Sarasota-Manatee Originals Make for a Tasty Arts Day

CAP Creative
741 B Central Avenue
Sarasota, Florida 34236
(941) 953-9191

CONTACT:
Roxanne Joffe
E-mail: rjoffe@capcreative.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOOD FOR ART
Sarasota-Manatee Originals Make for a Tasty Arts Day

Sarasota, FL- Once again, the Sarasota-Manatee Originals will be on hand to delight the palate and stimulate the senses with their eclectic brand of passionately prepared food for the 16th Annual Sarasota Arts Day happening January 15th. More than thirty members of the 60+ organization will don aprons and chef hats as they offer up some of the very best “street food” in all America.

Last year, more than 25,000 art lovers mingled in downtown Sarasota to celebrate the talents of over 1100 dancers, musicians, opera singers, comedians, actors, poets and artists who performed throughout the day on a dozen different stages from bayfront to Lemon Avenue and 1st Street to Ringling Boulevard. “We were slammed last year,” said Michael Klauber, president of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals and co-owner of Michael’s On East. “This is one of my favorite events of the year and it gives our group of restaurants a chance to really show off our collective talents.”

A brief preview of the many epicurean delights that await Arts Day patrons and participants includes Lobster Ravioli Pomodori/Caragiulos, Roasted Corn and Crab Fritter/Christopher’s on Lido, Floribbean Shrimp Cocktail/Crow’s Nest, Macadamia Nut Crusted Scallops with Poppy Orange Sauce/Harry’s Continental Kitchens, Grilled Pork Tenderloin/Rustic Grill and Chocolate Pate/Roessler’s.

Hal Christensen, General Manager, Harry’s Continental Kitchens and one of the first Originals members, said, “This is a great way for people to experience a terrific array of food all under one tent. Everybody has a list of favorite restaurants and Arts Day gives people a chance to expand not only their appreciation of the Arts, but their dining horizons as well.”

Arts Day is January 15, 2006 from 10AM to 5PM. The Sarasota-Manatee Originals Dining Tent will be located directly across from the Selby Library on 1st Street. To keep updated on Sarasota-Manatee Originals news and events and have quick on-line access to the region’s best restaurants, including menus and website links, bookmark www.FreshOriginals.com.

About the Sarasota-Manatee Originals
The Sarasota-Manatee Originals came into being in September 2003 as a way to celebrate and maintain the heritage and flavors of the independently owned restaurants in the Sarasota region. The upsurge in population growth on Florida’s Gulf Coast attracted the notice of legions of chain restaurants that became determined to grab their slice of the burgeoning dining out trade. With no deference to local culture and a blind eye to regional cuisine, the chain’s number one priority remained the expansion of their bottom line.

Recognizing the economic threat this posed and cognizant of the chain’s deep-pocketed marketing departments, a handful of independent Sarasota restaurateurs decided to organize and work together to protect the heritage flavors of the Sun Coast. The Sarasota-Manatee Originals were born to become Florida’s first local chapter of the Council of Independent Restaurants of America (CIRA). CIRA has chapters in 16 other cities and works tirelessly to preserve a deeply rooted sense of place with commitment to offering the best of local products and indigenous cuisine.

Nowhere is this sense of independence more important than the Sarasota region. Within a twenty-mile radius of downtown Sarasota, there are more Florida Trend Award and Zagat top-scoring restaurants than any other area of the state and every one of this acclaimed coterie is independently owned.

The main goals of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals are:

• Increase the awareness level of local residents and visitors about the location and quality of member restaurants
• Bolster public awareness of the significant social, economic and charitable contributions the Sarasota-Manatee Originals make to the surrounding community
• Educate restaurant goers about the differences between chains and independents
• Improve the economic viability of independent restaurants by combining buying power to obtain pricing levels compatible to those available to national chains

The Originals have roots in the Sarasota region—-many delighting locals and visitors for twenty to thirty years—-and have established a culinary heritage that simply can’t be replicated in the corporate kitchens of Chicago, Los Angeles, or Dallas.

The Sarasota-Manatees Originals have quickly grown from the few nascent visionaries to a 60+ restaurant stronghold. For more information and a list of member restaurants with links to their websites, please visit www.FreshOriginals.com.






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