hoggy

Now that Michaels Cafe has gone I have been searching this board for other recommendations for Live Jazz with good food. We stayed at Park Shore resort last year and the restaurant/Jazz was ok but not in the same league as Michaels Cafe. I recently came across a web site for Ellingtons at the Sanibel Inn. I can't find any comments on this establishment here. Can anyone advise what it is like, or suggest alternatives? We will be staying at La Playa in early-mid November and would be prepared to drive a couple of hours for a really good place. Thanks.
Hoggy

Tandoori_Girl

howdy hoggy.

My friend just returned from a conference in Naples. She'd asked a few people for a place for live jazz and was directed by two different people to a place called Regina's. The odd pronunciation for this place was not what you'd expect but rather it rhymes with vaginas.

She said it was not really jazz but was a lively dance spot nonetheless. She never found any jazz. I don't know if it had food.

How about Sarasota? I'm sure you could find some good jazz there. Is that too far?

Patrick

That one took me a moment, Tandoori Girl. Your friends are a little mixed up, I think. The place is on Fifth Avenue South, right across from the Sugden Theatre and the Plaza. It is actually called Vergina's. It is pronounced with a hard g, but otherwise does rhyme with Regina's. We all, of course, do call it Vaginas. Your friends probably heard one of us locals "mispronouncing" it.

They do have food there (Italian), not the best on Fifth by a long shot, but decent enough and they serve later than some of the other places.

The real trick is who knows what will be happening by November. There was a very lively spot called Zen (about the fifth restaurant reincarnation in the same place in as many years), where they were doing some nice jazz one night a week. But this week, we saw the owners of the building there with police and a locksmith changing the locks. A sign went up saying closed till further notice due to water damage -- yea, right.

An aquaintance whom I know as a super local caterer has just opened a very small place on Davis Blvd. It's called Patric's. It is a great little restaurant (or promises to be) set up almost like an expanded homey living room and dining room. In the fall he will be featuring Carla Valenti, a very popular local jazz singer. Her concerts at the Sugden are big sellouts. Check this out if it all flies. Sounds like a fun spot and good evening.

Also at the end of this past season, Truluck's in the back of the Inn on Fifth was also featuring jazz on weekends. Of course, that is over now that it is summer.

In all these cases, "jazz" is somewhat open to personal interpretation.

hoggy

Hi Tandoori Girl. What an unusual name for a venue. I have a strange urge to go down and check it out. I wouldn't want to be accused of only paying lip service.
You are right about Sarasota. We stayed there a few years back and I think went somewhere in St Armand's Circle. It was nice enough but would have to be more special for us to travel that far. We also went to the Van Weasel(?) and saw Bill Cosby, Tosca and Dave Brubeck in a 2 week stay. However I recall we were more in season then, mid November may be early for major shows? Thanks for the reminder, I'll check out the VW web site just in case.
On the subject of shows, I see that the Barbara Mann has "My Fair Lady" during our stay. However you can't seem to book single (or in our case four) tickets without paying a large subscription on their web site. Do individual tickets ultimately come up for sale?
Patrick, thanks for the advice, I will look out for Patric's when we arrive. By the way, on the above subject of Sarasotsa, I think I saw something about a "Michaels" restaurant there. I don't suppose this is where Naple's "Michael's cafe" went?
Thanks again
Hoggy

Patrick

Barbara Mann single tickets will become available later. Keep checking their website to find out when.

No Michael's on East in Sarasota is NOT related to the Michael's that was in Naples.

If you like theatre, The Naples Players at the Sugden on Fifth Ave. south will be doing Little Shop of Horrors for 5 weeks, but it ends Nov. 5 -- too early? And the Asolo in Sarasota does top notch professional repertory theatre.

hoggy

Thanks again Patrick. I regret the 5th is too early, we arrive on the 8th. Good luck with the show anyhow ( or am I supposed to say "break a leg"?) are you in it?
I'll check out Asolo, it may be worth spending the day up in Sarasota if I can book a few things, my sister and her husband have not been there before. Has the bridge work all finished? it would be "nice" to see it done as it was quite a building site when we were there last. Now I think of it there was also an enormous pipe on the beach to redistribute sand I think. Is this an annual event?
Hoggy

Patrick

Will I be in it? Doubtful. I keep thinking about auditioning for Mr. Mushnik, but not sure that I will. I have to think about it a while yet. The "puppet plants" are under construction and promise to be absolutely amazing!

Asolo is great. Not sure of their full schedule, just got their list of plays, but not the actual dates.