ALL POSTS

Soy Glazed Pork Belly with Butternut Squash Puree

If there is pork belly on the menu at a restaurant, there’s a 100 percent probability that I will be ordering it! When cooked correctly, there’s nothing more delicious than a tender yet crispy piece of pork belly coated in a tasty glaze. And it’s even better when served with a creamy vegetable puree! Here’s my recipe for this classic dish! There’s just something about pork belly that makes me crave it! I absolutely love all things pork, with pan-fried thick cut smoked bacon c

MarkG

Feb 134 min read

Forks and Corks 2026 - Another One for the Record Books!

I look forward to a lot of events in Sarasota that occur throughout the year, but my favorite by far is the annual Forks & Corks Food and Wine Festival that takes place on the last full weekend in January every year! It’s like the planners sat down in a room and said, “What event can we plan that spans an entire weekend, and that Mark Geis would love the most?” I’m pretty sure that’s not how this event came to be, but they nailed it nonetheless! Here’s my report on the 2026 F

MarkG

Feb 64 min read

The Best Sarasota Restaurants - For Burgers (Part 2)

Last week we started my countdown of the top ten best Sarasota restaurants for burgers. Now that we've dispensed with the 10 th through 6 th place finishers, let’s countdown the best of the best – the top five places for the best burgers in the area! 3 Keys Brewing and Gastrobrew in Bradenton, Burger Fi in Lakewood Ranch, Central Café in Bradenton, Whiskey Joe’s Bar and Grill in Ellington, and Yard House at UTC – those were my first five picks for local restaurants in the

MarkG

Jan 304 min read

The Best Sarasota Restaurants - For Burgers

I love a great burger!! Luckily, we have plenty of options for fantastic hamburgers down here in Sarasota. While we are far from sampling anywhere close to all of the great burger joints down here, we’ve tried enough for me to feel confident sharing my top ten best Sarasota restaurants for burgers – so far! Let’s talk burgers!! Burgers are my first choice when I sit down at a casual restaurant for a good meal. They tend to be my “canary in a coal mine” to determine whether a

MarkG

Jan 235 min read

Fried Rice Without the Guilt

You can tell a good Asian restaurant by the quality of their fried rice. If they can’t do fried rice right, how on earth will they be able to deliver delicious Kung Pao Chicken or Twice Cooked Pork? But mastering fried rice isn’t easy and making a healthier version of the original is even more challenging. Here’s an easy AND healthy version of Korean fried rice that you will love! Anyone who visited Laurie and I when we lived in Alexandria, VA likely joined us for takeout a

MarkG

Jan 163 min read

A Very Merry Holiday Season

Laurie and I just spent the past six weeks enjoying another epic holiday season! We are now winding down from the hectic pace and almost non-stop celebrations but also continuing to reflect fondly on an absolutely wonderful holiday season! Here’s a quick recap for you in case you weren’t here to enjoy it all with us! The 2025 holiday season kicked off for us on November 17 th when Laurie and I decorated the house for the season! We love getting an early start on the festivit

MarkG

Jan 93 min read

30 Minute Vegetable Soup

I never trust recipes that claim they can be made in 30 minutes or less. It usually takes me considerably longer to make these dishes than the advertised 30 minutes. But here’s a “no-kidding recipe for a delicious vegetable soup that can be made in 30 minutes, guaranteed! I’m always on the lookout for quick, easy recipes that I can make in short order – some days I just don’t feel like spending two hours in the kitchen making dinner. Turns out these recipes aren’t difficult t

MarkG

Nov 28, 20255 min read

The King of Meats - Prime Rib Roast

There are a few dishes that I only make on special occasions. In some cases, it’s because they are time-consuming and difficult to make, like Beef Wellington. In other cases, it’s because they are always associated in my mind with a particular holiday, like roast turkey on Thanksgiving. And lastly, it’s sometimes because the dish is incredibly expensive, so we make it only on special occasions. Such is the case with a prime rib roast. Here’s my take on this classic dish! Prim

MarkG

Nov 14, 20255 min read

Essential Kitchen Items

I absolutely love kitchen stuff! Knives, pots and pans, mixers and food processers, graters, cutting boards, gadgets of all kinds – you can never have enough! And that’s all well and good if you have space to store it all. But, what if you don’t? Let’s talk about the must-have, most essential items for your kitchen! When I set out on my own and got my first real job, you could easily fit all of my kitchen-related items in a (very!) small moving box. I had a pan, a pot, a bowl

MarkG

Nov 7, 20254 min read

Eating Our Way Through Sarasota - Fall 2025 Restaurant Reviews

It’s time to review more Sarasota area restaurants! This time we’ll review a mix of new restaurants, as well as others that everyone raves about that Laurie and I decided we had to try based on the positive reviews. Do our reviews reflect what everyone else is saying? Read on to find out! Dining patio at Michaels on East in Sarasota, FL This summer has been usual and unusual in a number of ways. First, the rainy season came again in full force, with 51 inches of rain since th

MarkG

Oct 24, 20257 min read