Who’s in store? Everyone knows there’s a stunning First Couple in the White House. But in Sarasota, there’s another pair of tastemakers: our quietly elegant first couple of retailing, Brenda and Geoffrey Michel of The Met Fashion House & Day Spa. An icon on St. Armands Circle, The Met embodies a rare mix of refined [...]

1 Double Take  Only your furrier will know for sure,  but this faux mink bolero with tapered silhouette and shawl collar looks real enough to keep everyone else guessing. Made from synthetic fibers, it’s versatile enough to go from sweet to sexy. White House Black Market, 317 John Ringling Blvd., St. Armands, (941) 399-5033. 2 [...]

1. Theater Real-life marrieds Kris Danford and Sam Osheroff play a couple whose relationship hits the rocks in Jason Brown’s Drama Desk-winning musical The Last Five Years, onstage at the Asolo Rep Jan. 21 through Feb. 28. What makes it special? She tells their story going backwards in time; he tells it going forward, and [...]

You’ve been in business here for 39 years. What’s the secret to the theater’s longevity? Obviously we pay close attention to the quality of our shows and our food. [As a privately owned, for-profit theater] we have no board of directors, so we keep pretty close control and do what we have to do; if [...]

1. When the rotisserie broke at Pattigeorge’s a few months back, fans of the restaurant’s Peking Duck were crushed. So owner/chef Tommy Klauber created a brand-new appetizer: Seared Duck Breast Satay with a piquant chili and ginger glaze. Served with a side of coconut jasmine rice and a glass of crisp, dry Riesling, Klauber’s new [...]

When independent curator and art adviser Rebecca Donelson and husband Robert Blattberg decided to give up their Chicago home to split their time between their Aspen ranch and a beach resort area, the choice was clear. “Sarasota is to Florida what Aspen is to Colorado,” says Donelson. “It’s the perfect life; the arts are good [...]