🫕New Hope for good barbecue

If you'd like to add a little patriotic zazz to your spread but have limited time, check out Morgan Hess' 10 easy red, white and blue recipes for July 4th in USA Today. What to bring to a cookout? Food and side dishes you need this July 4th.

🤽Now, here's some refreshing news: The Aquatic Center in Leesburg will be open with extended hours from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 4, and the Splash Pad will follow the regular schedule of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. More details at LeesburgFlorida.gov/recreation.

🔴○ 🔵 Please note: We hope you enjoy the Fourth of July holiday. Please note that the Daily Commercial will be celebrating too, and there will be no Daily Briefing on July 4.

🫕At New Hope Tasty BBQ in Sorrento, nobody goes hungry

For a time, the BBQ stand closed up, but was revived in 2009 to address necessary repairs for the church. Despite these challenges, the community support remains strong.

“We have a lot of customers that donate and sponsor the kids and help out with whatever the church needs,” Pastor Scotty said.

Volunteers, including some of the original cooks from the 1970s, contribute their time and effort to keep the barbecue stand running, including Scotty’s father.

Find out more about this 'cue with a heart.

📰More news to chew on ...

🔎Restaurant inspections: 4 violations this week. Who's under the microscope?

☑ Election selection: Equal Ground mobilizes Black voters in Lake County to combat voter suppression.

🐊Where to enjoy a lakeside view with your food? Gator Joe's Beach Bar & Grill in Ocklawaha, Coco Locos in Eustis and 2024's Top 5 waterfront restaurants.

💧Will the 4th party get rained out? Probably part of it. The Weather Channel tells us to expect partly cloudy skies today with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Hot and humid (duh). High 93 degrees. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Tomorrow, on the 4th, it will be mostly sunny early in the day. Scattered thunderstorms develop later. High of 92. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.

🐒Where we ate this week: Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar

Mellow indie-alternative music thrums in the background and eclectic, kitschy art fills the Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar. It's such a delightful '90s throwback.

On our visit, we ordered a Vegan Philly and Wild Turkey paninis. Mine was the latter, which features the gobbly bird (I feel guilty thinking about it and how delicious it was) with cranberry sauce and stuffing. We also tried the luscious mushroom and brie soup and potato salad, which was much less mayonnaise-y and goopy than most.

What sets Drunken Monkey apart is its laid-back friendly vibe and excellent vegan/vegetarian options. We discovered the Orlando cafe after picking up a family member at the airport. It's a cheap option for those airport runs and it introduces your foreign visitors to a unique slice of Americana, too.

✍ Keep in touch, dear readers! Don't forget to share your news, recommendations and pics. Email us at news@dailycommercial.com.

Bye for now!

JG