Shameless gluttony

Heap your plate at the Suncoast Sampler, all in the name of helping a student.

By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 31, 2000

Thirty months ago, after years of working in the restaurant industry for other people, sisters Irene Castro and Patti Ammons decided to open their own place. Logically enough, they named it Sisters Cafe, a 44-seat lunch-and-dinner place in a small shopping center on State Road 54.

"We just wanted to make and serve good, old-fashioned home-cooked meals," said Ms. Ammons, the designated "front of house" person. "My sister Irene does the cooking, with some help, of course, but it's all her own recipes."

The recipes must have worked; in November, a little more than two years after opening their doors, the sisters were able to nearly double the size of their restaurant, now seating 77 patrons in separate smoking and non-smoking rooms.

On Sunday, those who haven't dropped by 6823 State Road 54 to try Irene's special dishes will get a chance to sample what patrons have enjoyed for more than two years -- Irene Castro's meat loaf and mashed potatoes and hot linguine and tomato salad with feta cheese.

It's Sisters Cafe's entry in the eighth annual Pasco-Hernando Community College's Suncoast Sampler, an orgy of food provided by 23 of the area's favorite restaurants. Proceeds from the Sampler go toward scholarships at PHCC's various campuses. The event has raised more than $250,000 to help send 30 students to the school, according to Catherine Baumbach, executive director of the foundation.

In addition to generous samples from many premiere restaurants, the Sampler will have some special entertainment from the Show Palace Dinner Theatre -- highlights from Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I, which opens today for a six-week run at the Palace.

Stars Joe Lawrence, Mary Ann Boone, Kurt Martinuzzi and Brenda Grau will perform I Whistle a Happy Tune, Hello, Young Lovers, We Kiss in a Shadow, A Puzzlement, Shall We Dance? and I Have Dreamed, all in full costume, according to Jimmy Ferraro, director of the production.

Some examples of other food to be offered:

Boston Cooker: shrimp scampi, lobster bisque, Boston scrod, North Atlantic salmon with dill sauce

Sun Groves: salsa del sol and fresh-squeezed orange juice

Durango's Steakhouse: ribs, bacon-wrapped shrimp

Scarpo's Maryland Seafood House: crab balls

Carrabba's Italian Grill: chicken marsala, spiedino de mare

Publix Supermarket: Honeykut ham and pastries

Leverock's: salmon spread, shrimp and scallop Biscayne, key lime and chocolate mousse tarts

Lola's Restaurant: chicken alfredo, bread sticks, Southern peaches

Orange Julius: Orange Julius originals and smoothies

B.B.D.'s Cafe: blueberry muffins, broccoli and cheese soup

China Jade: chicken fingers, lo mein, pork fried rice

Hooters: chicken wings, pasta salad

Hops: Walkers Wood shrimp with black beans and yellow rice

Outback Steakhouse: sirloin, chicken on the barbie, 'shrooms

Phil's Cafe Quista: stromboli, stuffed pizza, garlic knots

Chick-fil-a: chicken nuggets, cheesecake

Chili's: beef and chicken fajitas

In addition, Auntie Anne's will serve pretzels, Barnie's Coffee & Tea will have coffee, the Ice Cream Factory will have various ice cream flavors, John's Steak, Seafood & Pasta will prepare its specialties, and Grandma's Candy Kitchen will offer chocolate.

At a glance

WHAT: Pasco-Hernando Community College Foundation's Suncoast Sampler 2000

WHERE: Gulf View Square, Port Richey

WHEN: 7-9 p.m. Sunday

TICKETS: $25 in advance; $30 at the door. Available at administrative offices of any PHCC campus; the box office at the PHCC Performing Arts Center in New Port Richey; the information booth at Gulf View Square, and some SunTrust banks. Call (727) 816-3410.

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