Well, if you never knew where Fourth Street was, you sure do now! The buzz around Darwin Santa Maria’s newest culinary playground is explosive. I have heard guests describe their meals as “the best ever,” “exceptional flavors” and perhaps my favorite: ”OMG, I really have died and landed in culinary heaven.”

Like the song sort of goes, “Hello Darwin, well hello, Darwin, it’s so nice to have you back where you belong.”

In a building that hosted Rustic Grill and Mad Crow, Darwin has brought soul to both structure and plate. What was once a dungeon-like atmosphere now has warmth and a true feeling of Peruvian culture. The lighting is dim (maybe slightly too dim to read the menu), and the brick walls display iron works of art and soothing background colors. The bar offers a view of the brewing room and soft booths along the front wall, with high tops for a more casual get together with friends.

The main dining area is open and overlooks the complete open kitchen. Instead of an expensive chef's table where most restaurants up-charge, Darwin’s offers plenty of seats at the chef’s bar to watch the flame hit the pan and see the sizzle of the flank steak as it reaches a perfect temperature. This could be my favorite seat in the house.

Upstairs, the lounge is in part open and relaxing and a sense of private club. Wherever I sit, I want to stay--it is that comfortable.


Now, let’s talk urban street food, an expression that Darwin uses to describe his food. After several years of travel, and expanding his family with twins, Darwin has created recipes with global reach using his usual creative flare. Look for dishes like wahoo tiradito--wahoo sashimi with ginger aioli, cucumber, mango, seaweed salad and ponsu sauce, and the award-winning tuna tiradito--fresh tuna sashimi, ginger soy sauce, cubes of fresh watermelon and leche de tigre. I dream of this dish in the hot weather, along with a mango mojito. And then there are those Asian-style chicken wings--pour me a fresh brew and order me a second plate.


If you have been a fan of Darwin since he first opened his tiny Selva Grill restaurant on the corner of Clark and Swift, you will savor the return of Darwin’s skirt steak with sweet plantains and chimichurri--flavor explosion. The malbec-braised short ribs with truffle chive risotto and herb salad have become a local favorite already, but our new fave is the Amazon Chaufa-Peruvian fried rice with duck, shrimp, pork, sweet plantains and quail egg.


While the actual beer from the Darwin's brewmaster won’t be ready for a few more weeks, spend time with Jarrod, a beer master with a warm and passionate love for beer. I learned more in five minutes on the art of tasting beer than I have ever before, and look forward to upcoming beer and food pairings and special dinners.


Welcome back, Darwin--it’s so nice to have you back where you belong.

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Is there any better way to start the day than with pancakes--and blueberry pancakes, at that? Below, find the recipe for the best blueberry pancakes I've ever had, courtesy of Chef Peter Timmins at the Gasparilla Inn in Boca Grande.

Blueberry Pancakes
Executive Chef Peter Timmins

Yield: Approximately 12 large pancakes

 2 large eggs
 2 cups buttermilk
 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1/4 cup sugar
 2 teaspoons baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 Pinch Cinnamon
 1 ½ pounds Blueberries

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Place in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar. Add the eggs and about half the Buttermilk to make a thick paste. Whisk until smooth. Gradually add the rest of the buttermilk. Stir in the melted butter.

Lightly grease a large sauté pan or griddle with a little oil or butter. Heat the pan until hot, and then spoon out four tablespoons of batter per pancake. When the mixture has formed a pancake shape, sprinkle on approx 2 oz. of blueberries per pancake. Cook the pancakes until the bottoms are golden brown, the bubbles on top have burst and the mix no longer looks runny, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancakes over and cook for another minute.

UPDATE: My sources tell me that Ringling Picnic, a collection of food trucks located downtown, will be launching soon. Not much more to report just yet, but will keep you posted--and in the meantime, check out the Facebook page for more updates.

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Forget the pirate parades in Tampa—Sarasotans should be celebrating Gasparilla in a much different way. A weekend at the Gasparilla Inn on Gasparilla Island is an oasis of  tropical calm, impeccably clean and at the edge of an outstanding golf course and beachfront club.

Although I am a semi-frequent guest of the Gasparilla Inn, we had not attended the Inn's food and wine weekend before. Now this is what I call living. Accommodations for two include cooking demonstrations, a casual wine and creative food tasting at stations one night, and a fabulous seven-course wine dinner presented by visiting guest chefs and accomplished winemakers another.

Since the last two years have been completely sold out, I highly recommend booking several months in advance for a deliciously serene weekend. 2013 dates are on the books for January 11-13. Even Laura Bush, who was in staying at the Inn while I was there, looked relaxed and showcased the island feel by taking a walk around the grounds and lunching with the ex-president beachside.

Oh, and by the way—the Gasparilla Inn still has the BEST blueberry pancakes I have ever tasted. Trust me. (UPDATE: Click here for the recipe!)

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For more Sarasota dining bits and bites, become a fan of Chef Judi on Facebook or follow @ChefJudi on Twitter.

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