Meadow Walk Home Owners Association

by Charlotte Abrams | TWIS
I love food and I love it even more when I didn’t have to cook it. Unfortunately, taking kids out to eat can be stressful, if you care whatsoever about the enjoyment of those around you, that is. Sure, you could go to a chain restaurant that’s guaranteed to have carrots smashed into the carpet and Matchbox cars lodged between the seat cushions before your rug rats have even arrived, but do you really want to sacrifice a chance at culinary bliss for a kid’s menu? I don’t. So after countless spilled drinks, thrown Cheerios, and temper tantrums, I have compiled a list of restaurants where you can enjoy delicious food that doesn’t come from a microwave oven, while being kid-friendly, without being “kid-friendly” (if you know what I mean). Plus, these are all independent restaurants, so you’re supporting the local economy to boot!

• Hot Diggity Dog: This place is way more than hot dogs and it’s all cooked right in front of you. The steak sandwich is heart stoppingly delicious and the fried grouper sandwich is a crispy delight. Add on a chocolate malt and fries and you’ve got the perfect start to an I-need-a-nap day, which I’m pretty sure you could take on the floor of their dining area while your kids ran around in circles and no one would care.

• Nancy’s Bar-B-Q: Whoever designed this space must have been thinking about having out of control children aplenty. It’s wide open, there are no waiters to trip, and it’s noisy—perfect for kids. The barbecue is already famous around town and for good reason. Two words: ribs and banana pudding. Wait, that was four words.

• Marina Jack’s Portside Patio: This is the place to go when you want to pretend you’re on vacation. Perhaps your vacation dreams don’t include your kids, that’s totally cool, mine don’t either, but when Grandma is screening her calls and you desperately need a mind-numbing tropical cocktail, Marina Jack is always there. It’s the full package—excellent water view, usually a band of sorts playing to drown out the sounds of your crying baby, full bar, and plastic chairs. Also, there’s plenty of room to roll around a stroller. Just steer clear of the bar since they do allow smoking at it. Or light one up and blow it in your kid’s face, no judgment here.

• Simon’s Coffee House: Strollers easily fit in this café serving up a daily changing menu of eclectic, casual, California-style cuisine. Plus, it has the whole noisy diner thing going for it, so nobody will notice that your kids are banging the silverware on the table.

• Il Panificio (Gulf Gate): This is a new and very welcome addition to the Gulf Gate dining scene. Fabulous, expansive outdoor seating in a busy business district gives your kids plenty of space to run amok and scream to their heart’s content. And who doesn’t love their crispy, oily, awesome pizza.

• Pho Cali: They turn tables so fast in this place that your kids won’t even get the chance to truly ruin anyone’s meal. The servers are so gracious, they’re bound to make you, and your little demons, feel welcome. Plus, the food is sooo good that you won’t even care what horrid manners they’re displaying, you’ll be in a tongue tingling trance. Order anything that has pork in the description, you won’t be disappointed. If your kids are particularly wound up and showing no signs of sleep in the near or distant future, then make sure you end the meal with a red tea with tapioca pearls, you’ll thank me later, it’s like jet fuel.

• Hob Nob: If burgers and beer are what you want, then look no further. Considering I can’t stop thinking about their patty melt and it’s been well over a week since I last ate it, it might possibly be the best I’ve ever had. I’m pretty sure your kids could have a paintball battle in this place, in their underwear, and no one would bat an eye. Unless, of course, they’re teenage girls, then you might get some looks.

• Station 400: I have never even been to this place without there being at least two wild and crazy children in there that weren’t mine. And thank heavens, because the food is so delicious, I would hate to have to miss out on it just because I can’t control my child. The chef uses the best ingredients he can find and highlights them in inventive spins on breakfast and lunch classics. Truffle eggs Benedict with arugula and roasted mushrooms? Hell yeah.

I can’t guarantee highchairs, changing stations, or complimentary crayons at these joints, but I can guarantee rave-worthy food without feeling like you should make your kids wait in the car. With these locally owned and kid-indifferent options, you can say goodbye to dry chicken fingers, dusty tchatchke, and top 40 hits, and say hello to some damn good dining.

County officials and community representatives and organizations, including the Sarasota Audubon Society, will celebrate the completion of the Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility and a related project – replacement of the Raymond Road Bridge and other improvements – at a grand opening ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. The ceremony at the gazebo just north of Palmer Boulevard will be followed by a 5k Fun Run starting at 6 p.m.

The Fun Run will last until 8 p.m., and Raymond Road will be closed from 5:30-7:30 p.m. For motorists, detour signs will be posted along Niobe Road and Porter Road.

Also, members of the Sarasota Audubon Society will be on hand to showcase bird-watching opportunities at the approximately 450-acre site, which formerly was used to grow celery. A total of 210 species of birds have been identified at the Celery Fields.

The Celery Fields site is south of Fruitville Road, east of Coburn and Apex roads, west of Center and Raymond roads and just north of a drainage canal that runs underneath the Raymond Road Bridge.

The approximately 75-foot-tall Observation Mound is the highest point of the regional stormwater facility, which is designed to provide stormwater runoff and detention, flood reduction and water quality improvements. Read More »

This 300+ acre site is owned by Sarasota County and is the County’s primary flood mitigation zone. It is managed by the division of Storm Water and Sarasota County Parks & Recreation. The Sarasota County Department of Transportation is also involved in its management and maintenance.

Mainly consisting of open marshlands, deep ponds, shallow pools, and canals, the Celery Fields are edged by oaks, willows, and pines on the eastern and southern boundaries. The Fields are roughly divided into three segments: the North Cells receive water from the Fruitville Road entry canal and have the deepest ponds. From there, the water is channeled into the Central Cells which cover the area that you see when looking west from the gazebo. The water then flows under Palmer Boulevard into the South Cells, and then southward into Phillippi Creek.

In early 2001, Sarasota Audubon began conducting bird surveys at the Fields. To date, 206 species have been recorded. Wintertime offers particularly good birding, hosting up to 8 species of sparrows, Marsh and Sedge Wrens, and several species of rails, including Sora and Virginia. The Fields also host breeding birds, including Black-necked Stilts, King Rail, Least Bittern, Limpkin, Eastern Towhee, Barn Owl and Eastern Meadowlark. Least Terns breed on nearby buildings and use the ponds as a primary food source. Rarities show up from time to time, including Upland and White-rumped Sandpipers, Short-eared Owl and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow.

Sarasota County, recognizing the importance of the Celery Fields as a food and habitat source to a wide variety of birds, is working with Sarasota Audubon to restore 80+ acres in the Southern Cells into a more traditional wetland.

Historically the area was a sawgrass marsh and evidence of early native settlement has been found. The site is also rich in paleontological artifacts. Read More »