A lot of cities have a restaurant week. Restaurants put together special menus for a fixed price. It’s a great way to try new places, go to favorite restaurants or give a local spot another chance. The general idea behind restaurant weeks is to increase business in slow seasons and in Sarasota, summer is the slow season.

When I moved to a Sarasota, Polo Grill was a great spot for dinner. The food was good, service solid and the restaurant itself is close. Over the last few years the menu has undergone some changes and our last few visits were disappointing. The last time we went here the service was so bad I actually asked the hostess for a new waiter. Generally I am very patient with waitstaff having worked in a restaurant in college, but even I can get frustrated.

We decided to give Polo Grill a second chance tonight since the Savor Sarasota menu looked pretty good. We headed out early and arrived shortly after they opened for the evening. Service was slow. Again. The waitress was more attentive than the last time we were there, but this went downhill as our meal progressed. About an hour and a half after we were seated we had eaten our appetizers (which were good) and our main courses (ok but not great) but still had no dessert. We waited. And waited. The waitress told us twice that dessert was on its way, but we finally flagged her down and asked for the check. I hate to say it, but this was twice in a row where the food was only ok and the service was terrible. As much as I want to support local businesses, I think this one is crossed off our list.

A lot of times I find multiple recipes and combine them with changes based on what I have in the house. This time, I found a recipe and flat out stole it. I follow a couple of food blogs and My Favorite Pastime is one of the good ones. Now the original recipe did call for ham, but I left that out. I started with cheddar and chives, flour, butter and buttermilk. I think my favorite part of this was mixing it with my hands.

I rolled out the dough, cut them up and baked them. They were fantastic.

To go with these I made Potato Leek soup. I tried a different version than the typical creamy soup, and I always trust an Emeril recipe. I was skeptical at first because of the beef stock in this, and I didn’t have chicken stock and I totally forgot the thyme and cream. But I have to say, it worked. It was a nice, light soup that was also very filling. This combination really worked.

On a totally non-food note, I took my pretty bicycle to the grocery store today. It was really a nice ride down, but I had issues getting home. Bob rigged a milk crate to the back and it worked pretty well except for corners. So … He had to come pick up the groceries so I could ride home. The eggs didn’t make it, but everything else was fine. I just need to get my basket for the back before I take it to the grocery again.

Sometimes we forget how nice it is to be where we live. Sarasota has a huge “season” where people come from the cold to visit and relax. We get our share of “spring breakers” although, admittedly, they are a slightly different type than Panama City. But even living here, I sometimes forget that it is a tourist place with lots to see and do and eat.

Friday, after and long a tiring week, Bob and I decided to check out a new restaurant downtown. Made is in the same space as the old Belgium restaurant. It opened relatively recently and after seeing “bacon wrapped corn dogs” Bob had to try it. I am not sure what I was expecting – probably descent food – but whatever it was, the actual restaurant exceeded those expectations.

The decor was modern, a little on the loud side (style-wise) and casual. The waiter was super friendly, very good with explanations on dishes and even warned me about they corn on the cob (marinated in mayo, which I hate!) So, nice atmosphere, friendly service … but what about the food and drinks.

The wine menu isn’t extensive, but it has some solid wines on it. I can’t report on the beer since I didn’t even look. Bob and I picked out a Zinfandel (Rebellion – I had to to do it) that was simply fantastic. Smooth, lots of layers of flavor, and great finish. It was a 2009, so I was thrilled since that is, in my humble and non expert opinion, of of the best years for zins.

While Bob had his bacon wrapped corndogs. I went with the duck empanadas. Wow. That’s it, just Wow! There was so much flavor in these, I could not believe it. I could have made a meal out of them with the corn and apple relish and the dipping sauce. The pastry was light enough to fade but heavy enough to be a real part of the dish. That makes no sense, but it does. Really. Point here being, very hard to pull off the perfect savory pastry and Made did it.

Somehow we have had several discussions involving chicken and waffles lately. I’m not sure why, or who started them, but they have been there all the same recently. So Bob went with the chicken and waffles and I went with the puffy tacos.

Yet another explosion of flavor in those. The slaw on top paired perfectly with the pork and made just about the perfect mouthful. I didn’t really need the salsa, but it did make a nice addition to a few bites.

Today, when heading out to the pet store and butches we stopped by a local BBQ joint, Smackdaddy’s. They specialize in pork BBQ and Bob and I decided to split a Flying Pig sandwich. Pork loin, wrapped in pork belly, smoked, sliced, fried with bacon and piled with pulled pork and bacon on a bun. Yep – the waitress described it as everything except the ribs and a heart attack on a bun. She was right on both counts, but what a way to go. Splitting the sandwich was perfect for lunch.

Just taking a little time to travel in our own home city.