Big Heavenly Blue & Small Dark Brown Eyes

2011 was a good year for Eating Companion (EC) and me. We ate well, at truck stops and downtown bistros, Mexican markets and South County diners. Here’s EC’s and my radically attenuated must-eats for the New Year:

10. Burns Court Café, Sarasota, USA
The neighborhood’s long-overdue Italian café makes proper Italian espresso drinks — i.e. small, dark and stiff. Their cappuccinos are a treat, but if you want to do as the Romans do, go for a macchiato, basically a double shot of espresso with a tiny dollop of thick frothed milk. A tiny spoon of sugar and enjoy.
burnscourtcafe.com.

9. Burritos Mexican Grill, Sarasota, USA
This Stickney Point Road strip mall Mexican joint rolls veggie burritos the size of EC’s leg, filled with broccoli, cauliflower, veggies galore, and they do a bang-up job on traditional Mexican fare, as well: bistek a la Mexicana, tamales, enchilada suizas, etc. There’s also a soft spot on their menu for those poor gluten-sensitive amongst us.
burritosmexicangrill.com.

8. Lucky Dog Diner, Venice, USA
I can’t say EC and I weren’t without our hesitations. Fish tacos from a diner? And one that purports to specialize in hot dogs? Alas, we set our doubts aside and were rewarded for our bravery. Fish Taco Fridays at Lucky Dog are a festival, a carnival, a real treat. They fry fresh whitefish and pile on pico de gallo, shredded lettuce and cabbage, and a homemade, creamy Baja sauce.

7. Anita’s Sandcastle, Venice, USA
The hot dog shack at South Jetty in Venice holds a soft spot in EC’s and my hearts. On countless winter days, we’ve gorged on these Polish sausages, smothered in onions, relish, sauerkraut, etc., in between hourlong sessions out in the water, surfing. And yet so many of our landlubber neighbors have never had the pleasure. We insist: go.
anitassandcastle.com.

6. KT’s Deli, Venice, USA
I didn’t know you could find a decent Vietnamese sandwich around here, let alone get one from what appears to be your everyday snackmart-type convenience store. This family-owned Venice Avenue secret will blow your mind.

5. Fratelli Pizza and Brew, Venice, USA
Venice pizzeria Fratelli Pizza and Brew opened up a few years ago, off the U.S. 41 Bypass, to rave reviews. For a small city truly saturated with Italian food, Venetian endorsements were not to be taken lightly. Stop in and try a plain slice (the pizza by which all pizzerias should be judged), see what all the fuss is about.
Fratelli Pizza and Brew, 1055 U.S. 41 Bypass, Venice. 488-1797.

4. Upper Crust Organic Café and Bakery, Venice, USA
Venice Avenue’s newest precious bakery does a lot of things right — turnovers and cupcakes, for example — but their scones set them apart from anywhere in the 941. Baked fresh each morning, the fruit scones are filled with fresh blueberries or blackberries, served hot with fresh, sweet clotted cream. They’re dreamy enough for two grown men to feel no shame saying to one another, Hey, you up for a scone?
uppercrustorganic.ning.com.

3. The Irish Pub and Grille on Main, Sarasota, USA
The Irish Pub on Main’s risotto or shepherd’s pie. Now occupying what was previously Stairway to Belgium (and before that something else, surely), the Irish Pub on Main does a mean risotto and shepherd’s pie. The risotto is massive, creamy and thick, while the shepherd’s pie is hearty enough for the saltiest of sailors, perfect for a rainy evening with friends.
theirishpubonmainsarasota.com.

2. Patrick’s, Sarasota, USA
Patrick’s Black and Blue Burger. I know, I know, this is nothing new. But after a tough year of relocating, Patrick’s is back to their original status, now operating out of what was previously Braza, just across the street from the original locale.
patricks1481.com.

1. Eat Here, Sarasota, USA
One would never think that anything with Sean Murphy’s stamp would end up in a “cheap eats” section, but the man behind Beach Bistro, one of the most celebrated restaurants in Floridian foodie history, has done downtown a solid with the second installment of what could surely be an empire: Eat Here. The restaurant is all class for less cash, the perfect date spot for those of us who enjoy attention to detail, but who can’t fork out Benjamins each week for our special someone (though we would if we could!). EC and I recommend the blue tomato soup, the tempura beets and the Better Than Any Frenchman’s Soup. And if you’re feeling saucy, head upstairs and have Fred mix you a drink.
eatheresarasota.com

The Cora Sun-Drop diamond was formed deep within the Earth’s crust 1-3 billion years ago. As it grew, it incorporated nitrogen into its carbon crystal structure. It is these nitrogen impurities that give the diamond its yellow colour as they modify light, absorbing the blue part of the visible spectrum. The diamond then travelled on a long journey upwards in a slushy rock magma. After it was found within a kimberlite pipe (a type of volcanic rock), it was expertly studied and cut, bringing the diamond to life.

Good quality coloured diamonds, known as ”fancy” diamonds, are extremely rare. Only about 1 in 10,000 mined diamonds are thought to have good body colour, and only a small percentage of these are considered to have good enough clarity to be labelled as a fancy diamond.

The Cora Sun-Drop combines both a vivid yellow colour and another rare quality, a large size. At just over 110 carats, it is not only exceptionally large, it is the largest yellow pear-shaped diamond known.

Sotheby’s Geneva will present — in its sale of Magnificent Jewels on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 — one of the most impressive diamonds to come to auction in recent years.

The Sun-Drop Diamond, at 110.03 Carats, has been graded Fancy Vivid Yellow, the highest colour grading for a yellow diamond by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). This exceptional stone ranks as the largest known pear-shaped fancy vivid yellow diamond in the world, and has a purity of VVS1.

Furthermore, according to the GIA, “a diamond such as the 110.03 carat Sun-Drop can almost be said to exude a magical aura. Its magnificent color combined with impressive size and uncommon cut make it a paragon in the world of diamonds.”

The stone was exhibited earlier this year at London’s Natural History Museum. The rough for the Sun-Drop Diamond was discovered in South Africa in 2010, and was cut and polished by Cora International, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of exceptional diamonds, with its headquarters in New York. This stunning diamond comes to the market with an estimate of $11-15 million.

So who will buy this mangficent diamond? My guess is swift bidding between secretive collectors, society jewellers, oligarchs keen to impress their women, and maybe, just maybe, interest from Prince Albert of Monaco who has showered his bride Charlene with gems.