3/17/26- Corned Beef & Cabbage, Bangers & Mash, Shepherd’s Pie. & Bread pudding. Also, Green Beer.
Q-tips say: Food/drinks/service was just ok. The music was not enjoyable, very loud, & we have never had Bread pudding, & probably will not have it again.
Mrs. Q says: Mingling with the neighbors/friends was fun. The best part of this St. Patrick’s Day Buffet: She did not have to cook or clean up.
3/16/26 –
Wing Madness is our favorite. Various types of wings, salads, & veggies. Enjoyed this Madness & had an enjoyable evening with neighbor, Nancy.
However, NO MORE, melted cheese, Queso.
Meatball & MORE Madness: 3 different sauces to enjoy your meatballs & salad & salad toppings with various side dishes as, potato salad/pasta.
Soup/ Salad/Sandwich Madness: Had the soup. Several options for salads: Reg/just plain lettuce/tomatoes/bowtie & potato salads. Meat Options for sandwiches: Ham/turkey/thin. Many bread choices but bread slices way too thick. Many people just put the meat on the plate minus the bread.
Build you own Taco Salad was:
OK- Various Meat to build your tacos – Turkey/Ham/Beef with soft shell tacos & Chips. Various toppings & salad choices.
Subs & More – was ok. Did not eat all the bread just ate the meat & various salads.
Slider Madness: Was ok. Meat options/cheese /toppings & a salad bar.
Had our usual Libations: Mrs. Q had: Old Fashion & a Cosmo. Mr. Q had: Perfect Manhattan & a Glass of Wine.
Monday Madness – you get 50% off Well Drinks, House Wines, Beer & Beverages & All you can eat buffets. Q-tips say: Yes, go if you like Monday Madness.
We will stick with Wings & Slider Madness. Perhaps Pasta Night. Subs & More Madness was just so so – way too much bread.
Slider Madness: Was ok. Many meat options/cheese sauce/toppings & a salad bar.
Mrs. Q had: Taco/Nacho Madness. ok
The Q-tips say: Munchie Madness was nothing special. Everything was breaded & fried. Because of the breading, & no signs posting what it is, was difficult to know was in the pot. We had our usual Libations. Ordered off the Reg. Menu instead MUNCHIE MADNESS.
Pizza Madness?? ?Maybe. Taco madness? ??The meat- beef/chicken was good but many just piled the food on the dishes instead of tacos.
Cannot order from the regular menu anymore on Monday Madness.
Nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be — she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past.
Q-tips say: Mr. Q liked it more than Mrs. Q.
Mrs. Q says: Promising Young Woman is a complex, thought-provoking film that critiques rape culture, gender roles, and the societal failure to hold perpetrators accountable. “Promising Young Woman” is as confident as its protagonist, a film that’s willing to be a little messy and inconsistent in a way that reflects Cassie’s existence. She works in a coffee shop and has supportive parents, but every day is filled with the reminder of what she’s lost. She sits at night looking at photos of her best friend when they were young.
This film is an in depth look at what happens when victims of sexual assault or rape don’t get taken seriously. This is a very hard movie to watch for some, but it might be a new standard that we set on how movies about these topics are handled.
MELANIA offers unprecedented access to the 20 days leading up to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration — through the eyes of the First Lady herself. Step inside Melania Trump’s world as she orchestrates inauguration plans, navigates the complexities of the White House transition, and moves her family back to the Nation’s Capital. With exclusive footage capturing critical meetings, private conversations, and never-before-seen environments, MELANIA showcases Mrs. Trump’s return to one of the world’s powerful roles.
Q-tips say: Mrs. Q liked it more than the Mr. Q.
Mrs. Q says: She would like to experience a “Woman” President & see how a “First Man” would handle this world’s powerful role.
Mrs. Q says: “It starts slowly, but by the end you might want to applaud. Melania is kind, generous, thoughtful and so sincerely caring. I’m so glad this film highlights her best qualities, of which there are many.
It was also revealed that the one-year anniversary of the passing of Mrs. Trump’s mother, Amalija Knavs, passed away. Mrs. Trump shared what an impact her mother had on her life — and the sadness she feels to this day about the loss of her mother.
You know how in marriage they say “for better or for worse”? I think, in terms of my life, I have entered the “for worse” part, and it happened so quietly I didn’t even recognize it. Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon tells the story of legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart bravely facing the future as his professional and private life unravel at the opening night party for his former partner’s hit show Oklahoma! By the time this night is over, Hart will have confronted both a world that no longer values his talent and the seeming impossibility of love.
Q-tips say: YES, We did enjoy Blue Moon.
A consistently fascinating study of the frailty of the artist buoyed by one of the best performances in Ethan Hawke’s remarkable career.
Mrs. Q says: A beautiful and heartbreaking character study & story.
DESOTO Natl. Park – 8300 De Soto Memorial Hwy, Bradenton, FL 34209, (941) 792-0458 Raised walk through the mangroves. Hours: Mon-Sun 9 am – 5 pm
Q-Tips say: A great park, excellent for kids, of all ages, beautiful marked trails to walk, and there are cardboard cutouts throughout, and sign post explaining the history of Desoto Park. A museum and also a movie explaining the history. They also offer a “special event” when they have people dressed in the costumes and the culture of that period.
Mrs. Q says: Entrance Fee: FREE. FREE is good. Yes, you may bring your dog, but doggie must be on a leash at all times. Also, a Hugh Monument to remembering the Priests of the period. Don’t forget to see the Gumbo Limbo tree – you can’t miss it. It is over 200 years old. The Gumbo Limbo tree is also called Gumbo, the tourist tree, because it get red from the sun and peels. Unfortunately, the tree is gone due to a hurricane. Go & enjoy, we always do.
History & Culture – Hernando de Soto was born around 1500 in the Extermadura region of Spain. De Soto was the second born son to a minor country noble or Hidalgo. He would learn in his youth the skills of horsemanship, reading, writing, and armed combat, but due to the laws of inheritance he would have to look outside of his estate for wealth and glory. At the age of 14, Hernando de Soto would leave Extermadura for Seville and enlist in an expedition set for the New World. He would arrive in present day Panama at the colony of Darien founded by his childhood hero Alviar Nunez de Balboa. De Soto would serve Balboa and the governor Pedrarias Davila as soldier of horse, where he would quickly distinguish himself.
Pedrarias named El Furor Domini the scourge of God by his men would quickly strike out and eliminate many of his chief rivals within the colonial government, including Balboa his Son-in-Law. He would wage a brutal conquest over the native people of Central America conquering Panama and Nicaragua. De Soto would carefully navigate the time of political upheaval and executions and would rise to a position of prominence in the colonial government under Pedrarias. De Soto would game wealth and fame due to his partnerships with several men. Entering into a compania or partnership with Hernan Ponce de Leon, and Francisco Companon, De Soto would make a decent fortune ranching horses and trading and shipping Indian slaves.
Cajmarca -Atahualpa’s capture at the battle of Cajamarca.
A Chance for Immortality
In 1530 on a failed expedition into South America, a down on his luck conquistador named Francisco Pizarro stumbled upon evidence of a rich and culturally advanced society in Peru called the Inca. Pizarro would fail in his petition to Pedrarias to lead expedition of conquest into Peru. Pizarro would call on Hernando de Soto and Hernan Ponce de Leon to lend horse cavalry and ships for the expedition as well as influence on Pedrarias to approve the expedition. In exchange for his services, De Soto would be named second-in-command of the expedition and receive a lions share of the spoils of conquest.
The largest obstacle would prove to be De Soto’s old mentor Pedrarias who would stand firm on his decision to not allow the expedition. De Soto would attempt a coup to unseat Pedrarias’s power and would be thrown in prison and possibly executed. Fortunately for De Soto Pedrarias would die in March of 1531, freeing De Soto and Ponce to outfit Pizarro’s expedition. 1532 Pizarro and De Soto would lead 300 soldiers into Peru to conquer an empire of millions. Fortunately for the Spanish the Inca empire was experiencing a bloody civil war between two brothers Atahualpa and Huascar, in which Atahaulpa would win and become the Sapa Inca Emperor. Showing contempt for the Spanish, Atahualpa would meet with Pizarro at the Inca town of Cajamarca. Atahualpa would come un-armed and ultimately be captured by Pizarro in a bloody takeover. Atahaulpa and De Soto would become friends during the Inca Emperors captivity passing time playing chess and teaching him Spanish. Pizarro would offer Atahualpa a chance at freedom for a great ransom in which the Inca Emperor would fill three rooms with gold, silver and precious gems totaling 90 million dollars in today’s money. For his troubles Atahualpa would be tried and executed by Pizarro. De Soto in disagreeing would be sent away to put down a false rebellion during the trial. De Soto would bitterly leave the expedition in 1535 after being denied governorship of Cuzco by Pizarro. He would then travel to Spain and marry Donna Isabella de Bombadilla a daughter of his old mentor Pedrarias. In 1537 Hernando de Soto would meet with the Emperor Charles V and impress him with his tales from the indies. Charles would later approve De Soto’s request to govern and conquer a portion of the New world, a place named La Florida. De Soto would depart Spain in September 1537 to travel to Cuba were he would claim his title of Governor and begin forming his expedition to La Florida. May 1539 De Soto would depart Havana and sail for a selected bay on Florida’s west coast to begin the expedition that would cost him his fortune and his life.
Had a wonderful dinner & evening with friends from the hood – Mercedes & Harry.
I had – an Old Fashion.
The other half had: Perfect Manhattan.
The other half had: Soup & Blackened Salmon/ w onion straws & Cole slaw.
Mrs. Q had: Scallops/w house chips & a side of Ranch dressing for dipping & Cole slaw.
Drinks/food/service was good.
Side Caesar Salad
Peridia Golf & CC Dining — 4950 Peridia Boulevard East, Bradenton, FL 34203 – 941-758-2582 –
Q-tips say: Service/drinks/ Pasta Night dinner was ok. Customize your perfect pasta bowl and enjoy Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread, a selection of sauces, proteins, & vegetables.
Q – Tips had: We began our dinner with our usual libations – An Old Fashion – up & dirty ice on the side & a Cosmo. The other half had his Perfect Manhattan.
Mrs. Q is NOT a Pasta Fan BUT she went to this Pasta Night & was nice visiting with neighbors of the hood.
PASTA NIGHT – Caesar salad only & some kind of a garlic bread & then choose your pasta, pasta sauce with your toppings of choice (shrimp/peas, black olives/sausage,) etc. Pasta Night Buffet dinner you get to choose your pasta, sauce, meats, shrimp etc. & how much of each.
The CAPITAL GRILL – 180 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota, FL 34243, (941) 256-3647, thecapitalgrille.com
Q-Tips say: Have been to the Capital Grill in Chicago and here & both locations are great.
Usual Libations: Old Fashion & Perfect Manhattan
Mrs. Q says: The Capital Hours: Capital Hours: M–F 3–6pm. Elevated cocktails & plates in the lounge.
We began by sharing: the delicious bread & fresh Blue Point Oysters.
Entrees: Seared Salmon with Mediterranean Couscous, Asparagus, and Heirloom Tomatoes.
French Onion soup
2026 – A 2 mile long Riverwalk along the Manatee River. We walked past a skate park, over train tracks, splash water park, playgrounds, an amphitheater & some art installations. This is an expansion of Rossi Park between the Green and DeSoto bridges. There were clean shady seating & lots of signage about the Riverwalk.
After a lovely walk, off to Pier 22 for din-din.
