A hot night at Sangria.   By Judi Gallagher   It’s hot in Sarasota, and it’s even hotter at Sangria Tapas Restaurant on Main Street. The flavors of their new small-plate items like the pulpo gallego—tender octopus and red potatoes with crushed peppers, Spanish paprika, onion, olive oil and garlic that gives you just [...]

My cousin’s big fat not-so-Jewish wedding.   By Judi Gallagher   We didn’t know how my cousin, Jill, could possibly top her younger daughter Samantha’s bat mitzvah party some 15 years prior, but she did at Samantha’s wedding in New York this past weekend. What do you get when you mix a Jewish and Irish [...]

A dream foodie holiday with the Ferragamo family.   By Judi Gallagher   Traveling through Italy is thrilling for a chef and food lover. The earth produces the most incredible grapes, the most delicate squash flowers to toss with saffron and cream over fresh pasta, and porcini mushrooms that are as light and buttery as [...]

Notes from the road in Italy.   By Judi Gallagher    I find myself fumbling for any possible American words that can begin to describe the hospitality of our experiences here in Treviso, Italy—which happens to be one of Sarasota’s Sister Cities. This beautiful region—a mini-version of Tuscany that boasts rolling hills and acres of [...]