Things to do on and around Siesta Key
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In the Kitchen at Taste of Spain By Jane Bartnett
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A happy class of newly minted tapas chefs at Gulf Gate’s Taste of Spain with chef Fatima Soriano.
apas,” chef Fatima Soriano explained to her students during a Spanish tapas class at her Taste of Spain by Tapas & Fun Catering, gourmet Spanish store and catering service in Gulf Gate, “are appetizers that are meant to be shared and enjoyed.” A staple of Spanish cuisine, tapas, Soriano explained, vary by region. “In Southern Spain, we have a warm climate and Arabic influence. In the Basque region of northern Spain, the culture and cuisine reflect a Celtic influence and a colder climate. Along the coast, seafood is common. Our cuisine is very much influenced by our ancestors.” An ancient land with 17 distinct regions, Spain traces its history back more than 35,000 years and pre-dates the Roman conquest in 218 BC. Tapas bars are found throughout
Spain. Tapas, said the chef, are meant to be enjoyed with beer or wine. “In Spain, cocktails are not served with tapas,” she said with a laugh as she explained that tapas may be served cold, with charcuterie, cheeses and fish, or hot. There are, she said, endless varieties of tapas. “When you go to Spain,” Soriano explained to her class, “it’s important to know that tapas are normally enjoyed before dinner about 6:00-7:00 p.m., and shared. In Spain, dinner is often served at 9:00 p.m. However, in Madrid,” she noted, “the favored dinner hour is 10:00 p.m.” After continuing her overview of tapas and Paella, Spain’s classic dish, the chef led her class of eight into the kitchen and uncorked bottles of Spanish wine. As the students paired off,
Soriano noted, “in Spain, the food isn’t spicy, but we do use cayenne pepper. The seeds inside are what’s hot.” At one end of the kitchen, Soriano presented Ila Birchwood and her mother, Christine Jones, with a large dark eggplant. “We are going to cut this into very thin slices,” said Soriano as she demonstrated before leaving the pair to their task. The eggplant slices were then placed in a sauté pan with a thin layer of heated olive oil. “They need to be crisp!” said the chef. She moved on to talk to Scott and Patty Gove, of Stratham, New Hampshire. The couple were charged with slicing a long loaf of Spanish bread into thick slices. Soriano demonstrated how to brush the slices with Spanish olive oil. Continued on page 10V
Comfort Shoes still offers the ‘sit and fit’ experience By Hannah Wallace
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ven with all the ways that Siesta Key has changed in the last 40 years, Rick Lizotte and his customers know the value of a good pair of shoes. That sense of quality, combined with a reputation for exceptional customer service, is what has kept Lizotte’s Comfort Shoes store in business since 1987. Amainstay in Siesta Village Plaza (which also formerly housed Davidson Drugs), Comfort Shoes was already an established business when Lizotte purchased it in the early 2000s after a “forced retirement” from his 25-year career in wholesale footwear manufacturing.
“I needed health insurance,” he laughed. Lizotte is now partnered in the shop with his son, Todd, and the two are helped by a small cadre of friendly employees. After 20 years in the same retail space, he recently relocated to a different storefront a few doors down to accommodate plans for a new restaurant in his old space. In fact, the plaza remains a target location for many businesses— big chains and independent shops alike. “There’s already the Tommy Bahama, and Alvin’s is opening up here, and there’s a really nice little clothing store, Rochelle’s, right next to me here,” said
Lizotte. “It’s going to be a full center.” While the foot traffic can be helpful for business, Lizotte still worries about Siesta’s parking woes, including the recent trend for lot owners to rent out their spaces. Add that to a slower-thanusual start to the tourist season (thanks to last year’s storms), and 2025 lacked the usual volume at first. “But they’re back now,” he said. And people do tend to come back to Comfort Shoes. Despite Siesta’s come-and-go population, much of Lizotte’s business comes from repeat customers. He stocks a Continued on page 10V
Comfort Shoes’ Brenda Armstong talks to a customer by phone about Birkenstock’s gold tone and lilac sandals, the brand’s best selling sandals