Community happenings ...more

November 22, 2009

One thing's for sure. Home economics class isn't like it used to be — not even close. On March 14, I helped judge the Culinary Arts Competition at the annual Apollo Beach Manatee Arts Festival, where cooking is serious business for our next generation of culinary professionals. ...more

March 25, 2009

Things were not going well for Brittany Porter. As one of five competitors for the title of Best Teen Chef this past weekend at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Tampa, Porter worked meticulously mincing garlic, slicing mushrooms and dicing onions during the knife skills segment. ...more

March 20, 2009

Area families wanting to save money on vacations have a newly renovated resort option close to home. ...more

March 17, 2009

Area high school students studying culinary arts will don their colors March 14 at the 17th annual Manatee Festival of the Arts. ...more

March 4, 2009

Lowry Park Zoo officials say the three-hour tour of the zoo, for patrons 21 and older, "reveals some of the animal kingdom's most fascinating facts with entertaining stories of animal 'romance,' courtship and breeding behaviors." ...more

February 12, 2009

The tagline for J. Alexander's is "straightforward American food." It's simple, direct and to the point - much like this remarkable chain restaurant, which offers guests fresh interpretations of traditional comfort dishes. ...more

February 12, 2009

Years ago, my future boss took me to Ybor's Big City Tavern to interview me for a job at the Tribune. He picked a grand place. High ceilings, tall windows overlooking the action of Seventh Avenue, Sinatra-style music and a spectacular bar that stretched off into the distance with wood and mirrors. ...more

December 26, 2008

In some ways, little has changed. You could walk through the new Teatro and hardly notice that Big City Tavern ever left. ...more

December 24, 2008

It's been almost 25 years since Sara Moulton started working at Gourmet magazine, testing recipes and styling food for photographs. It was a great break from the years she spent working in restaurants, but after four years, she began to miss the creativity and pace. ...more

December 7, 2008