neighbors 10:29

NeighborsA publication of the Daily Commercial

october 2015

› High & Five at StrEAT Corner in Mount Dora

the Lake CountyDININGEDITION

2 NEIGHBORS OCTOBER 2015

Cindy dian Correspondent

After Strawberry’s closed about six years ago in down-town Eustis, the ice cream par-lor went through a number of transformations but with little success. So when the oppor-tunity came for Clark and Lori Pittsley, they decided to bring back the iconic parlor that people still talk about today.

“People were constantly telling me how great the parlor used to be,” Lori said. “They

loved the treats, the atmo-sphere and creating lasting memories. So we are hoping to bring that back.”

The Pittsleys opened Straw-berry’s Ice Cream and Treats on Oct. 1 and have already seen crowds flocking back. Clark manages the parlor while Lori runs Jeannie’s Place down the street. In fact, it was Clark’s love of baking that inspired him to leave his truck-driving job of 20 years and open the parlor.

“I began baking with my mom when I was eight years old,” he

said. “She taught me a lot of my grandmother’s recipes, like the strawberry rhubarb pie which is featured in the shop.”

All of the pies, brownies and cookies are handmade by Clark and the pie crusts are made from scratch using his grandmother’s recipe. Some of the favorites include apple pie, strawberry rhubarb pie and peanut butter pie. Each large slice is $3 or $4 a la mode, and the giant cookies and brownies are $2 each.

Other treats include soft pret-zels for $3, muffins for $2, jumbo

hot dogs for $3 or 2 for $5 and chocolate-dipped strawberries for 75 cents each. A bulk candy section also allows the kids to fill a bag of their favorites for $2.

The parlor features 12 flavors of Hershey’s hand-dipped ice creams that can be served in cake or waffle cones, between $2 and $3.50, milk shakes or floats for $4 or sundaes for $3 or $4. Some of the flavors include coffee, strawberry cheesecake, sugar-free chocolate, moose tracks and Superman, a red, blue and yellow ice cream that

the kids love.The parlor has been rede-

signed with a retro feel, featur-ing chrome-plated walls, bottle cap bar stools and snare drums as lights with good oldies music playing in the background. Out-door seating is also available.

“Our motto is ‘Life is short, treat yourself,” Clark said. “I don’t want to be a millionaire. I just want to make people happy and let families and kids have fun.”

Strawberry’s is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 24 E. Magnolia Ave. in Eustis.

Strawberry’s Ice Cream and Treats opens in Eustis

Clark and Lori Pittsley opened Strawberry’s Ice Cream and Treats on Oct 1 in downtown Eustis. The original Strawberry’s closed about six years ago but they decided to bring back the iconic parlor that many still talk about today.Cindy dian / Correspondent

OCTOBER 2015 NEIGHBORS 3

NeighborsEuStIS

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What is your favorite way to prepare turkey?

photos by Linda CharLton / Correspondent

In the oven. In a roasting pan, butter basted, stuffed with bread stuffing, not cornbread. — Mary Jo Pfeiffer, Clermont

My specialty is gravy. I cook the gravy with carrots and onions and celery and put that in the bottom with some water. After the turkey is finished I brown the vegetables and put that in a blender with the juice from the turkey. — Ruth Steckman, Clermont

My favorite way to make turkey is to do a maple brine for a day and then bake it. — Amanda McGlothlin, Groveland

Smoked. You season well, seasoning the cavity as well as the outside with some Cajun seasoning by Paul Prudhomme — may he rest in peace — and smoke it for 12 hours. — Roger Wohlgemuth, Clermont

I like roasted turkey. But under the skin, you separate the skin from the breast meat and put mayonnaise, or you can inject it, and you put some garlic salt and olive oil on the outer part. I don’t like to stuff the turkey cause it always turns out gunky. Then it’s always better left over as sandwiches. — Bob Wright, Groveland

I marinate it all day, all night, in mayonnaise. It’s a special Russian mayonnaise. It’s extra light. Then I salt it and everything else, and I put it in a bag and roast it. — Kristina Garcia, Clermont

›› WoRd on The STReeT


1884 RestauRant and BaR

Bring just your kids or invite the whole gang to 1884 Restaurant and Bar, 12 E. Magnolia Ave. in Eustis. Its spacious main dining room and private party areas can accommodate groups of any size.

Depending on your budget, you can keep it simple or get fancy, assures bar manager and mixologist Chelsea Harkness. “You can get a Bud Light and 10 wings or a nice filet and a great bottle of wine,” she said.

“We have a $10 pork burger and a $34 filet — both ends of the scale.”

The most popular entree is the 1884 pork chop. “(It’s) what everyone comes here for,” said Harkness. “It’s what people love.”

The 2-inch-thick double-boned pork chop gets its flavor from marinating in an apple cider brine for two days. 1884 uses locally grown fresh produce and meats, and desserts are homemade by the in-house baker.

Harkness describes 1884’s style as “an American steak-house” with “an easygoing atmosphere.” Musicians add to the ambience, performing “a little bit of everything,” she said.

For information, call 1-800-856-1884 or go to www.1884restaurantandbar.com.

5 Lake County dining experiences you need to tryRamshaCkLe Cafe

Ramshackle Cafe, 1317 N. 14th St., is well known to Leesburg residents for good reason: It’s been around for 26 years, and it has meals to suit most any taste.

“We have wings, burgers, pretty much everything,” said manager Rhonda Jones, who has been with Ram-shackle since the beginning. “We have a well-rounded menu.”

On Fridays especially, she said, the cafe is buzz-ing with energy. “It’s very busy. There’s excitement in the air, hopefully because the local football team won. Everybody is hungry and thirsty, and everybody knows everybody. It’s a very homey, comfortable environment.”

The family-friendly cafe caters to adults, too, with beer on tap and bottled, as well as cocktails. “People love the margaritas here,” said bartender Rhea Bailey.

The special recipe? “We put extra love in it,” Bailey said.

Ramshackle Cafe has been a staple for a few generations of high school football players, Jones says, because the “consistency and the quality of our food have remained the same.”

For information, call 352-365-6565.

tiki West RaW BaRFor a selection outside the

ordinary, try Tiki West Raw Bar and Grill, 118 W. Ruby St. The raw bar includes their signature oysters, as well as shrimp and clams.

On Fridays, roll up your sleeves and dig into all-you-can-eat crawfish, served with corn and potatoes for $18.99.

As the name suggests, Tiki West is a Key West / Caribbean-style restaurant, and menu favorites range from mahi tacos to Caribbean nachos — home-made potato chips topped with slow-cooked pulled pork, ched-dar cheese, house pico, lettuce, corn, tiki sauce and barbecue sauce.

If you’re pinching pennies or don’t feel like getting your hands dirty, stick with soup and salad or the jerk chicken sandwich.

The atmosphere is “very fam-ily friendly,” says manager Abby Muick, with plenty to keep kids entertained. “People love the stuffed animal machines and the hammock chairs in front. Two or three kids can fit in each one.”

The back room holds pool tables, digital games and foos-ball. And on nights when live music is performed, it’s always appropriate for all ages, Muick said.

To view a menu, go to www.facebook.com/tikiwestrawba-randgrill. For information, call 352-508-5783.

night OWL CaRiBBean Cuisine

Richard Wright, of Night Owl Caribbean Cuisine, is well known in Eustis. Richard had a food truck for many years, and people would stop by his Orange Avenue location and ask when there would be a per-manent location. When space became available, he decided to take the leap. The restaurant is at 929 S. Bay Street in Eustis.

Open every day except Tues-day, Night Owl boasts a menu of traditional favorites for lunch and dinner.

The restaurant is a nice place to get your food instead of standing outside of a food truck in the summer heat. It still serves everything in take-out containers but now there is a cool dining room in which to sit and enjoy your food. They have all the Caribbean favorites, including brown stew chicken and a local favorite, oxtail on a bed of white rice with tradi-tional steamed cabbage.

For the adventurous, they offer Manish Water (goat soup) on the weekends. The small menu packs a large punch.

Night Owl Caribbean Cui-sine’s small menu is perfect and a wonderful value. The lowest-priced item is an order of sweet and tasty Coco Bread at $1.25 and the Escovitch Fish tops out the menu at $12. The Wednesday-through-Friday lunch specials are no more than $5.99. They also offer catering trays.

For information, call 352-589-0256.

COpaCaBanaMore than seven years

ago, restaurateurs Antonio Ryes and Alberto Pan-eca dreamed of opening a restaurant that would introduce their traditional Cuban home cooking to people in their community. Together with Juliet and Beni Escalera, Paneca’s daughter and son-in-law, Copacabana was formed in the heart of downtown Mount Dora.

The first people usually notice is Cuban food does not include tortillas in any of its dishes. Also, plantains are a popular side dish, and they can be served green or sweetly fried. Another difference is in the rice. Each entrée is served with a choice of yellow saffron Spanish rice and beans, white rice and beans or moro rice, which is tradi-tional black beans and rice cooked together.

The menu offers a little bit of everything, including lunch specials, sandwiches, kids meals, soups and sal-ads, dinner entrées, desserts and Cuban coffee products.

Steaks include the churrasco, a tenderized skirt steak served with chimi-churri sauce, and the boliche mechado, a slice of eye round stuffed with chorizo sauce.

Copacabana, 320 Dora Drawdy Way, is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.


Cafe GianniAfter traveling the

world as a culinary chef and opening his own restaurant, Gianni Liv-erotti is now sharing the secrets to his success.

“Growing up in Italy, I learned my love for cooking in my mother’s kitchen,” he said. “It’s a passion I want to share with the world.”

Gianni attended culi-nary arts school in Italy at age 14 and cooked his way around Italy, Tuscany, France and London. In 1997, he had an opportunity to apply for a job in the United States, working at the Italian Pavilion at Epcot in Disney World.

“Around 600 chefs applied and I was very grateful to receive a position,” he said. “Not only did I get to travel to this country, it was while working there that I met the woman who became my wife.”

After his contract was up, Gianni and his wife took their success on the road, eventually settling in Lake County. Gianni opened Café Gianni eight years ago in Eustis and moved to Mount Dora a year ago.

One of Gianni’s sig-nature dishes is the sac-chettini pasta, a hand-made purse-shaped pasta filled with four Italian cheeses and fresh pears, served in a wine cream sauce. It is one of

the most popular dishes on the menu, with cus-tomers constantly asking how he makes it.

Chef Gianni uses only authentic Italian ingre-dients, including the tomatoes. He chooses the san marzano toma-toes from Italy instead of sacrificing flavor for lower-cost tomatoes.

Café Gianni is at 425 N Alexander St. in Mount Dora. It is open from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. ev-ery day except Tuesday.

These newcomers beef up an already vibrant dining scene

Allison and Jack Braton opened Turners Kitchen + Bar in May after many years in the restaurant business.

Chef Marco Auricchio and server Jennifer Bates assist Chef Gianni at Cafe Gianni in downtown Mount Dora.

Veal Marsala is one of the most popular dishes at Cafe Gianni in Mount Dora.

Turners KiTChen + Bar

One of the newest additions to downtown Leesburg is Turners Kitchen + Bar, an up-scale dining experience created by restaurant consultant and chef Jack Braton and his wife, Allison, who decided to step out and not only advise other restaurants, but show how it’s done.

Jack has been a chef by trade for 29 years and a consultant for almost 12.

Turners opened only six months ago and has already gained strong reviews for its simple but elegant South Carolina low country-inspired dishes such as cool cucumber tuna poke and fried green tomato caprese, two of the most popular appetizers. Ac-cording to Jack, he takes traditional dishes and fuses different flavors that no one expects to give them a wow factor. This is what he calls the “Turners take.”

The lunch menu features inventive salads and sandwiches such as the Leesburger, a 1/4-pound burger with short rib, bacon, orange blossom honey slaw and sweet potato “Q” on a Kaiser roll. Lunch prices average between $8.95 and $9.95 per plate.

Dinner is a fine-dining experience with a crab and grouper napoleon served on oatmeal risotto with callaloo, pecans, citrus segments and apple chai rum butter.

Turners also has a from-the-grill menu featur-ing filet of beef, ribeye, salmon, shrimp and New York strip. Dinner aver-ages between $21.95 and $23.95 per plate.

Inside the dining area, marbled tile floors and heavy Amish-made wooden tables give the restaurant a classy, rustic feel.

Turners Kitchen + Bar, 114 S. 5th St., is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

photos by Cindy dian / Correspondent

Inside the dining area at Turners Kitchen + Bar, marbled tile floors and heavy Amish-made wooden tables give the restaurant a classy, rustic feel.


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RICK REEDCorrespondent

You could say Jay Erkert has spaghetti and pizza sauce in his blood.

He remembers working with his grandmother as a 5-year-old in their Italian restaurant.

“She was Sicilian,” said Erkert. “I used to roll meatballs with her when I was a kid. We have pictures of me with an apron on. I washed dishes.

“There was always an Italian influence.”

While Grandma certainly influenced Erkert as he fine-tuned his recipes, she wasn’t any help when it came to his pizza sauce.

“Grandma didn’t help with the pizza sauce, but she helped with the meatballs. I use a vari-ation — no veal. With spaghetti sauce, it’s different. It’s basically marinara sauce. I don’t use onions in sauce. A lot of people

have onion allergies. I’d rather be able to serve everybody.”

Erkert didn’t grow up wanting to toss pizzas for a living.

“I wanted to play for the Philadelphia Eagles,” he said. “But I wasn’t blessed with the talent to do that.”

He grew up in Avalon, about 32 miles south of Atlantic City.

“I considered myself a Philly fan through my parents. But I watched the Yankees and Mets growing up on WPIX. Rusty

Staub, Chris Chambliss and Thurman Munson were my idols growing up. When Thur-man was killed in the plane crash it was devastating.”

He did play offensive line in college but knew his future wasn’t in sports.

“I was two inches too short,” he said. “I thought I would run my father’s nightclub and restaurant.”

Jack’s Place was a family busi-ness for almost 30 years and

Erkert worked there as a kid.He also began experimenting

in the kitchen and made his first cheese steak over a flat-top grill when he was 9.

Plans to take over the night-club changed when his folks sold it in 1992 and moved to Palm Beach County. Erkert decided to move with them.

Erkert’s career path led him to pizza. He began as a delivery

For Jay, success is in the ingredients, relationships

Jay Erkert, owner of J’s Pizzeria in Tavares, and Shavon Amstutz pose for a photo in front of the pizza oven at the restaurant.

photos by whitney willard / daily commercial

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man for Domino’s in 1992, but management saw his potential and began training him as a manager.

“I had a passion for pizza,” he said. “After the second day they said I was getting in manage-ment. They weren’t going to waste me on the road.”

Perhaps the passion came from the owner of Uncle Joe’s Pizza in Avalon. He was a character who dressed in a white T-shirt, white pants and a sailor’s hat.

“I loved pizza as a kid and Uncle Joe would tell me come in back and show me how to toss pizza,” Erkert said. “I was a little kid and he let me come behind the counter. There was flour everywhere. It was so cool.”

Jerry Romano was another important influence on Erkert.

“In ’96 I worked for a guy from Brooklyn who taught me everything,” Erkert said. “He

spoke Brooklynese. It was a good relationship. Jerry Roma-no became a good friend.”

Erkert came to Lake County in 2004 when his folks pur-chased a home in Royal High-lands. Erkert had been working in pizza but wasn’t sure what to do next.

“My father said, ‘Let’s open up a restaurant,’” said Erkert.

They opened 3 J’s Family Pizza at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 27 and County Road 48 in 2005. The three “J’s” were Jay, his dad Jack and his mom Joanne Erkert.

“My mother did the books, my father was there early for preparation and I alternated between the hot side and the pizza side,” he said. “We made a lot of mistakes and were on a shoestring budget.

“But we were very busy those first two years there. We were the only game in town.”

Before 3 J’s, if folks south of Leesburg wanted pizza de-livered they had to meet the delivery man.

“We also had something no one else had, two slices and drink,” Erkert said. “And we’d sell 15-16 pizzas in slices a day.”

J’s Pizzeria continues the tra-dition with two slices of cheese pizza and a fountain drink with a refill going for $4.99. It remains a big seller.

The family business closed in 2008 after construction stopped. Erkert worked for Perkins and then Tony’s Pizza but still wanted his own place. He went in with a partner and opened TJ’s Pizza on U.S. Highway 27/441 just north of the intersection in an old hot dog stand. Traffic was good and business was growing but the partnership wasn’t working so Erkert took his recipes and left during the summer of 2012. He opened up a place in Inverness but it was too long a commute, and he left a year later and set-tled into the Dora Canal Plaza in Tavares in January 2014.

Almost two years later busi-ness has been growing slowly and steadily. In addition to

making new customers he’s seen many of his old one from 3 J’s and even TJ’s days.

Another constant for Erkert is Shabon Amstutz, who has worked with Erkert since day one at 3 J’s.

“She was also with me at TJ’s and she left with me to In-verness,” he said. “And she was with me when opened here. She’s my backbone. We’re more like a family.”

While his sign doesn’t say it, when people asks,he tells them it’s New York-style pizza.

“I’m from South Jersey and that’s what I grew up with,” he added. “There’s a strong Bos-ton, New York, Philly influence.”

And while it’s not on the menu, he’ll make Sicilian Pizza on request with enough notice.

And even cheese steak sand-wiches, though he doesn’t have big flat top grill.

As far as the dough, he still uses the same recipe he’s fine-tuned about 10 years ago.

The ingredients aren’t a se-cret, water, salt, oil, sugar, yeast, and high-gluten flour.

“The water has to be a certain temperature,” he said. “We make it to last three days, no preservatives.

“The ingredients aren’t a secret. It’s the measurements. That’s the secret.”

And ingredients have to be top quality.

What’s most important for a good pizza, the dough or the sauce?

“It’s equally important; you have to have good sauce and you have to have good dough,” he said. “We’ve used the same sauce since we opened in 2005, with California tomatoes, Stan-islaus, they’re top of the line. We don’t skimp, fresh garlic, basil, dried oregano, herbs, a little pepper, salt, and a little sugar.”

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Ever wonder how a town in flat Florida came to be named Mount Dora?

That’s one of the first stories John Tucker tells on the Taste of Our Town tour he and his wife, Paula, host three times a week.

Since November 2013, the couple has been taking guests to some of their favorite down-town spots to sample food and wine, with a side helping of the lakeside haven’s surprisingly colorful history.

The specifics of the tour and samples offered may change from day to day, but the guiding principle remains: “It’s not just about the food and wine. We want to give a taste of the town,” said Paula. “The art and culture here are so rich.”

With that mission in mind, the Tuckers set out every Thursday, Friday and Saturday with up to 12 guests in tow, and walk from restaurant to art gallery, occasionally pausing in the shade for John to dispense a nugget of history.

Each tour is composed of visits to six or seven merchants lasting 20 to 30 minutes apiece. From tapas to a generous por-tion of a dinner entree, each restaurant offers a taste of its signature dishes.

Here’s what one of their tours looked like:

The Chef’s PanTryA young business with only a few

months under its belt, The Chef’s Pantry has the feel of a work of art still taking shape — but one you’d want to see completed.

Once guests were seated and wine orders taken — pinot grigio or cabernet — John began his tale of Mount Dora’s somewhat humorous beginnings while non-intrusive contemporary tunes drifted above. Food for thought: Perhaps the “Mount” in the city’s name was intended as a verb.

As laughter subsided around the tour table following John’s decid-edly informal history lesson, the main course was served: bourbon pecan chicken on a bed of asparagus. Owner and head chef Ian Mihalic stopped by

to describe his creation and take a poll. Two thumbs up all around.

The GaTehouse aT Lakeside inn

Crossing back over Alexander in front of the stationary train, John pulled up in the shade outside the Gatehouse to share some of the Lake-side Inn’s history as well as his own.

“Can anyone guess what the dock is known for?” Paula asked, pointing toward the lake.

“Biggest fish caught,” a guest responded.

“Yes, exactly!” Paula flashed a grin in John’s direction.

Turns out, he proposed to her on that dock. Biggest fish indeed.

Inside, small cups of Cocoa di Vine, a sweet, chocolatey wine, were passed

around while guests perused the tiny store’s selection of arts and crafts.

MaGiCaL MeaT BouTiqueWhat’s in a name? In the case of

Magical Meat Boutique, an English-themed gastro-pub helmed by a native Londoner, quite a lot. Guests grazed on British crisps and sipped pear cider and Hobgoblin, a brown ale brewed in Oxfordshire, England, and the owner, Phil, answered the question posed to him daily: Magical Meat?

The name first belonged to his father’s London butcher shop. Stop by for a pint — he won’t mind filling in the details.

John picked up his history les-son with the story of the 1981 movie “Honky Tonk Freeway,” a not-so-suc-cessful comedy filmed in Mount Dora.

Its claim to fame was a scene involving an elephant on water skis in Lake Dora. A much bigger hit than the movie were the Guinness-battered fish and chips, Scotch eggs and stuffed mushrooms Phil brought out next.

Bev neaL GaLLeryIn her upstairs gallery on Donnelly

Street, Bev Neal greeted the group with even more food — chicken salad from One Flight Up and a selection of wines she chose because “I’m a wine name connoisseur,” she said.

Among the offerings: a Fat Bastard red and a Drama Queen white.

As a painter, Neal said she fell in love with Impressionism because it allows an artist to “bring your own story to the painting.” Her canvases tell tales of sail boats and seashores, old-timey

bicycles and girls in floral dresses.Guests left with full stomachs,

a desire to make time for creative projects and a 10-percent discount on Bev’s work.

Cody’s on 4ThCody is well known as a caterer, and

her shop is known for providing food to entertainers brought in by local venues. But its appeal as an afternoon pit stop for coffee and a sweet treat shouldn’t be overlooked.

The slice of cinnamon walnut cake the servers passed around changed everyone’s mind about being full. When it’s that delicious, dessert goes in a different compartment.

norM’s PaLeTTeWalking into Norm’s place is like

stepping out of a time machine into the ’70s. Twinkling lights spray the room like a slow-motion, disco-fueled meteor shower. In the back corner where the group was seated, a vintage-Batman painting stood guard over the tapas Norm set out — seasoned mushrooms served with pita chips and red or white wine.

An eclectic Pandora station soundtracked the group’s discussion on the merits of TV’s “The Big Bang Theory” until Norm brought out even more mushrooms. He stuck around to share his personal relationship with painting — after all, his bar is called Norm’s Palette — before being pulled away by a vigorous debate about who best played Batman.

One peculiarity about Norm’s — and there are many — is the oversized bathroom that was voted the number one restroom in Mount Dora on Face-book. It may have something to do with the couch.

MounT dora oLive oiL CoMPany

Who doesn’t want to spend a half hour “testing” Vermont maple dark balsamic vinegar on a dab of vanilla ice cream? Or blackberry ginger? Or white peach? The shop on N. Donnelly Street with the 70 different flavors of oil and balsamic vinegar is probably not a very well-kept secret at this point.

But there were still surprises to be had at the tour’s final destination. Ja-lapeño vinegar tastes pretty OK on ice cream. Dark balsamic espresso-infused vinegar would probably go great on certain salads. And above all, how was everyone still finding room for more food samples?

Guides lead guests on a tour of Mount dora’s hotspots

DAILY COMMErCIAL FILE

John Tucker, far right, leads A Taste of Our Town, a guided wine and food tour he heads up with his wife, Paula, on April 10 in Mount Dora.


Pisces RisingModeled after a

1918-style home with French doors and hard pine floors, Pisces Rising turned a historical land-mark into a modern and elegant restaurant com-plete with fine dining, live entertainment and a sunset view over Lake Dora. This award-winning restaurant in downtown Mount Dora has remark-able reviews and offers something for everyone.

“Ron and Annie Winters really had an eye for design when they built this place almost 12 years

ago,” General Manager Joshua Jungferman said. “The dining area extends from the original porch into a modern, classy setting for dinner. Then the outside deck trans-forms the experience with live music and a tiki bar facing the sunset over the lake. This is where people want to be.”

Live entertainment is from Thursday through Sunday evenings and a live Jazz brunch from 12 to 3 p.m. on Sundays.

The plating of the food matches the feel of the restaurant — attractive and chic. Chef Alexander

Gandia has won many awards for his creative dishes. Originally from Puerto Rico, he adds a Caribbean flair that takes traditional dishes to a new level.

“I am constantly experimenting and com-ing up with new ideas for our menu,” Gandia said. “Sometimes you have to break the rules in order to make something exceptional.”

As a seafood steak-house, the menu changes to reflect the seasons in order to have the best quality food. According to Jungferman, getting prod-

ucts fresh and as local as possible is imperative to the flavors. One of the specials coming up on the new menu at the end of the month is the chicken roulade; a chicken breast stuffed with poached pear, fig and goat cheese then wrapped in bacon, served over herbs and roasted potatoes and topped with chicken apple pan sauce.

Pisces Rising, 239 W. 4th Ave., is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thurs-day, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

These restaurants find longevity in quality, service

photos by Cindy dian / Correspondent

Chef Alexander Gandia has won many awards for his creative dishes. Originally from Puerto Rico, he adds a Caribbean flair to traditional dishes.

The QuaRTeRdeckThe Quarterdeck, 831 South Central Ave., directly

across the highway from the Florida’s Natural orange juice processing plant in Umatilla.

It sits off the road a bit, and if you find that you have had a full view of the processing plant, you have gone too far.

For reference, the quarterdeck on a ship is where meetings and parties were held, and a lot of that goes on at the restaurant.

One of the house specialties is the fried fish sandwich. You can actually order it one of three ways: fried, grilled or blackened. It’s a large filet of swai fried to golden perfection on a soft bun with all of the fixings. Their recipe uses a secret sea-soned bread crumb mixture.

Most entrées on the menu come with two sides. The lowest-priced item is a cup of homemade soup. An 8-ounce sirloin and lobster tail top off the menu at $29.99. Reservations are not neces-sary, but from what I saw when I was there, I would definitely call ahead, especially during snow bird season. I can’t wait to return to Quarterdeck.

Call 352-669-4662 for reservations. A meeting area is also available.

FRonT PoRch caFeIf you’re looking for a light and healthy lunch

with a comfortable atmosphere, the Florida Porch Cafe in downtown Leesburg is the place to be, ac-cording to owner Sarah Rinne.

“We offer specialty sandwiches, a variety of homemade soups, salads, wraps and desserts,” she said. “But we are mainly known for our quiche. It’s a nice, little place to enjoy a great meal and relax.”

The cafe offers specials that change daily to feature a variety of soups, quiches and desserts. Some of the favorite soups include cream of cauli-flower, Mexican tortilla, tomato basil and cream of broccoli.

But the quality of the quiche is what stands out to many. They have daily specials that can include spinach and feta, crab, bacon and green onion and ham Lorraine.

The other specialty item that customers love is the homemade pumpkin bread. Baked fresh and ready to order, this light and flavorf ul bread is offered as a side to many of the entrees. Half and whole loaves are also available for purchase.

To accompany the great food, the cafe is said to be the only place in town that offers Starbucks coffee products.

“We make Starbucks specialty drinks such as lattes, frappes, macchiatos and more,” Rinne said. “There are also regular, decaf and sugar-free options.”

The slogan for the cafe is an “upscale menu in a vintage venue.”

The Florida Porch Cafe is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 706 W. Main St.


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NeighborsCommunity Calendar

D0181DC

MOUNT DORAONGOING

› The Mount Dora Village Market is held on the water-front at Elizabeth Evans Park every Sunday, offering fresh produce, seafood, honey, bread, organic snacks and other items. The market runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Elizabeth Evans Park, 100 N. Donnelly St. Call 352-217-8390, email [email protected] or go to www.mountdoramarket.com.

NOVEMBER 4 › Good Vibrations: A cele-

bration of The Beach Boys, is at 7 p.m. at the Mount Dora Com-munity Building, 520 N. Baker St. Cost is $25 to $35. Call 352-217-5072 or go to www.mount-doralive.com for tickets.

NOVEMBER 6 › Yesterday and Today, a

live, interactive Beatles con-cert, stars Y&T creator Billy Mc-Guigan with brothers Ryan and Mathew. There are no wigs, no accents and no look-alike costumes, just note-for-note Beatles music. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show be-gins at 7:30 p.m. at the Mount Dora Community Center, 520 N. Baker St. Call 352-385-1010 for information and tickets or go to www.whattodoinmtdora.com.

NOVEMBER 7 › Veterans Appreciation

Day is from 1 to 10 p.m. at VFW Post 8087, 4065 U.S. Highway 19A South in Mount Dora. The event includes free hot dogs, fountain sodas, vendors, mu-sic, Jr. ROTC drill demonstra-tions and more. For informa-tion, call Michael D Rowlett at 352-357-8133.

NOVEMBER 7 › Art of the Deal allows

guests to indulge their senses in an explosion of art, casino tables, gourmet food and en-tertainment, and an auction for art, trips and more, from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Donnelly Building. Cost is $85. For infor-mation and tickets go to www.whattodoinmtdora.com.

NOVEMBER 7-8 › 12th Annual Mount Dora

Garden Tour is at the Country Club of Mount Dora, 1900 Coun-try Club Blvd. Cost is $12 in ad-vance, $15 at the door and $25 for lunch and a tour. “Secrets in the Garden” offers a unique self-guided tour of five beauti-ful gardens and homes in the his-toric district. Tours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Call Anne Waddell at 352-735-4768 or email [email protected] for information.

› The 21st Annual Mount Dora Plant and Garden Fair is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sun-set Park, featuring more than 12,000 plants from some of Central Florida’s top grow-ers. Call 352-729-2170 for information.

NOVEMBER 8 › Renningers Guitars and

Cars allows guest to take part in two swap meets for the price of one with a car and cy-cle show and a musicians’ swap meet. Classic cars will also be on site. The event is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Renningers Antique Center, 20651 U.S. Highway 441. Admission is $2. Call 352-383-8393 or go to www.renningers.net for details.

NOVEMBER 13 › The Scottish Highland

Festival features Albann-ach and Rathkeltair from 7 to 10 p.m. at Elizabeth Evans Park, 100 N. Donnelly St. Albann-ach consists of a champion-ship piper, a main drummer,


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bass drummers and bodhran musician bringing a brand new approach to percussion and Celtic music. For information and tickets, call 352-735-7183, or go to www.whattodoinmt-dora.com.

NOVEMBER 19 › It’s Food Truck Night from

5 to 8:30 p.m. at Sunset Park, 230 W. 4th Ave. Call 352-383-2165 or go to www.mountdora.com for information.

NOVEMBER 20 › Margi & Friends: New

York, New York, an evening va-riety show presented by First National Bank and Women for Hospice, is from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Mount Dora Community Building, 520 N. Baker St. Tickets are $15 and $25 and can be purchased by calling Janet Gamache at 352-217-5072, via email [email protected] or at www.mountdoraevents.com.

NOVEMBER 20-22 › Renningers Antique Ex-

travaganza is from 8 a.m. to

5 p.m. at Renningers Antique Center, 20651 U.S. Highway 441 in Mount Dora, offering three days of antique shopping with more than 800 indoor and out-door booths packed with deal-ers from across the United States. Admission is $10 Friday; $6 Saturday and $4 Sunday, or you can purchase a three-day pass for $15. Call 352-383-8393 or go to www.renningers.net for information.

NOVEMBER 21 › Bobby Wilson, the son of

the legendary Jackie Wilson, will present a one-night event performing the hits of the great Johnny Mathis from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Mount Dora Community Building, 520 N. Baker St. Tick-ets are $17 to $32 and are avail-able by calling Brian Young at 352-217-8390 or at www.what-todoinmtdora.com.

NOVEMBER 25 › Martin and Lewis Tribute

Comedy Show with Tom Ste-vens and Tony Lewis is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Mount Dora Community Building, 520 N. Baker St. Tickets are $20 and $25 and can be purchased by

calling Brian Young at 352-217-5072, or go to www.whatto-doinmtdora.com.

NOVEMBER 28 › The 34th Annual Light Up

Mount Dora takes place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Donnelly Park, corner of Fifth Ave. and Don-nelly St. This free event will boast 2 million sparkling lights, traditional Christmas songs, dancers, and more. The event is free. Call 352-383-2165 or go to www.mountdora.com for information.

EUSTISNOVEMBER 6

› Eustis LIVE! is from 6 to 10 p.m. in downtown, featur-ing music, food and events. Call the Lake Eustis Area Chamber

of Commerce at 352-357-3434 for information.

› Opening reception for the, Cynthia Edmonds: My Travels, exhibit at the Lake Eustis Mu-seum of Art, 1 W. Orange Ave., in Eustis, opens today with a meet the artist reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit runs through January 2, 2016. Ad-mission is free to members, $5 for non-members. Call 352-483-2900 or go to lakeeusti-sartmuseum.org.

NOVEMBER 7 › The free, quarterly bird

and butterfly survey will be held at the Lake May Reserve from 7:30 to 11 a.m. 36300 County Road 44A in Eustis. Vol-unteers can assist in survey-ing the bird and butterfly pop-ulations. Experience is helpful

but not required and guests must bring their own binocu-lars and field guide. Call the Lake County Parks & Trails De-partment at 352-253-4950 or email [email protected] for reservations and information.

NOVEMBER 13 › Community Service

Awards Gala is from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the Eustis Com-munity Center, 601 North-shore Drive. The theme is “A Night in Central Park.” Call the chamber at 352-357-3434 for information.

NOVEMBER 14 › Plein-air painting expert

Cynthia Edmonds will give a workshop at the Lake Eustis

events FROM PAGE 15

SEE EVENtS, 17

Museum of Art, 1 W. Orange Ave., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $125 and $100 for mem-bers. Edmonds is a 2015 Flori-da’s Finest Plein Air Ambassa-dor. Call 352-483-2900 or go to lakeeustisartmuseum.org.

NOVEMBER 14-15 › Zerbini Family Circus fea-

tures clowns, aerialists, tram-poline artists, comedy and balancing acts, camel and pony rides. The show begins at 4 p.m. both days at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 2101 County Road 452. Cost is $15 for adults. Call Alain Zerbini at 386-679-8257 or go to www.zerbinifamilycircus.com.

NOVEMBER 27 › Santa’s Christmas Tree

Forest, 35317 Huff Road in Eu-stis, opens Nov. 27 and runs through Dec. 20 on weekends for those who want to choose and cut their own Christmas tree or buy a pre-cut tree. The forest also hosts a petting zoo,

zip lines, hayrides, bounce pil-low, pony rides and more for kids. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission is free. Call Jodi Utsman at 352-357-9863, email [email protected] or go to www.santaschristmas-treeforest.com.

› Light Up Eustis, the an-nual city lighting event, will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. in and around the downtown area. Call the chamber at 352-357-3434 for information.

LEESBURGNOVEMBER 1

› With more than 50,000 uniquely handcrafted holiday decorations and gifts created by more than 100 craftsmen, the 20th annual Leesburg Main

Street Christmas House opens at ViaPort Florida in Leesburg. Hours are Mondays to Thurs-days from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Call the Leesburg Partnership at 352-365-0053 or go to www.lees-burgpartnership.com

NOVEMBER 6 › Paquette’s Farmall Trac-

tor Museum, 615 S. Whitney Road in Leesburg, will hold a sock hop from 6 to 9 p.m. Poo-dle skirts and flattops are wel-come. Cost is $10. Call Stew-art Paquette at 352-728-3588 or go to www.stewsihstuff.com for information.

NOVEMBER 7 › The annual Chili Cook-Off

takes place from 5 to 10 p.m. at Towne Square in downtown Leesburg. This all-you-can-eat event has a $5 entry fee. Call the Leesburg Partnership at 352-365-0053 or go to www.leesburgpartnership.com.

› Paquette’s Farmall Trac-tor Museum will host a fun-draiser breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. at the museum, 615 S. Whitney Road in Leesburg. Cost is $15 for the breakfast and a tour of the museum with part of the proceeds benefitting Cornerstone Hospice. Call 352-728-3588, email [email protected] or go to www.stews-ihstuff.com for details.

NOVEMBER 14 › Leesburg Food Truck-N-

Flick Night is from 5 to 10 p.m.

in Towne Square, 501 W. Main St., downtown Leesburg. The event features gourmet food trucks and live music start-ing at 5 p.m. Call the Leesburg Partnership at 352-365-0053 for information.

› The Legacy of Leesburg community will host the an-nual Art & Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the club-house, U.S. Highway 27 and Legacy Blvd., with both artists and crafters selling holiday and all-occasion items. Proceeds benefit the Injured Warrior and

Angel Flight programs. Call Es-telle Mournighan at 352-365-6311 or email [email protected] for information.

› Retired science teacher and volunteer Gene Bouley takes guests on an exploration of rocks, minerals, fossils, sand and shell at the Nature Center at PEAR Park. PEAR Park is lo-cated at 4800 University Ave. in Leesburg. Call Lake County Parks & Trails at 352-253-4950 or email [email protected] to register.


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LEESBURG2BR/2BA Palm Harbor w/ large kitchen, walk in closet,inside laundry, 10x12 FL room, handicap ramp.LAKES AT LEESBURG

EUSTISGreat lot rent, no age restriction, pet friendly! Fullyfurnished 2BR, 262 SF new addition 2013.SOUTHERN PALMS

LEESBURGLarge Jacobsen, furnished 2BR/2BA is priced to sell! Oncorner lot, newer carpet & AC unit.MID FLORIDA LAKES

LEESBURGFisherman’s dream! 2BR/1.5BA 2 blocks from LakeHarris pier/marina. 2 sheds, 2 screen porches freshlypainted. HIDEAWAY MHP

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LB7626$14,900

LB7622$33,900

LB7619$32,000

LB7616$13,500

LB7609$15,000

LB7625$15,900

LB7621$19,500

LB7617$22,500

LB7611$12,900

LB7608$18,900

D020908

D021220Sales - Repair - Restoration

Specializing in Antique Clocks

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events FROM PAGE 16

SEE EVENtS, 18



100% GAS - No Ethanol87 and 93 octanes available plus . . .Diesel, Race Gas, Lubes and Oils

Harris Oil Company21901 US Hwy. 441 (near Hwy. 46 overpass) Mount Dora

383-0922Monday - Friday 7:30am - 5:30pm Saturday 8am - 12pm

100% GAS - No Ethanol100% GAS - No Ethanol87 and 93 octanes available plus . . .Diesel, Race Gas, Lubes and Oils87 and 93 octanes available plus . . .Diesel, Race Gas, Lubes and Oils

Harris Oil CompanyHarris Oil Company

D021219

Come Check Out Our New Booths

KenMorris - [email protected]

Auctions •We Buy Anything •We Consign Large ItemsAsk Us About Booth And Flea Market Space

ANTIQUES and Farmers MarketCollectibles • Crafts

690 S.Central Avenue ~ Umatilla, FL 32784Office: 352-669-0068 • Cell: (765) 720-9710

AEustis

TraditionSince1948

Appointments Recommended - Walk Ins Always WelcomeHours: Tuesday-Friday 9am - 5pm, Saturday 9am - 2pm

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D021221

› A paddling and clean-up adventure previews the future Lake Eustis Blueway Run along the manmade canal and out into Haynes Creek from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Haynes Creek Preserve, 34606 S. Haines Creek Road. Call the Lake County Wa-ter Authority at 352-343-3777 or email [email protected] to register.

› The Leesburg Saturday

Morning Market presents The Not So Westminster Dog Show from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Towne Square, 501 W. Main St. It’s time for you and your pup to shine while the furry, four-legged contestants take center stage at 11 a.m. Medals will be awarded. It’s like no other dog show you have experienced. Call 352-365-0053.

NOVEMBER 20 › The Craft Beer, Wine &

Food Festival at Venetian

Gardens on Dixie Highway in Leesburg takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. Guests can stroll through Venetian Gardens and sample a wide variety of craft beers and select wines from around the world while enjoy-ing regional cuisine and live music. Entry fee is $25 in ad-vance and $35 at the gate and covers food and select beer and wine. Call 352-365-0053.

NOVEMBER 27 › The enchanted Leesburg

Main Street Christmas Stroll, an evening that treats patrons to a magical Christmas won-derland in downtown Lees-burg, is from 6 to 9 p.m. Call the

Leesburg Partnership at 352-365-0053 for details or go to www.leesburgpartnership.com.

TAVARESONGOING

› The annual Lady of the Lakes Renaissance Faire takes place Friday, November 6 to Sunday, Nov. 8, and Saturday, Nov. 14 to Sunday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lake Idam-ere Park, 12835 County Land-fill Road in Tavares. Travel back in time to 16th Century Eng-land while enjoying food, eight stages of non-stop entertain-ment, period comedians, fire-eaters, human chess matches and combat jousting. Senior

Day is Nov. 8. Admission is $7. Regular admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children. Call Carman Cullen at 352-326-1265 or go to www.lakerenfaire.com.

NOVEMBER 7 › Love Our Lake clean-up

is from 8:30 a.m. to noon with check-in locations at Buzzard Beach, Hickory Point and Woo-ton Park. Volunteers clean up the waterways at Lake Beau-clair, Lake Dora, Dora Canal, Lake Eustis, Dead River, Lake Harris and Little Lake Har-ris. Call Cathie Catasus at 352-253-1686, email [email protected] or go to www.lakecountyfl.gov/adoptlake.

NOVEMBER 8 › Fall Into a Banana Split:

An Ice Cream Social, features plain ice cream or ice cream with toppings from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Tavares Civic Center, 100 E. Caroline St. Call Rosa Rosario at 352-742-6204 for details.

NOVEMBER 12 › The Taste of Tavares of-

fers delicious appetizers, en-trees and desserts from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Tavares Pavil-ion on the Lake, 200 S. Disston Ave. Cost is $25. Call Colleen

events FROM PAGE 17

SEE EVENtS, 20


D021811

INMOTIONLiveYour Life

1-888-847-8876

For Seminar datesand times near you, call

Neighbors publishes the last Wednesday of every month in the South Lake Press and the last Thursday of the month in the Daily Commercial.

Neighbors is dedicated to exploring the extraordinary interests of everyday people in the communities of Lake County. If you have a neighbor who might be an interesting subject for a story, call Executive Editor Tom McNiff at 352-365-8250 or email [email protected].

To advertise, call Advertising Director Mary Manning-Jacobs at 352-365-8287.To submit an item for the Neighbors calendar, send an email to Pam

Fennimore at [email protected].

Neighbors staff: Steve Skaggs ............................................................................................... Publisher Mary Manning-Jacobs .......................................................... Advertising Director Tom McNiff .........................................................................................................Editor Whitney Willard ................................................Copy Desk Chief, layout, design Linda Charlton .......................................................... Contributing Photographer Cindy Dian .....................................................Contributing Photographer, Writer Rick Reed................................................................................... Contributing Writer Pam Fennimore ...............................................................................Calendar Editor

NeighborsA publication of the Daily Commercial


Welcome to Wildwood

D019533

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404 S. Main St., Hwy. 301, Wildwood

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Laura & Randy PeirceOwners

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352-330-2800 | 364 Shopping Center Drive, WildwoodTitusville, FL (321) 267-3737Ocala, FL (352) 671-7979Melbourne, FL (321) 751-2480

Monday through Saturday10:00 AM to 5:30 PM

Sunday 12:00 AM to 5:00 PM

– Antiques & Collectible –- Treasures from Yesteryear -WILDWOODANTIQUE MALLS

wildwoodantiquemalls.com

“Celebratingour 5th Year!”


McGinley at 352-343-2531 or email [email protected] or go to www.tavares-chamber.com for information.

LADY LAKENOVEMBER 14

› Taste of Lady Lake fea-tures food trucks, music and an antique car show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Log Cabin Park, 106 N. U.S. Highway 441. Call Mike Burske at 352-430-0451, email [email protected] or go to

www.ladylake.org.

UMATILLANOVEMBER 2

› Umatilla High School Ath-letic Boosters hold Bulldog Night from 6 to 10 p.m. This is the annual fundraiser for the school at the Florida Elks Youth Camp, 24175 Southeast High-way 450 in Umatilla. Tickets are $100 and include entry for four people, dinner, cash bar, si-lent auction and music. Call the Chamber of Commerce for in-formation at 352-669-3511.

CLERMONTNOVEMBER 1

› NTC Lace It Up Series fea-tures the Tombstone 10-miler at the National Training Center, 1935 Don Wickham Drive, from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Registration is

$70. Call Lauren Jones at 352-241-7144, email [email protected] or go to www.usantc.com.

NOVEMBER 5 › Taste of South Lake

is from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at

Waterfront Park in Clermont, as the area’s best restaurants offer samples of their signa-ture dishes and drinks. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Call 352-394-4191 or go to www.southlakechamber-fl.com for details.

NOVEMBER 6 › Family Food Truck Night

is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Music on Montrose is from 6 to 9 p.m. at City Hall in down-town Clermont. Go to www.cl-ermontdowntownpartnership.com or call 352-247-4640.

NOVEMBER 7-8 › Clermont Art Festi-

val takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 7-8 on Mon-trose Street in down-town Clermont, with music, food, fun and art. Call 352-247-4640 or email info@

events FRoM PAGE 18

SEE EVENtS, 21

Welcome to Wildwood

D020945

NOW OPEN!Happy Hour 2-7pmHouse Margaritas $3.99Draft Beer

Mexican Restaurant346 Shopping Center DrHwy 301Wildwood

TACO TUESDAY99¢Tacos

Sun-Thurs 11-9Fri & Sat 11-10

352-461-0577

2 COMBO DINNERS$14.99+tax

Dine-In & Take Out

LosMagueyes

• Domestic $1.25• Import $1.75

Selling & Buying Antiques

• “Over 100 Vendorsto shop from”

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3107 E. State Rd. 44 • Wildwood (1-75 exit #329)

(352) [email protected]

Store HoursMon-Sat 9:30am-5:30pmSunday Noon-5:00pm

CaféOpen

TRADITIONSANTIQUE MALL

Nordic Gun & Pawn748-2210

324 S. Main Street • Wildwood(In front of the Wildwood Shopping Center)

WE BUYGOLD & GUNCOLLECTIONS

GUNS!OVER 700 GUNS IN STOCK!Gun Cleaning & Repair

42 YEARS IN THE SAME LOCATIONMon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 9am-6pm • Sat 10-2

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BUY • SELL • TRADE • CONSIGNMENTSPECIAL ORDERS • NEW & USED

GOLD & DIAMOND JEWELRYNew & Used Jewelry Repair

D020823

D020822

D020822

352.748.5228

Wildwood, FL Lic# CBC 1257099

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“Serving Sumter & Surrounding Countiesfor over 25 years . . . May we be of Service to you?

C/B/S constructionstarting at$65 per

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D020958

Home • Auto • Life

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LEESBURG OFFICE

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clermontdowntownpartner-ship.com.

NOVEMBER 13-15 › “Menopause the Musi-

cal: The Survivor Tour” is from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 13-15 at the Cl-ermont Performing Arts Cen-ter, 3700 S. U.S. Highway 27. Cost is $39. Go to www.menopausethemusical.com for details and tickets or call 352-394-4800.

NOVEMBER 22 › Clermont Comic Con, a

pop culture and collectibles show, takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Clermont Per-forming Arts Center, 3700 S. U.S. Highway 27. Making ap-pearances will be Eisner Award nominee Alex Saviuk, artist of Marvel Comics’ Web of “Spi-derman;” Karl Moline, artist of DC Comics’ “Superboy;” and Lee Grimes, makeup artist for the FX hit series “The Walking Dead.” Cost is $10. Call Scott Schlazer at 321-229-7705,

email [email protected] or go to www.clermont-comiccon.com.

MONTVERDENOVEMBER 7

› The 36th annual Mont-verde Day Music Festival will be at Kirk Park, 17436 Division St., featuring live music and enter-tainment, carnival rides, craft vendors, a pancake breakfast, classic car show and more. The festival is from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call Graham Wells at 407-469-2681 for information.

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLSNOVEMBER 8

› 4th Annual Celebration of Service Gala, a fun and in-formative evening to benefit the Veterans Housing Initiative, features hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, special auction, music, and Mission Inn’s premium cui-sine and dessert, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Mission Inn Resort and Club, 10400 County Road 48 in Howey-in-the-Hills. Call Danielle Stroud at 352-483-0434, ext. 133 or email [email protected].

events FRoM PAGE 20

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Ze CarterCorrespondent

Pizza is the universal food that will feed a crowd ... until you start putting things on it, like onions. I love onions, and I have never had a dish with too many, but for my husband one sliver of onion may be one too many. On the other hand, I don’t like pineapple on my pizza, but my husband does. I don’t do black olives; he does. I like mush-rooms; he’d rather pass. See where I am going with this?

Yes, pizza has the potential to be a good meal until it is time to de-cide what is on it. So when I found out about the newest restaurant in downtown Tavares, I had to stop

in and see for myself. Is it possible everyone could truly have their own pizza in less than 10 minutes and it actually tastes good? I’ll be the judge of that.

Let me tell you about Pizza@. Johnny Teterson and his brother Jerry Teterson came up with the

concept. Jerry, the Tavares loca-tion owner and manager, is a West Palm Beach native who moved to Orlando in 2003 and began riding his motorcycle on the back roads of south Lake County. He found Tavares by accident, and when it was time to slow down a little, he decided running Pizza@ was a good way to begin to wind down his career.

I almost felt like I was in one of those fast sandwich places because all of the fresh ingredients were on display. So the pizza hostess (that’s what I called her) asked me what crust I would like. I panicked. What? “Gluten-free, traditional, wheat?” she asked. Oh no! I don’t

Pizza@ provides custom pies at the right price in Tavares

See pizza@, N23

If you have a hard time making decisions, don’t fret. There are several pizzas that have been created for you, like the Sea

Plane — a white sauce seafood pizza. Or how about the Instant Karma, a classic pizza that gets

its kick from a little chili oil?

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SAT. - Fried ChickenLiver $8.99SUN. - All You Can EatFried Chicken $9.99

D021218


know. “OK, calm down,” I said to myself. If you don’t like it, no worries. It was inexpensive enough to just order another. I took the wheat with clas-sic tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, red onion and chicken with a sprinkle of oregano oil. I was able to decide between all of the fabu-lous toppings and create a wonderful pizza that was fresh and just the right size for me.

I told Jerry he is going to need to franchise this concept because it is wonderful. He laughed and told me about the other store in Orlando. The brothers plan to open a third location.

If you have a hard time making decisions, don’t fret. There are several pizzas that have been created for you, like the Sea Plane — a white sauce seafood pizza. Or how about the Instant Karma, a classic pizza that gets its kick from a little chili oil? A fresh cheese pizza is just under $6, and a loaded pizza with six toppings tops the menu at $7.92. Fresh made daily salads, 1-inch thick cookies and brown-ies along with a variety of bottled and fountain drinks are also on the menu. You should also know that by the time you read this piece, the restaurant will debut a dessert turnover that you customize yourself.

Pizza@ opens at 11 a.m. weekdays and 11:30 a.m. on weekends and is open until 9 p.m. daily. Al-though they don’t deliver, you can call ahead and order takeout at 352-253-0606, or visit their Face-book page for menu item updates and customer appreciation specials at Pizza At Tavares.

pizza@ From page N22

THAnKS FOr reAdIng THe dAIlY cOmmercIAlFile

A variety of toppings are shown on a pie at Pizza@.

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