NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A bidding war for Wachovia has erupted between banking giants Citigroup and Wells Fargo, according to a published report Sunday night.
Citing people involved in the talks, The New York Times reported that the discussions come as concerns have grown about Wachovia's viability, despite a breakthrough reached Sunday by Congressional negotiators on a $700 billion bailout for the financial system.
Rumors of deal talks arose on Friday as published reports said that Wachovia was considering a deal with Citigroup (C, Fortune 500), Spain's Banco Santander (STD) or Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500).
Sunday's report in The Times added that the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department were also participating in the discussions, but that the government is refusing to help bidders by guaranteeing a part of Wachovia's assets the way it did for Bear Stearns in March when it was sold to JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500).
The government was also not ready to take over Wachovia the way it did Washington Mutual last week, The Times reported, unless its financial position deteriorates more rapidly.
Timing for a deal was not clear, and the talks could extend beyond Sunday night, The Times said.
Wachovia (WB, Fortune 500) shares were hit particularly hard on Friday - the stock lost nearly a third of its value.
Though the stock closed at $10 on Friday, Citigroup and Wells Fargo are unlikely to bid more than a few dollars a share for Wachovia, according to The Times.
Also unclear, The Times said, was whether the banks would bid for all of Wachovia or pieces. Wachovia's retail banking operations would help Citigroup and Wells Fargo expand their branch networks, The Times said.
Spokespeople for Citigroup, Wachovia and Wells Fargo declined to comment on Friday. A representative for Santander was not immediately available to comment.
This isn't the first time that Wachovia has been mentioned entering tie-up talks. A little over a week ago, there was rampant speculation that Morgan Stanley and Wachovia were reportedly discussing a merger. A deal between the two firms looks increasingly unlikely though after Morgan Stanley (MS, Fortune 500) agreed to sell up to a fifth of itself to Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of Japan's largest banks, earlier this week.
Following a string of high-profile collapses of banks in recent weeks, there has been increasing speculation that Wachovia could be the next one to go.
Wachovia reported losses during the past two quarters due in large part to its exposure to U.S. mortgage market. Some analysts have cited the company's ill-timed 2006 acquisition of the California mortgage lender Golden West Financial Corp. for its current woes.
A Wachovia representative stressed in a statement on Friday that it has a "strong retail franchise and large and stable deposit base," adding that it was working to strengthen both its capital and liquidity.
Were Wachovia to enter a deal, it would mark yet another big shake up of the nation's banking industry, which has undergone a dramatic transformation in the past two weeks including the demise of Lehman Brothers, the acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) and the failure of Washington Mutual and subsequent purchase by JPMorgan Chase.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Credit Crunch Coming?
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Is it even harder now for businesses to get credit from banks? No question.
Does that mean that the American economy will crumble within weeks if the government's $700 billion bailout of Wall Street doesn't pass? No telling.
In the wake of last week's demise of Lehman Brothers and last-minute government bailout of American International Group, the credit markets have all but frozen. What this means for businesses is that they are having a tougher time just getting funding even for their day-to-day operations, never mind securing loans for expansion projects.
While the credit crunch is more than a year old already, two things have changed in recent weeks. First, investors have cut off a major financing source of large corporations by shying away from buying their commercial paper, or ultra short-term debt.
Also, since banks are now holding onto their money even more, they are either not extending lines of credit to companies or are instituting more onerous terms. Businesses of all sizes depend on this funding to buy supplies and inventory, make payroll and extend credit to customers while waiting for payments to come in.
Most businesses don't keep much cash on hand. They rely on banks' lines of credit to cover them until they get paid by their customers.
What does that mean for companies and their employees? Economists are divided, with some predicting dire consequences and others saying most can weather the financial storm for now.
Can't live without credit
If businesses can't access funding on reasonable terms, they will likely either raise prices or curtail their operations or both, said Ken Goldstein, economist with The Conference Board, a business research organization. This could send the economy into a tailspin as everyone from the corner bagel shop to the local hospital to the largest manufacturer suffers.
"If they're lucky they get the money, but at a much higher price, which they then pass on to you and me," said Goldstein, adding the economy could start crumbling within weeks under that scenario. "If they don't get the money, they might have to close their doors."
For each business that can't get funding, the impact is felt by many, experts said. The company may curtail credit to its customers, forcing them to pay more cash up front. It won't buy as much from suppliers or invest in upgrading its operations. And it may have to cut its workforce, or at least postpone expanding it.
Both struggling and growing companies feel the squeeze.
"Bank capital is the lubricant that allow them to run their operations," said Amiyatosh Purnanandam, assistant professor of finance at the University of Michigan. "Even a profitable company can't undertake projects because it has no money."
Demise not imminent
Other experts, however, say that most companies can get by for the time being. Credit lines, they point out, usually last for at least a year so banks can't start pulling them willy-nilly unless the terms are broken. And business can better survive a credit squeeze than a major downturn in consumer spending, which has yet to materialize.
"It's not the disaster they are making it out to be," said Amir Sufi, assistant professor of finance at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
Some companies, meanwhile, are coming up with inventive ways to circumvent the funding freeze.
Take Drew Greenblatt, president of Marlin Steel Wire Products in Baltimore.
He recently asked his bank to add $175,000 to his line of credit so he could purchase steel for two large customer orders. The bank said he could get the funding, but only if he first put $175,000 into a certificate of deposit.
"We can get the money but the terms are so silly it just doesn't make sense," he said. "It's very frustrating."
So instead, Greenblatt is demanding more cash from customers in advance. Those clients with average credit ratings now have to put down a 50% deposit on their orders, whereas two months ago they didn't have to pay anything upfront.
"We're trying to make sure what's happening in the credit markets doesn't impact us," Greenblatt said. "We will be able to ratchet up sales and not have to deal with the bank."
Courtesy of CNNMoney
By Tami Luhby, CNNMoney.com senior writer
September 28, 2008: 11:15 AM ET
Does that mean that the American economy will crumble within weeks if the government's $700 billion bailout of Wall Street doesn't pass? No telling.
In the wake of last week's demise of Lehman Brothers and last-minute government bailout of American International Group, the credit markets have all but frozen. What this means for businesses is that they are having a tougher time just getting funding even for their day-to-day operations, never mind securing loans for expansion projects.
While the credit crunch is more than a year old already, two things have changed in recent weeks. First, investors have cut off a major financing source of large corporations by shying away from buying their commercial paper, or ultra short-term debt.
Also, since banks are now holding onto their money even more, they are either not extending lines of credit to companies or are instituting more onerous terms. Businesses of all sizes depend on this funding to buy supplies and inventory, make payroll and extend credit to customers while waiting for payments to come in.
Most businesses don't keep much cash on hand. They rely on banks' lines of credit to cover them until they get paid by their customers.
What does that mean for companies and their employees? Economists are divided, with some predicting dire consequences and others saying most can weather the financial storm for now.
Can't live without credit
If businesses can't access funding on reasonable terms, they will likely either raise prices or curtail their operations or both, said Ken Goldstein, economist with The Conference Board, a business research organization. This could send the economy into a tailspin as everyone from the corner bagel shop to the local hospital to the largest manufacturer suffers.
"If they're lucky they get the money, but at a much higher price, which they then pass on to you and me," said Goldstein, adding the economy could start crumbling within weeks under that scenario. "If they don't get the money, they might have to close their doors."
For each business that can't get funding, the impact is felt by many, experts said. The company may curtail credit to its customers, forcing them to pay more cash up front. It won't buy as much from suppliers or invest in upgrading its operations. And it may have to cut its workforce, or at least postpone expanding it.
Both struggling and growing companies feel the squeeze.
"Bank capital is the lubricant that allow them to run their operations," said Amiyatosh Purnanandam, assistant professor of finance at the University of Michigan. "Even a profitable company can't undertake projects because it has no money."
Demise not imminent
Other experts, however, say that most companies can get by for the time being. Credit lines, they point out, usually last for at least a year so banks can't start pulling them willy-nilly unless the terms are broken. And business can better survive a credit squeeze than a major downturn in consumer spending, which has yet to materialize.
"It's not the disaster they are making it out to be," said Amir Sufi, assistant professor of finance at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
Some companies, meanwhile, are coming up with inventive ways to circumvent the funding freeze.
Take Drew Greenblatt, president of Marlin Steel Wire Products in Baltimore.
He recently asked his bank to add $175,000 to his line of credit so he could purchase steel for two large customer orders. The bank said he could get the funding, but only if he first put $175,000 into a certificate of deposit.
"We can get the money but the terms are so silly it just doesn't make sense," he said. "It's very frustrating."
So instead, Greenblatt is demanding more cash from customers in advance. Those clients with average credit ratings now have to put down a 50% deposit on their orders, whereas two months ago they didn't have to pay anything upfront.
"We're trying to make sure what's happening in the credit markets doesn't impact us," Greenblatt said. "We will be able to ratchet up sales and not have to deal with the bank."
Courtesy of CNNMoney
By Tami Luhby, CNNMoney.com senior writer
September 28, 2008: 11:15 AM ET
Monday, September 15, 2008
Wall Street Meltdown Blues
Well, it finally happened. Wall Street finally had a meltdown. This is what happens when you borrow, borrow, and borrow some more, and then put all of your eggs in one basket. Read the blog of why the option arms caught the Wall Street banks. Its time for new leadership and vision on Wall Street. Who knows what the long term effects will be. The US economy is so diversified, and this is such a small group of individuals affected, the rest of us will probably not feel anything.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
North Port, Charlotte County Show 2nd Best Performance in State for Real Estate Sales
While Sarasota showed a dismal performance in Real Estates Sales last quarter, North Port and Charlotte County showed a 13% gain in sales bringing them in 2nd place in the state for Real Estate Sales. The median home price in these areas was $152,500.00. According to local Realtors, Southwest Florida appears to be outselling the states more affluent markets such as the Miami - Dade area.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Dining in Venice - Venice Boasts Variety
Venice boasts variety
A stroll through downtown will satisfy your cravings.
Wander the streets of downtown Venice for a while, and a lazy, peaceful feeling descends upon you.
The Soda Fountain349 Venice Ave. W.412-9860
Steve's Super Sub Sandwiches339 Venice Ave. W.484-7151
Truly Delicious Gourmet Food Co.305 Venice Ave. W.488-8885
Bresler's Ice cream & Yogurt249 Venice Ave. W.488-0332
T.J. Carney's Pub & Grille231 Venice Ave. W.480-9244
The Tomato Patch125 Venice Ave. W.488-0828
James Place117 Venice Ave. W.485-6742
Cafe Venice Restaurant & Wine Bar116 Venice Ave. W.484-1855
Le Petit Jardin218 Tampa Ave. W.485-4449
Geraldi's113 Tampa Ave. W.484-7072
If Teacups Could Talk239 Miami Ave. W.488-4400
CoCo's229 Miami Ave. W.480-9696
Althea's220 Miami Ave. W.484-5187
Bella Luna Cafe200 Miami Ave. W.488-3089
Luna Ristorante200 St. Augustine Ave.412-9898
Venice Wine & Coffee Co.110 Nokomis Ave. S.484-3667
Gianni's Pizza212 Tamiami Trl. S.484-4599
It is the feeling of a town, a business district, at ease with itself and its image, one not straining to be larger than it is nor struggling to squeeze into a small-town charm.
Residents and tourists stroll past shop after shop surrounding Centennial Park, the anchor for the city's core, stopping occasionally to peruse window displays, talk with friends or chat about the latest wares with shopkeepers.
It's a comfortable feeling, an inviting feeling, and one that carries over into the variety of eateries in the heart of the city.
Cozy surroundings
You won't find much cozier surroundings than those at T.J. Carney's Pub & Grille, 231 Venice Ave. W. This establishment has dished up meals and drinks since the 1940s -- though under a different nameplate -- and continues to be a drawing card for locals and visitors today.
Diners can pull up a seat at any of a handful of tables under an awning on the walkway in front of the building, and keep an eye on goings-on in the park across the street or on the passers-by. Or they can step inside and soak in the warmth of deeply stained woodwork decorating the large dining area.
The waiters happily chat about the menu items for newcomers, noting the highlights of the day, but will just as readily slip into a back-and-forth about the weather, the music, the city or anything else you'd care to talk about.
The menu features standard pub favorites, the usual assortment of cheeseburgers and Reuben sandwiches, buffalo wings and nacho plates. But it also ranges a bit, with dinner entrées (available after 5 p.m.) like chicken parmigiana and linguine, $12.99, coconut shrimp with a pineapple-mango dipping sauce, $13.99, and broiled grouper stuffed with crabmeat, $15.99.
Generally, look for American favorites with a few Irish surprises.
The baked Irish onion soup, at $4.99 a crock, is one. It comes literally overflowing with glazed onions, a hearty broth and loads of big, seasoned croutons.
And the shepherd's pie, $9.99 here and a staple of any Irish-themed restaurant, lays down a liberal helping of ground beef and vegetables, bathes that with gravy and tops it all with silky-smooth mashed potatoes.
Like any good pub, Carney's brings in live entertainment on weekends and for special events to keep the crowds tapping and tipping -- both their drinks and their servers.
Carney's is open at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at noon Sunday. Dinners are served until 10 p.m.
Follow the crowd
A block to the east, James Place, 117 Venice Ave. W., also offers the indoor-outdoor seating option, with a full overhang to protect outside diners from the quick storm that brews up occasionally in Florida.
This nondescript eatery could, in another life, just as easily pass for a travel agency as a restaurant. From the sparsely decorated glass window fronting the building to the ordinary patio furniture outside, nothing about this place screams "Stop here."
Except the steady stream of patrons rushing into the small shop.
The restaurant until the New Year had eschewed the dinner crowd, only recently having added entrées like jumbo shrimp, mahi-mahi and filet mignon for the after-work crowd or on weekends.
Of course, James Place still specializes in serving up food to the breakfast and lunch set. The noontime menu featured café fare, with items like a chef's salad with turkey, ham and the works for $8.95, a bacon cheeseburger, fries and cole slaw for $7.95, fish and chips for $8.95, and a soup and/or salad and/or sandwich combo (you get two of the three) for $5.75.
Breakfast dishes include meals packing enough food to fully bust any fast.
Three-egg omelets come fluffy and steaming, filled with three fillings from a list that includes ham, bacon, Swiss cheese, tomatoes and mushrooms. A side of home fries and toast complete the $7.25 plate.
The Royal Britannica breakfast, $9.50, might better be named the Royal Family breakfast, since it has enough food on a plate to feed the extended clan. Take a breath: two eggs, Canadian bacon (though a little thin and tough), sausage links, baked beans, sautéed tomatoes and mushrooms, home fries and toast. Just for the fun of it -- and the challenge -- add a side of corned beef hash, $4.75.
A stack of apple-cinnamon pancakes, $5.25, came with large slices of apples and a none-too-thrifty dose of cinnamon. And they were stacked sky-high (OK, maybe only 6 inches or so).
James Place is open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Sunday. Dinner hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed Tuesday.
Pizza plus
Turn off Venice Avenue and head a block south, and you'll find Gianni's Pizza, 212 Tamiami Trail S. It would be hard to miss.
A vast brick building with plenty of signage, this restaurant has a nifty little feature tucked inside: a fountain. Right there, smack in the middle of the tiled floors and between banks of patio furniture-style tables and chrome-and-vinyl booths. Just steps away from the open-view kitchen.
It's a nice touch, one that keeps the little ones occupied -- and you'll find lots of little ones in here -- while they wait for Mom and Dad to order at the counter, find a table and sit patiently while the cooks whip up the food.
No surprises on the menu here. A place named Gianni's better serve up plenty of Italian-based dishes. And it does, from veal Parmesan, $7.94, to vegetable lasagna, also $7.94, to spaghetti with meat sauce, $7.01. The menu also rolls out a roster of hoagies -- $4.44 for a 6-inch sub and $7.94 for a footlong -- stuffed with combinations of ingredients like salami, turkey, ham, hamburger, veal, chicken and more.
But pizzas rule at Gianni's, with the menu boasting that the slabs were rated best in Venice in 2002 and 2003. The pies come in sizes from 6 inches across to an 18-inch monster, and with regular crust or pan-style.
Toppings are pretty standard, with pepperoni, sausage anchovies and the like, but the thrill-seekers can check out a "turf" pie, with steak and mushrooms; a Greek pie, with gyro meat, black olives and feta cheese; or a surf slab, made with crab legs and spinach. The surf option deftly mixes the sweet crab with the bite of the spinach on top of a crisply cooked dough. The specialty pies cost $10.70 for a small (12-inch) or $13.78 for large (16-inch).
Gianni's is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed Sunday.
Leave diet at the door
Ask many a wanderer in Venice where they plan to stop for a bite, and the answer will be Althea's. Another in the indoor-outdoor mix, Althea's, 220 Miami Ave. W., fills up quickly, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
This is an "I'm-off-my-diet-but-just-for-today" kind of place, with welcoming meals served up in a tight, though not congested, dining room.
Three separate menus throughout the day sport an amazing range of dishes, from eggs Benedict ($6.59) in the morning to a baked stuffed avocado ($7.59) at lunch to Black & Bleu Chicken ($11.95) for dinner.
A recent dinner sampling started with a bowl of chicken vegetable soup ($3.95), a nice, light broth with plenty of big chunks of chicken. Two dinners followed, with a thick slab of tender salmon ($12.95), seared on the grill and served with a side of vegetables and a choice of potato, rice or other staple. The other offering was the Black & Bleu Chicken, with two breasts of chicken seasoned and quickly blackened, topped with caramelized onions and a chunk of slowly melting blue cheese on each.
Follow that with a wide wedge of tart key lime pie ($3.99) and a smooth dish of tiramisu ($4.99), and the booths at Althea's seem just a little bit cozier -- OK, smaller -- on leaving than entering.
Courtesy of the Herald Tribune
By KEVIN O'HORAN
Published Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006 at 4:30 a.m.
A stroll through downtown will satisfy your cravings.
Wander the streets of downtown Venice for a while, and a lazy, peaceful feeling descends upon you.
The Soda Fountain349 Venice Ave. W.412-9860
Steve's Super Sub Sandwiches339 Venice Ave. W.484-7151
Truly Delicious Gourmet Food Co.305 Venice Ave. W.488-8885
Bresler's Ice cream & Yogurt249 Venice Ave. W.488-0332
T.J. Carney's Pub & Grille231 Venice Ave. W.480-9244
The Tomato Patch125 Venice Ave. W.488-0828
James Place117 Venice Ave. W.485-6742
Cafe Venice Restaurant & Wine Bar116 Venice Ave. W.484-1855
Le Petit Jardin218 Tampa Ave. W.485-4449
Geraldi's113 Tampa Ave. W.484-7072
If Teacups Could Talk239 Miami Ave. W.488-4400
CoCo's229 Miami Ave. W.480-9696
Althea's220 Miami Ave. W.484-5187
Bella Luna Cafe200 Miami Ave. W.488-3089
Luna Ristorante200 St. Augustine Ave.412-9898
Venice Wine & Coffee Co.110 Nokomis Ave. S.484-3667
Gianni's Pizza212 Tamiami Trl. S.484-4599
It is the feeling of a town, a business district, at ease with itself and its image, one not straining to be larger than it is nor struggling to squeeze into a small-town charm.
Residents and tourists stroll past shop after shop surrounding Centennial Park, the anchor for the city's core, stopping occasionally to peruse window displays, talk with friends or chat about the latest wares with shopkeepers.
It's a comfortable feeling, an inviting feeling, and one that carries over into the variety of eateries in the heart of the city.
Cozy surroundings
You won't find much cozier surroundings than those at T.J. Carney's Pub & Grille, 231 Venice Ave. W. This establishment has dished up meals and drinks since the 1940s -- though under a different nameplate -- and continues to be a drawing card for locals and visitors today.
Diners can pull up a seat at any of a handful of tables under an awning on the walkway in front of the building, and keep an eye on goings-on in the park across the street or on the passers-by. Or they can step inside and soak in the warmth of deeply stained woodwork decorating the large dining area.
The waiters happily chat about the menu items for newcomers, noting the highlights of the day, but will just as readily slip into a back-and-forth about the weather, the music, the city or anything else you'd care to talk about.
The menu features standard pub favorites, the usual assortment of cheeseburgers and Reuben sandwiches, buffalo wings and nacho plates. But it also ranges a bit, with dinner entrées (available after 5 p.m.) like chicken parmigiana and linguine, $12.99, coconut shrimp with a pineapple-mango dipping sauce, $13.99, and broiled grouper stuffed with crabmeat, $15.99.
Generally, look for American favorites with a few Irish surprises.
The baked Irish onion soup, at $4.99 a crock, is one. It comes literally overflowing with glazed onions, a hearty broth and loads of big, seasoned croutons.
And the shepherd's pie, $9.99 here and a staple of any Irish-themed restaurant, lays down a liberal helping of ground beef and vegetables, bathes that with gravy and tops it all with silky-smooth mashed potatoes.
Like any good pub, Carney's brings in live entertainment on weekends and for special events to keep the crowds tapping and tipping -- both their drinks and their servers.
Carney's is open at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at noon Sunday. Dinners are served until 10 p.m.
Follow the crowd
A block to the east, James Place, 117 Venice Ave. W., also offers the indoor-outdoor seating option, with a full overhang to protect outside diners from the quick storm that brews up occasionally in Florida.
This nondescript eatery could, in another life, just as easily pass for a travel agency as a restaurant. From the sparsely decorated glass window fronting the building to the ordinary patio furniture outside, nothing about this place screams "Stop here."
Except the steady stream of patrons rushing into the small shop.
The restaurant until the New Year had eschewed the dinner crowd, only recently having added entrées like jumbo shrimp, mahi-mahi and filet mignon for the after-work crowd or on weekends.
Of course, James Place still specializes in serving up food to the breakfast and lunch set. The noontime menu featured café fare, with items like a chef's salad with turkey, ham and the works for $8.95, a bacon cheeseburger, fries and cole slaw for $7.95, fish and chips for $8.95, and a soup and/or salad and/or sandwich combo (you get two of the three) for $5.75.
Breakfast dishes include meals packing enough food to fully bust any fast.
Three-egg omelets come fluffy and steaming, filled with three fillings from a list that includes ham, bacon, Swiss cheese, tomatoes and mushrooms. A side of home fries and toast complete the $7.25 plate.
The Royal Britannica breakfast, $9.50, might better be named the Royal Family breakfast, since it has enough food on a plate to feed the extended clan. Take a breath: two eggs, Canadian bacon (though a little thin and tough), sausage links, baked beans, sautéed tomatoes and mushrooms, home fries and toast. Just for the fun of it -- and the challenge -- add a side of corned beef hash, $4.75.
A stack of apple-cinnamon pancakes, $5.25, came with large slices of apples and a none-too-thrifty dose of cinnamon. And they were stacked sky-high (OK, maybe only 6 inches or so).
James Place is open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Sunday. Dinner hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed Tuesday.
Pizza plus
Turn off Venice Avenue and head a block south, and you'll find Gianni's Pizza, 212 Tamiami Trail S. It would be hard to miss.
A vast brick building with plenty of signage, this restaurant has a nifty little feature tucked inside: a fountain. Right there, smack in the middle of the tiled floors and between banks of patio furniture-style tables and chrome-and-vinyl booths. Just steps away from the open-view kitchen.
It's a nice touch, one that keeps the little ones occupied -- and you'll find lots of little ones in here -- while they wait for Mom and Dad to order at the counter, find a table and sit patiently while the cooks whip up the food.
No surprises on the menu here. A place named Gianni's better serve up plenty of Italian-based dishes. And it does, from veal Parmesan, $7.94, to vegetable lasagna, also $7.94, to spaghetti with meat sauce, $7.01. The menu also rolls out a roster of hoagies -- $4.44 for a 6-inch sub and $7.94 for a footlong -- stuffed with combinations of ingredients like salami, turkey, ham, hamburger, veal, chicken and more.
But pizzas rule at Gianni's, with the menu boasting that the slabs were rated best in Venice in 2002 and 2003. The pies come in sizes from 6 inches across to an 18-inch monster, and with regular crust or pan-style.
Toppings are pretty standard, with pepperoni, sausage anchovies and the like, but the thrill-seekers can check out a "turf" pie, with steak and mushrooms; a Greek pie, with gyro meat, black olives and feta cheese; or a surf slab, made with crab legs and spinach. The surf option deftly mixes the sweet crab with the bite of the spinach on top of a crisply cooked dough. The specialty pies cost $10.70 for a small (12-inch) or $13.78 for large (16-inch).
Gianni's is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed Sunday.
Leave diet at the door
Ask many a wanderer in Venice where they plan to stop for a bite, and the answer will be Althea's. Another in the indoor-outdoor mix, Althea's, 220 Miami Ave. W., fills up quickly, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
This is an "I'm-off-my-diet-but-just-for-today" kind of place, with welcoming meals served up in a tight, though not congested, dining room.
Three separate menus throughout the day sport an amazing range of dishes, from eggs Benedict ($6.59) in the morning to a baked stuffed avocado ($7.59) at lunch to Black & Bleu Chicken ($11.95) for dinner.
A recent dinner sampling started with a bowl of chicken vegetable soup ($3.95), a nice, light broth with plenty of big chunks of chicken. Two dinners followed, with a thick slab of tender salmon ($12.95), seared on the grill and served with a side of vegetables and a choice of potato, rice or other staple. The other offering was the Black & Bleu Chicken, with two breasts of chicken seasoned and quickly blackened, topped with caramelized onions and a chunk of slowly melting blue cheese on each.
Follow that with a wide wedge of tart key lime pie ($3.99) and a smooth dish of tiramisu ($4.99), and the booths at Althea's seem just a little bit cozier -- OK, smaller -- on leaving than entering.
Courtesy of the Herald Tribune
By KEVIN O'HORAN
Published Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006 at 4:30 a.m.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Realtors presenting "Green Expo" on Friday
More builders, designers and consumers are embracing sustainability in housing, and now real estate agents are joining the green movement.
The Green Realtors Alliance of Sarasota will present its first event at 12:30 p.m. Friday at the Sarasota Association of Realtors headquarters on Tuttle Avenue in Sarasota. The 2008 Green Home Expo will feature speakers on a variety of topics, with the goal of educating Realtors as to the realities of green building.
Lectures include "Florida Friendly Yards," with Annemarie Post of Sarasota County Extension; "The Air We Breathe" (indoor air pollution), by John Cozy of the Air and Water Team; "The Green Home," by Betty Alpaugh of the Florida House Learning Center; and "Getting the HERS Rating for Your Home," by Salena J. Wilson, Rate Division Manager of Calcs-Plus.
The Green Realtors Alliance of Sarasota (GRAS) is intended to be a "resource for the preservation of our environment and natural resources as it pertains toreal estate," according to a statement from GRAS.
Its goals are to:
-- "Practice and encourage preservation of our environment andnatural resources in our personal and professional lives."
-- "Stay informed and share information about local and relevantenvironmental issues."
-- "Educate other Realtors, clients and the public about sustainableliving as it pertains to real estate."
-- "Volunteer and participate in local sustainability projects and organizations."
The Green Realtors Alliance of Sarasota will present its first event at 12:30 p.m. Friday at the Sarasota Association of Realtors headquarters on Tuttle Avenue in Sarasota. The 2008 Green Home Expo will feature speakers on a variety of topics, with the goal of educating Realtors as to the realities of green building.
Lectures include "Florida Friendly Yards," with Annemarie Post of Sarasota County Extension; "The Air We Breathe" (indoor air pollution), by John Cozy of the Air and Water Team; "The Green Home," by Betty Alpaugh of the Florida House Learning Center; and "Getting the HERS Rating for Your Home," by Salena J. Wilson, Rate Division Manager of Calcs-Plus.
The Green Realtors Alliance of Sarasota (GRAS) is intended to be a "resource for the preservation of our environment and natural resources as it pertains toreal estate," according to a statement from GRAS.
Its goals are to:
-- "Practice and encourage preservation of our environment andnatural resources in our personal and professional lives."
-- "Stay informed and share information about local and relevantenvironmental issues."
-- "Educate other Realtors, clients and the public about sustainableliving as it pertains to real estate."
-- "Volunteer and participate in local sustainability projects and organizations."
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Wachovia Needs $7 Billion Dollars
It seems that Wachovia Bank is looking for $7 Billion dollars? Why? Where did they loose so much money? Who made it? Would Wachovia loan money to me if I needed it under those circumstances? Are investors throwing good money after bad? I think the board and CEO Ken Thompson need to step down. They got way too much power and control way too much money and so far they have demonstrated they can't handle it. That is from another fellow banker..ME! We need new blood there.
Stay tuned.
Stay tuned.
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