Did someone say FREE ice cream? Or, in this case a creamy, delicious frozen dessert! That just doesn’t seem possible. Whoever said, “You can’t get something for nothing” sure got it wrong.

This weekend will be the grand opening of two new Tasti D-Lite shops in Sarasota. One store is located in the Westfield Southgate Mall and the other over on St. Armands Circle. These are the first two Tasti D-Lite’s to open in Florida.

To celebrate their grand opening, both shops will giving away free Tasti’s. Here’s the giveaway schedule so you can mark your calendar.

Friday, November 13th: 11am to 3pm
Saturday, November 14th: 11am to 1pm
Sunday, November 15th: Noon to 2pm

Looks like there will plenty of opportunity for you to score a great free treat this weekend.

Tasti D-Lite describes their product as a great tasting, lower calorie, frozen dessert. With just 70 and 100 calories per ounce of serving and 1.5 grams a fat you’ll be able to indulge your sweet tooth and not have to feel bad doing it! Tasti D-Lite comes in more than 100 flavors and the menu includes healthy shakes, sundaes, super fruit smoothies, cakes and pies.

Those attending the free Tasti give away can also register to win a free year of Tasti’s and a free cake & pie party for 20.

The Sarasota stores are owned by local Longboat Key residents, Irwin and Sylvia Pastor and their son John. We wish them the best of luck here in town and hope they’ll be dishing out delicious treats for years to come.

Tasti D-Lite
Westgate Southfield Mall
3501 S. Tamiami Trl.
Sarasota, FL

327A St. Armands Circle
Sarasota, FL 34236

Are you one of us who just loves the wings at Gecko’s Grill and Pub? If you are, then you should put a big circle around Sunday November 15th on your culinary calendar. That’s the date of Gecko’s Wing Fest 2009.

From 2pm to 5pm at it’s Palmer Crossing location Gecko’s will be hosting an afternoon made for a true wing lover. Here’s how things shape up.

Ever wondered which of Gecko’s four Chef’s (one from each location) has the best wing recipe? Well, that will be decided at Wing Fest. Chef Doug, Gordon, Jarrod and Eric will complete head on to see whose wings win the crown. Oh, and here’s the best part, you get to judge! Have a sample of each of the four varieties and then cast your vote for the winner.

How many great Gecko’s wings do you think you can eat in two minutes? You can find out on Sunday. Enter the halftime wing eating contest and put your speed eating skills up against other hungry Sarasota wing lovers.

Gecko’s will be featuring other food and drink specials that afternoon. You can also win tickets to see the Tampa Bay Bucs play the New Orleans Saints on November 22nd. Sounds like Wing Fest 2009 should be a fun and delicious time.

Gecko’s Grill & Pub
The Landings
4870 S. Tamiami Tr.
Sarasota, FL 34321
941-923-8896

Braden River Plaza
4310 SR 64E
Bradenton, FL 34208
941-744-2664

Twelve Oaks Plaza
SR 70 and I-75
7228 55th Avenue E.
Bradenton, FL 34203
941-727-8988

Palmer Crossing
5585 Palmer Crossing Dr.
Sarasota, FL 34233
941-923-6061

How about a nice relaxing vacation style meal? With its St. Armands Circle location, Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Cafe gives you that “I’m on Vacation” feel even if your a local.

Known for their island style casual cuisine, Tommy Bahama’s always delivers a great meal in a setting that makes you feel like you’ve gotten away from it all.

How about breakfast or lunch at one of our great Sarasota restaurants? It’s good to get out!

Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Cafe
300 John Ringling Boulevard
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-388-2888

I doubt that back in 1921 when White Castle founder Walter Anderson opened his first restaurant, that he could have foreseen how popular his tiny burger creation would be. Fast forward 89 years to 2010 and check out what the “slider” has become!

There have been so many variations on this small tasty treat over the years that it would be hard to count them up. Here in Sarasota we are lucky enough to have a big time winner in slider creation and innovation.

And, it’s no other than Lee Roy Selmon’s! Surprised? You shouldn’t be, considering how great of a job Selmon’s does on the southern comfort food thing. If you think about it, sliders are a pretty natural extension of that. They’re comfort food in their own way. Here’s a rundown of their brand new slider variations.

First up is the Pulled Pork Slider. Tender pulled pork mixed with Selmon’s own Kansas City BBQ sauce and topped with a dill pickle and apple-jack cole slaw.

The Beef Brisket Slider features slow cooked beef brisket, drizzled with BBQ sauce and topped with cole slaw.

There is a more traditional Burger Slider that boasts a flame broiled burger patty, topped with cheddar cheese, yellow mustard, ketchup and pickles.

And, lastly from the category of thinking outside of the slider box, a Mini Nathan’s Hot Dog Slider. A grilled mini Nathan’s dog, nestled in a warm bun with spicy brown mustard and a side of chopped onion and sweet relish. WOW! That’s a slider line-up.

You can get a trio of sliders for $5.99 or for the larger appetite, a family platter for $9.99.

Somehow, I don’t think that Walter Anderson could have envisioned his burger invention as it has been re-imagined for today’s market. I do think however, that he would have found all the slider attention flattering, not to mentioned delicious.

There is one local seafood delicacy in particular that I look forward to all year long, stone crab.

It seems like the culinary buzzword of the past couple of years has been LOCAL. Well, It’s pretty hard to get more local than fresh crab trapped right off your shore. By the time September hits, I’m usually counting down the days until the season starts in mid October.

This year, here at dineSarasota.com, we are going to try and put together a list of the best places in town to chow down a platter of these delicious crustaceans. Going out for stone crab is an expensive proposition, so, you want to make it count. We’re hoping to help you out with some tips, reviews and ideas over the next few months.

Right now we’re looking for suggestions from you. Where do you go for stone crabs? Is there some place that you would like to review for us? Hot or cold? Who has the best mustard sauce in town? OK, see I shouldn’t get started on this.

Leave us a comment below, send us an email, tweet us or use our Facebook fan page. We’re looking for your ideas.

Next up we’ll post our un-definitive, up datable & debatable dS Stone Crab Master List.

Who has the best sushi, best hamburger or best pizza in town? You’re about to find out.

Sarasota weekly, Creative Loafing is out with their Best Of The Suncoast issue and we have a list of the winners from the all important Food & Drink category. This years winners run the gamut from new places to old standards. They represent the latest Sarasota hot spots and a few local secrets.

Have a look at some of the highlights:

BEST NEW RESTAURANT
MoZaic

BEST CHEF
Rick Monroe, Sun Garden Café

BEST SUSHI
Yume Sushi

BEST LUNCH
Simon’s Coffee House

BEST DESSERT
Yoder’s Restaurant

BEST LOUNGE
Ivory Lounge

Creative Loafing will be hosting a Best of the Suncoast awards party Friday, October 23rd at the Rustic Grill. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. The event is scheduled from 8pm to 1am and is sure to be a fantastic time. It’s your chance to run elbows with some of the best of Sarasota’s culinary scene.

For a full list of the 2009 Best of the Suncoast, Food & Drink awards winner CLICK HERE.

There are three Sarasota/Bradenton area, Anna Maria Oyster Bar locations to choose from. Their Landside restaurant is located just north of the SRQ airport on North Tamiami Trail.

They offer a great menu of local seafood to tempt your taste buds. It’s also a comfortable family place, so it’s a great spot to take the kids for a meal. It’s stone crab season, so there’s a great reason to stop by. They also serve a good New England Clam Chowder. Be sure to give that a try.

Click on the image below to view the full menu

Anna Maria Oyster Bar
6906 14th Street West
Bradenton, FL
(941) 758-7880

6696 Cortez Road
Bradenton, FL
(941) 792-0077

1525 51st Ave East
Ellenton, FL
(941) 721-7773

Here’s a long time Sarasota favorite. Cha Cha Coconuts, located on St. Armands Circle, has been serving up great casual food and drinks to hungry Sarasota diners for years.

Looking for a place to grab a burger? Cha Cha’s has a great one. Oh, and while you dine, you can also catch some fantastic live music.

Cha Cha Coconuts Tropical Bar
417 St. Armands Circle
Sarasota, Florida 34236
941-388-3300

If Asian style cuisine is your thing, then circle Monday September 28th on your calendar. That’s the day that Sarasota gets their first taste of the new Pei Wei Asian Diner that is set to open in University Park.

For years there had been rumors swirling around the Sarasota dining scene that the legendary P.F. Chang China Bistro chain would open a restaurant here. Well, as it turns out that was sort of right. Pei Wei is owned and operated by P.F. Chang and like their parent company they also serve fantastic food.

They will be offering their customary high quality Asian cuisine in a comfortable, quick and casual dine-in or take-out environment. Their menu pulls from five Asian countries: China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

“We are excited to offer Sarasota a taste of our contemporary Asian-inspired cuisine,” said Jesse Mehaffie, local operating partner for Pei Wei Asian Diner.  “We look forward to serving local residents and being part of their great community.”

Operating hours will be: Sunday through Thursday from 11am to 9pm. Friday through Sunday 11am to 10pm.

They currently are running a Ramen Recipe Face Off. You can participate by visiting the Pei Wei Facebook fan page. That sounds like a delicious contest worth entering.

Pei Wei is going to make a great addition to our already vibrant Sarasota restaurant and dining scene. Why don’t you head on over for lunch or dinner then let us know what you think.

Pei Wei Asian Diner
8511 Cooper Creek
University Park, FL 34201
941-359-8570

There are a few chefs here in Sarasota who can make pairing great wine and great food seem effortless. Chef Paul Mattison is one of them.

On Friday, September 25th Mattison’s Forty-One will be showcasing Chef Paul’s pairing skills at their Premium Wine Pairing Dinner. Guests will be treated to a specially prepared five course meal paired with some exceptional California wines.

Have I got your taste buds attention now? Here’s a look at the menu for the evening.

Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare
cucumber, shiso leaf, citrus ponzu, sesame crisp served with a 2007 Morgan Metallico Chardonnay, Monterey, California

Butter Poached Halibut
sake braised bok choy, oyster mushrooms, vanilla-coconut beurre blanc,
spiced pineapple syrup served with a 2006 ZD Chardonnay, California

Seared Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast
sweet potato and scallion risotto, drunken cherries, five spice cream served with a 2005 Rutz Cellars Maison Grand Cru Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, California

Wild Mushroom Crusted Beef Tenderloin
basil mashed potato, haricot verts, almonds, truffle-cognac demi served with a 2005 Caravan Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, California

Vermont Maple Semifreddo
hazelnut tuile and Frangelico syrup served with a Taylor Fladgate 10yr Tawny Port

The cost for the evening is $65.00 per person. Reservations are required and space is limited. This should be a fantastic event.