4 minute read
EATING WITH EMMA You say ‘to-may-to,’ I say ‘Eww!’
EMMA JOLLY CONTRIBUTOR
The cool thing to do at my high school? Ditch your brown-bag lunch, hop in the car of someone with a driver’s license and head to a deli for an overpriced yet outstanding sandwich.
But there has always been one sentence needed to seal the deal on my delectable deli demand: “No tomatoes please.”
Fear that a slimy seed will somehow slip out sets in even before the first bite. Inevitably, my anxiety is confirmed when I am forced to spit out said bite, exclaiming, “I said no tomatoes!”
But, alas, April is Fresh Florida Tomato Month. So in honor of this momentous occasion, this nontomato lover presents her top local tomato dishes.
CAFÉ GABBIANO
5104 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key; 941349-1423, CafeGabbiano.com
Let’s Ketchup: When my husband and I were dating, he took me to Café Gabbiano to celebrate another year around the sun, knowing my birthday meal of choice is chicken Parmesan. I might be birthdaybiased, but the restaurant’s interiors, astounding aromas and wonderful wine selection will make you feel like you’re celebrating your own milestone in Tuscany rather than in Siesta Key.
Just My Ripe: The chefs here hide tomatoes behind that iconic duo of carbs and cheese. Who could say no to that? (Insert apology to readers with gluten and dairy allergies here.) I dutifully added tomatoes and basil ($6) to my formaggi and salumi plate, but mozzarella made everything magical. What enchanted my belly next was spaghetti al pomodoro fresco ($19). After order- ing the handmade pasta graced with garlic, olive oil, marinara, basil and cherry tomatoes, I asked myself, “Do I tolerate tomatoes now?”
Sauce it Up: I suggest you order something that won’t have you seeing red, but maybe double. Choosing a marvelous martini at this café might be the most difficult decision you’ll make all day. Choose from espresso, strawberry basil, Gabbiano blue cheese, Limoncello or basil. The choice is yours, but I’d go with the blue cheese.
LINGER LODGE
7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton; 941-755-2757, LingerLodge.com/
Restaurant-Home
Let’s Ketchup: The lodge’s origins date back to 1945, and if the taxidermied animals on the walls could talk — oh, the stories they would tell! Just ask longtime TV weatherman Al Roker, who named Linger Lodge one of the five weirdest restaurants in America. So why not wind up here with an even weirder prompt — tomato dishes loved by a tomato hater?
Just My Ripe: When I reached out to Linger Lodge’s owner Rita Lewis, she responded with “Come on by and try some food. What time?
I’ll make you a reservation.” That Southern hospitality is extended to every guest. Basking in Southern comfort, my guests and I ordered the brunch claim to fame. What came next made me think, “Am I over this tomato trepidation?”
Sauce it Up: You will now find me moseying along the Florida marshes worshipping on Deluxe Bloody Mary Sunday. Lewis concocts a different version of this larger-thanlife Bloody Mary weekly. My holierthan-thou experience included Mahi nuggets, grilled shrimp, jalapeno poppers, fried mushrooms, spicy green beans and all the fixings piled above a homemade bloody mary mix with Deep Eddy vodka. (Prices may vary.) Praise be for tipsy tomato juice!
TANDOOR FINE INDIAN CUISINE com
8453 Cooper Creek Blvd., Bradenton; 941-926-3077, TandoorSarasota.
Let’s Ketchup: The culinary culture in my Connecticut hometown consisted of Italian restaurants, pizza-by-the-slice shops and more pizzerias. But when my dad took me to an Indian restaurant for the first time and I tore naan bread and covered it with a heaping scoop of orange-colored goodness, my tastebuds grew up fast.
Just My Ripe: As I type, I can feel my mouth watering. I will do my best to avoid any — whoops, too late — drool. The chicken makhana ($20.99) specialty is simply scrumptious. This house favorite is marinated overnight, roasted in the Tandoor and folded into a rich, creamy tomato sauce and topped with cilantro. I dare you to resist slurping the spare sauce.
Sauce it Up: Whether you arrive for the lunch buffet or dine for dinner, order the pretty-in-pink Punjabi Passion cocktail ($10). Generated by gin, muddled mint, cranberries and raspberries, this is the prefect refresher for anyone who thinks they can handle the heat, the way TV’s Ted Lasso did when he told the restaurant to make the recipe as if he were family.
TZEVA SARASOTA
1255 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941413-7425, TzevaSarasota.com
Let’s Ketchup: This must-try Mediterranean bistro recently opened at Art Ovation Hotel Autograph Collection. Sarasota’s new shakshuka submission drew me to Palm Avenue as quickly as February traffic allowed.
Just My Ripe: I am a sucker for shakshuka. Here you can dig into a bowl for breakfast ($12) or a sample a small plate of the extraordinary eggs poached in tomato sauce with spices for lunch or dinner ($10). But my tomato tale at Tzeva doesn’t end there. Flavorsome falafel ($9+) comes with pickled watermelon rinds, tasty tzatziki and superbly smoked tomato chutney. You can also get the falafel with too-coolfor-school tomato chutney as a handheld with fries ($12). Are tomatoes beginning to tempt me?
Sauce it Up: With all this tomato talk, I’m ready for a glass of Duck Horn ($14) Sauvignon Blanc. I’ve been told that white wine pairs well with our ripe stars, but a close contender is Lord Byron’s Verse ($13) with gin, muddled cucumber, sage lime and lemon.
MADE RESTAURANT
1990 Main St. #112, Sarasota; 941-953-2900, MadeRestaurant. com
Let’s Ketchup: This downtown eatery’s food and adult bevies provide social media moments that foodie content creators dream of. From eclectic Eggs Benedicts to colossal cheesy tots to a mouthwatering Mac-N-Cheese medley, this community culinary club has proven its “upscale take on American comfort food.”
Just My Ripe: A girlfriend said she was craving the BLFTA ($17), so we headed to Main Street. When the waitress came by, I said, “I’ll have what she’s having,” without knowing what the FT stood for. This handsome-looking handheld consists of fried green tomatoes, butter lettuce, billionaire bacon (which is a show-stopper on its own), avocado, sun dried tomato aioli, housemade pimento cheese (that, as the kids say, “slaps”), all sandwiched between two slices of St. Armands Bakery Ciabatta. But the fried green tomato train doesn’t stop chugging there. Try the BLTA salad ($17) with the fixings of a sandwich, minus bread, with added grilled corn salsa, jalapeno jack cheese and buttermilk pimento ranch. You can’t go wrong with the delectable veggie Po’ Boy ($16) or get an appetizer of fried green tomatoes.
Sauce it Up: Grab a seat at the bar on a night when the brilliant bartender Rhiannon is working. You’ll leave feeling lighter than when you arrived. Order the smoked musket ($16) with bourbon, toasted cashew simple syrup and bitters. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the smoke show on your table.
Cheers to growth! From hater to tolerator, I’ve tackled my tomato task.
