Southwest Florida Teen Violinist Played at Carnegie Hall

Classical violinist Elijah Luzginov, 18, of Sarasota, Florida, was among the musicians who performed during the American Protégé Winners Recital on June 16 at New York City's Carnegie Hall.

Luzginov captivated the audience with his performance of "Praeludium and Allegro in the Style of Pugani" by Fritz Kreisler during the recital.

The Southwest Florida teen violinist began playing when he was 4 years old. He was selected as first violin for the Perlman Music Program for three years, playing in an orchestra of young musical prodigies conducted by Itzhak Perlman. He also received first place in the Ida and Wolf Concerto Competition.

Elijah has been the concertmaster for the Sarasota Youth Orchestra for two years. In addition, he performs as a soloist all over southern Florida including here in Southwest Florida. His website shows a wedding performance at the La Casa Toscana in Fort Myers as well as mentions of the Ritz Carlton and The Inn On Fifth in Naples.

American Protégé International Music Competitions are designed for young musicians, actors and singers. For more than 14 years, this organization has advanced the careers of its participants. Winners of the annual competitions are introduced to new audiences on stage in NYC.

Elijah Luzginov is currently accepting bookings for weddings and corporate events in Southwest Florida and Miami.

Summer is here and it's likely there is a road trip in your future. Refueling is a big part of road trips. Not just for the car but the body too. Here is a new Favorite Florida Pit Stop to get you over the driving hump. This one also offers healthful dining between Sarasota and Tampa. It's Sage Sushi Lounge.

Find this unassuming Asian restaurant just a couple of blocks east of I-75 in Sun City. Sun City is famous for being a 55 and up community in Hillsborough County. It's about the only thing between Ellenton and Bradenton.

When your hunger pangs hit and you want to get on and off the road easily, now you have another option. Sage Sushi Lounge is in the corner of the Home Depot Shopping Center.

I'm a sushi girl. I love trying new spots but when you're on the road going to a place you aren't familiar with for this kind of food can make you think twice. It's got to be fresh, and the place has to be clean, for me. This place felt good when I walked in. It was in-between dinner and lunch, so it wasn't crowded.

The menu at Sage was fairly large with a wide variety of sushi rolls, sashimi and nigiri. One of the things I really enjoyed was the selection of rolls with no rice. Four low-carb rolls were wrapped with either thin layers of rice paper or thin slices of salmon.

If you are watching carbs and calories, these are good options.

For those who don't like sushi, the restaurant has three different kinds of ramen. They also serve hibachi style chicken, shrimp and steak over fried rice. The menu has several soups and salads along with stir fry and tempura fried goodies. So, there is something for everyone.

If this is not the cuisine for you, about 20 minutes south you'll find another Favorite Florida Pit Stop. Click here for that one.

Favorite Florida Pit Stops is a travel and dining series. It offers tips on mom-and-pop places to stop for a bite when traveling to and from Southwest Florida. If you have a good one to share, email me here.

Sage Sushi Lounge has lots of space. It is clean, modern and has numerous kinds of seating. I was there at an odd time so was able to capture the sushi bar with no people. I was told that is quite uncommon here.

The booths at Sage Sushi Lounge feel as if you have some privacy. They are modern in decor and pretty comfortable too.

The Pork Belly Steam Bun is on the appetizer menu at Sage Sushi Lounge. I would've liked just a little more pork belly in there, but the flavors were good. The sauce is sweet and savory hoisin.

Sage Sushi Lounge serves more than sushi. Take for instance this Bok Choy, if you're looking for something on the more healthful side. This dish was stir fried in a garlic butter sauce and came out steaming hot. I would order it again.

One of the things I liked about the menu at Sage Sushi Lounge were the number of rolls that did NOT incorporate rice. we tried these lo carb options because we were returning from a blowout weekend of eating. These rolls helped us feel a little more healthful.

The Maneki-neko is a signature at Asian restaurants. The so-called lucky cat or happy cat sits by the cash register at Sage Sushi Lounge, beckoning good fortune.

Sage Sushi Lounge is located in the corner of the Home Depot Plaza in Sun City. Its sign is a small one just above the Nail Salon. The blue umbrellas are from the neighboring Greek restaurant which is a chain.