Annabelle Tometich
Verified
Filipina-Slavic Florida woman • THE MANGO TREE (out now! @littlebrown) • rep @lightnerkayla • ex-food writer @thenewspress @ndn • she/her
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Annabelle Tometich
The Mango of the Future Could Be Blue Original
Noris Ledesma considers herself a mango Cupid. But unlike the mischievous Roman god, Ledesma’s intentions are pure: unite the perfect combination of trees to create a mango that’s delicious, commercially viable — and blue. “Mangoes are becoming the most beloved fruit,” Ledesma said. “A blue mango would solve a lot of their problems.” When it comes to mango problems, Ledesma is well versed.
Most Americans Don't Know This State Is a Mango Paradise Original
Credit: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Prissy Montiel A box of mangoes sits cradled in my left arm. I find myself rocking it, the way I did my daughter and my son when they were babies. It is my habit with precious things. It’s 2023, maybe June, maybe July; summer, I’m sure, because there are mangoes. I’m in line at the post office in Fort Myers, Florida, my hometown.
Mango Magic
A BOX OF MANGOES sits cradled in my left arm. I find myself rocking it, the way I did my daughter and my son when they were babies. It is my habit with precious things. It’s 2023, maybe June, maybe July; summer, I’m sure, because there are mangoes. I’m in line at the post office in Fort Myers, Florida, my hometown. The box I’m holding is bound for my friend Minda, a fellow writer who lives in mangoless Kentucky. Minda blurbed my debut book, The Mango Tree. I’m thanking her the best way I know how.
How to Soak Up Southwest Florida’s Nature and Historic Charm in Two Days
Photo courtesy of Visit Fort MyersPhoto courtesy of Visit Fort Myers Miami Travel Outdoors Presented By Kayak, kick back on the sand, take a history tour, and eat a huge slice of orange crunch cake Presented By The handful of us native to the islands, beaches, and neighborhoods of Fort Myers like to say that we live where everyone else vacations.
Haunted History: Past and present SWFL restaurants with ghoulish reputations
Note to readers: We are re-publishing this popular Halloween-themed story from 2018 reported by former food and dining writer Annabelle Tometich. In fact, the original version of this story ran on Oct. 31, 2012. It's a list of restaurants in the region that are claimed to be haunted or just plain eerie. One of those places, The Whale on Fort Myers Beach, no longer exists. It was destroyed by Hurricane in 2022.
Mango madness: Recipes, tips and tricks for making the most of Florida mangoes Original
Mangoes are a versatile fruit that can be enjoyed in sweet and savory dishes. Picking mangoes at the right ripeness and handling them carefully ensures optimal flavor and prevents spoilage. Mangoes can be incorporated into various recipes, including chutneys, cocktails, salsas, and purees. Green mangoes offer a tart and crisp alternative to ripe mangoes and can be used in salads, curries, or enjoyed as a snack.
The 'Memoir Land Questionnaire'-Takers on NPR's and NYT's Notables Lists
Since 2010, invariouspublications, I’ve interviewed authors—mostly memoirists—about aspects of writing and publishing. Initially I did this for my own edification, as someone who was struggling to find the courage and support to write and publish my memoir. I’m still curious about other authors’ experiences, and I know many of you are, too. So, inspired by the popularity of The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire, I’ve launched The Memoir Land Author Questionnaire.
Review: Annabelle Tometich’s ‘The Mango Tree’ a Florida story of motherhood
Annabelle Tometich's irresistible memoir opens with a scene that sounds right out of the Weird Florida files: the first court hearing for a Fort Myers grandmother arrested for shooting at a guy who stole fruit from her mango tree. Most of us would read the news brief, or maybe just the headline, chuckle and shake our heads, then forget about it. One more Sunshine State punchline.
We've Found Your Summer Beach Read: An Unforgettable Memoir Set In Florida Original
By Lisa Cericola Updated on May 24, 2024 Photo: Getty Images / globalmoments Annabelle Tometich’s new book The Mango Tree is as juicy as the tropical fruit itself. Billed as “a memoir of fruit, Florida, and felony,” this is the kind of captivating read that can pull you in for hours. But it’s also written in such a way that each chapter feels like its own little story, so it’s also ideal for picking up and putting down.
18 new books that celebrate the Asian American experience
A stunning array of books this year celebrates the diversity of Asian America for readers of all ages. From picture books to deep dives into history, these releases make for exciting reading during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May and beyond. Starting with adult nonfiction and fiction, this list then moves into children’s books, grouped by category and suggested reader age, from youngest to oldest.
Food-Loving Designer Dwayne Bergmann Dishes on His Favorite Lee County Restaurants
Dwayne Bergmann is used to discussing tile and lighting, area rugs and ceiling finishes, and satin versus matte paints. He has dealt with these subjects since opening Dwayne Bergmann Interiors in Fort Myers in 2013. But, when he’s not poring over fabric samples or picking wood stains, Dwayne has another love: food—and he has strong opinions about the best places to enjoy a meal around Lee County.
On Being Thrown Off Course (Or, The Desk Digest, April 2024)
Nothing went according to plan for me in April, which is par for the course as a freelancer. No matter how well you prepare for tax season—and I have a bookkeeper and accountant, because it’s very worthwhile for me—it will hit you like a ton of bricks.
I am on book tour, and my mother is dying
I am on book tour, and my mother is dying. I am smiling and schmoozing, and my mother is in the hospital with my brother and sister and tita. I am signing books and snapping selfies, and my mother is being diagnosed with a myocardial infarction. I am googling “myocardial infarction,” confirming what my long ago wannabe-doctor self once knew, that it’s a fancy word for heart attack. I am asking if I need to come home. My siblings are assuring me I do not.
THE MANGO TREE | Kirkus Reviews
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer. A former New York City dancer reflects on her zesty heyday in the 1970s. Discovered on a Manhattan street in 2020 and introduced on Stanton’s Humans of New York Instagram page, Johnson, then 76, shares her dynamic history as a “fiercely independent” Black burlesque dancer who used the stage name Tanqueray and became a celebrated fixture in midtown adult theaters.
Of Fruit and Felonies: A Florida Story
Rows of orange people sit handcuffed in a beige room. One of them is my mother. I squint at the TV that the bailiff has rolled in on a cart. The people aren’t orange, their jumpsuits are. My shoulder presses against my sister’s on the hardwood bench we share, our legs shaking in unison as the heels of our stilettos patter urgently against the courtroom’s marble floor, a mix of nerves and shivers fueled by the pounding, midsummer air- air-conditioning.
Mango. Gun. Handcuffs. Could a Story Get Any More Floridian? Original
What to Read Find Your Next Book Spring Fiction Preview Spring Nonfiction Preview April Releases 22 Funny Novels What to Read Find Your Next Book Spring Fiction Preview Spring Nonfiction Preview April Releases 22 Funny Novels Annabelle Tometich's "The Mango Tree" provides an unvarnished look at her mother, who shot a BB gun at the truck of a purported fruit thief.
Part 5: Wait, Annabelle Got a Book Deal?
Welcome back to WAGaBoD?, where I take you deep down the rabbit hole of “The Mango Tree” and how this book came to fruition. Need to catch up? Here are links to parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this series. In part 4, I told you how I got my literary agent, the talented and luminous Kayla Lightner of Ayesha Pande Literary. Today, I’ll briefly explain how said agent helped me get on the publishing industry’s radar.
The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony|Hardcover
Rows of orange people sit handcuffed in a beige room. One of them is my mother. When journalist Annabelle Tometich picks up the phone one June morning, she isn’t expecting a collect call from an inmate at the Lee County Jail. And when she accepts, she certainly isn’t prepared to hear her mother’s voice on the other end of the line. However, explaining the situation to her younger siblings afterwards was easy; all she had to say was, “Mom shot at some guy.
The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony
"The Mango Tree is a story about a life spent focused on finding your place in the world, only to discover yourself instead. To oldest daughters who have raised siblings and those in need of an honest look at the pain and humor in complicated family love, Annabelle Tometich has written the book you've been waiting for."--Minda Honey, author of The Heartbreak Years "The Mango Tree introduces us to a debut author ready to bend our understanding of Florida, Filipino American life, and motherhood.
Eat Like a SWFL Local at These Gourmet Strip Mall Restaurants
Ours is an area that follows its own clock, sways to its own rhythms, dances to the beat of its own drumfish. Especially when it comes to food. What works for chefs and restaurants in Miami or New York, where exquisitely high-end restaurants abound, rarely works for chefs and restaurants on our side of the coast. In this area, where rents have risen faster than anywhere else in the U.S., function often trumps form.
The Mango Tree
Eater's Best Food Books to Read This Spring This “witty, humorous, and heartfelt“ (Cinelle Barnes) memoir navigates the tangled branches of Annabelle Tometich’s life, from growing up in Florida as the child of a Filipino mother and a deceased white father to her adult life as a med-school-reject-turned-food-critic. When journalist Annabelle Tometich picks up the phone one June morning, she isn’t expecting a collect call from an inmate at the Lee County Jail.
The Mango Tree
Eater's Best Food Books to Read This Spring This “witty, humorous, and heartfelt“ (Cinelle Barnes) memoir navigates the tangled branches of Annabelle Tometich’s life, from growing up in Florida as the child of a Filipino mother and a deceased white father to her adult life as a med-school-reject-turned-food-critic. When journalist Annabelle Tometich picks up the phone one June morning, she isn’t expecting a collect call from an inmate at the Lee County Jail.
Dear food, I don't live there any more
Transitions are awkward. My current one — from food writer/journalist of 18 years to … What? Author? Slash/ freelancer? Slash/ Substack-Advice-Columnist? — is no different. I keep trying to tie this newsletter back to food. Food was my first love. My first joy. But food is no longer where I live. I live in this book world. A weird and wonderful place where time moves ever. so. slowly.andthensoveryfastallatonce. Where deadlines aren’t measured in minutes and hours but weeks and months.
Let the glow be your guide
The newsletter for Filipino Yugoslavian Florida Crackers — and those who love food. Launched 2 years ago When I parted ways with The News-Press and Naples Daily News in December, it was not a decision I took lightly. I consulted friends, family, colleagues. I ran it by my agent and my editor. I even went full ‘90s sitcom and made a pros/cons list. Pro: No more daily deadlines. Con: No more free meals expensed to the company. Pro: More time with the kids.
Two shots of jamais-vu, please Original
When my son was young, he had some minor health issues that required us to travel to Tampa to see specialists. On one such trip, our doctor was tall with long, dark hair and an orange-and-blue UF pin on the lapel of her white coat. She looked like me and talked like me: constantly gesturing with her hands; laughing easily; fidgeting with her sneakered feet.
P is for Passion Projects
My book is starting to look like a book. It has a title page with a mango tree. It has a copyright page and a dedication page. I even saw the first page of the introductory chapter, and it made my eyes go sweaty. In the last few weeks, I’ve met with the publishing attorney who did my legal read to help me not get sued. I’ve seen the names of the folks designing the book’s cover and its insides, the people coordinating and performing my line edits, those helping me find early readers for early blurbs.
The sting of rejection, the bliss of burgers
I hate rejection. Period. End of sentence. New paragraph. Early on in my newspaper career, there was a bit of it. Me: What if we write this review from the perspective of the smoked mullet dip — in plural first-person?!! Editor, colleagues: (silent, studying their notes, not making eye contact) Me: Hahaaa (blinks back tears), I was kidding (stifles sobs) Somewhere around year seven at The News-Press, I no longer had to pitch stories, I just wrote them and we ran with them.
Ask and, eventually, you shall receive
Deep in the archives of my old News-Press emails, you’ll find a handful of letters I wrote to Frank Bruni, Sam Sifton, Ligaya Mishan, Jonathan Gold and Tom Sietsema. These names may not mean much to you, but in the late 2000s I idolized them (Ms. Mishan, to be clear, remains an icon of mine). The first three wrote restaurant reviews for The New York Times.
Relearning my love for food, and re-re-revisiting El Basque
In 2014, I wrote a 35th anniversary tribute to “Jean Le Boeuf,” the restaurant critic pen name under which I wrote from 2006 to 2021. For the project, I interviewed past JLBs and asked them the same questions. What do you miss? What don’t you miss? My Le Boeuf predecessors missed the free meals. They missed dining out on The News-Press’s dime and getting to call it work. They missed their colleagues, their readers. They did not miss the ever-looming sense of dread that is a deadline.
Bananas is good (seafood charcuterie is, too)
Guy Fieri has beautiful handwriting. Of the few things I gleaned from the Flavortown Mayor during a still-secret project I had the incredible good fortune of working on last month, this is the one that keeps coming back to me. You see the bleached hair, the big sunglasses, the bling. And then you see Mr. Mayor jot down some improvised lines on a note card, his letters loopy and lithe, and you realize this Camaro-driving, cigar-smoking cheflebrity has multitudes.
Taking Kerr of business
It’s hard to pinpoint when I fell in love with Graham Kerr. I missed him during his 1960s heyday, when he was slugging wine, clarified butter and ladles of cream sauce on The Galloping Gourmet. By the time Chef Kerr found his way to my TV, it was the 90s, and he was doing his healthy “Minimax” thing (minimize fat and cholesterol! maximize flavor!) on PBS’s Graham Kerr's Kitchen, which must have aired in the afternoons when I got home from middle school and high school.
Here we go now - and again
Every night when we manage to gather for dinner, our family asks the same question: What’s the craziest thing that happened to you today? I can’t recall how this tradition started. I’m sure one of us read about it or saw it somewhere (TikTok, Instagram, pick your poison). But joyfully, it has persisted. And each night, it offers interesting glimpses into our respective lives.
A restaurant critic's goodbye: It's been 18 years, have I made you love me yet? Original
After 18 years as a News-Press staff writer and restaurant critic, Annabelle Tometich is ready for a break. And has she told you about her book yet? I've spent the last two months thinking about this farewell. Trying to come up with something deep and meaningful, something to tug at your heartstrings, make you like me, make you love me. Now, it's 9:23 a.m. on my last official day at this job.
What JLB ate: Tres Amigos Taqueria
Skip to main content What JLB ate: Tres Amigos Taqueria
5 places you can find pickle pizza in Metro Detroit on National Pickle Day
(WWJ) -- Today is National Pickle Day, where we celebrate the fermented food that people either love to have — or love to hate! With Detroit being a pizza town (some say the best in the country), many restaurants have opted to get experimental with their pies, and one big trend has become the pickle pizza! Dare to try it? Here’s where you can find pickle pizza in Metro Detroit: 1.
What JLB ate (and more): The Cave Wine Bar & Bistro
Skip to main content What JLB ate (and more): The Cave Wine Bar & Bistro
Hurricane Ian: 118 restaurants on Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Pine Island, how they fared Original
Talk to those who survived Hurricane Ian, and many say the same thing: I'm OK. It may take a moment. "Everything in the house is destroyed but honestly I'm OK,” an old friend told me. It may take a few moments. "It's all gone. We lost everything: the restaurants, our house, our cars. I’m not, I don't know what, what do we even do?” a restaurateur said. “But we’re alive. ...
Review: This Fort Myers restaurant is serving the community with free pasta, hugs — JLB Original
Hours after Hurricane Ian tore through Southwest Florida, this Fort Myers restaurant dusted itself off, boiled water and got to work. A review on repeat from our critic. As Southwest Florida begins to recover in the wake of Hurricane Ian, we are taking a recess from restaurant reviews. For the next few weeks, we will focus on local restaurants that are doing everything in their power to help. We will be rerunning their most recent reviews while also sharing their hard work.
Restaurant news: Gourmet mofongo in Bonita, free chicken salad for Fort Myers early birds Original
Bonita Springs has a new spot for gourmet mofongo, and a national chicken franchise will soon be nesting in Fort Myers. That and more in this week's Lee County restaurant news. Mofongo Spot opens in Bonita Springs A new food truck is bringing a taste of the tropics to Bonita Springs and Southwest Florida. Mofongo Spot opened in August, serving Caribbean-inspired classics crafted with chef-driven twists.
New restaurants: The Doughnut Station opens in Fort Myers, Pure Green comes to Cape Coral Original
Fort Myers has a new doughnut option, while Pure Green is blending superfood smoothies, cold-pressed juices and vegan bowls in Cape Coral. It's all about balance in this week's Lee restaurant news. New in Fort Myers: The Doughnut Station What started as a dream in New Jersey for Yainelis Wagner and her mom, Yasied Wagner, has became a reality in Fort Myers. “I was about 10 years old when I told my mom we should start a bakery together.
Fort Myers is one of the Best Places to Live in America.
What’s it like to live in Fort Myers, FL? Situated between Tampa and Miami on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Fort Myers is a growing city. The “City of Palms” has long lured vacationers with its year-round warmth, lush flora, waterways and proximity to white sand beaches. These qualities have attracted such notable seasonal visitors as Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, and help lure new residents to the area, as well.
Best BBQ in Florida: Here's 12 restaurants, food trucks from Palm Beach to Pensacola Original
|
Dave Osborn Wade Tatangelo Liz Balmaseda Annabelle Tometich Ebonee Burrell Laurie K. Blandford Gary T. Mills Caroline Hebert Sheldon Gardner Naples Daily News Summer is here and the time is right for some grilling. It's a favorite outdoor activity but occasionally you want to enjoy barbecue that someone else grills. There's something about Floridians and barbecue.
By Dave Osborn Verified, Wade Tatangelo Verified, Annabelle Tometich Verified, Ebonee Burrell, Laurie K. Blandford Verified, Gary Mills, Caroline Hebert, Sheldon Gardner Verified
|
Naples Daily News
Verified
The Michelin Guide showers stars on Florida, just not Naples or Fort Myers
The Michelin Guide has parked itself in Florida. Thursday night in Orlando, the illustrious restaurant raters/tire company announced the first Sunshine State restaurants to earn its coveted stars as well as its Bib Gourmand awards, a sort of honorable mention for "good quality, good value restaurants," per Michelin's website. Miami topped the Michelin list with 11 starred restaurants, led by L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, the only Florida restaurant to earn two out of a perfect three stars.
The Michelin Guide showers stars on Florida, just not Naples or Fort Myers
The Michelin Guide has parked itself in Florida. Thursday night in Orlando, the illustrious restaurant raters/tire company announced the first Sunshine State restaurants to earn its coveted stars as well as its Bib Gourmand awards, a sort of honorable mention for "good quality, good value restaurants," per Michelin's website. Miami topped the Michelin list with 11 starred restaurants, led by L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, the only Florida restaurant to earn two out of a perfect three stars.
From funk to 'The Mango Tree' - guess who's writing a book!
Three years ago, in spring 2019, I was in a funk. I’d just passed on a job opportunity that would have allowed me to write in a much larger market. I was edging up against my 15th year at The News-Press, and for the first time in my decade and a half as a journalist, I didn’t have any meaningful career changes on the horizon. My working life had, to that point, been divided into five-year increments. This was never my plan — I’m a horrible planner — it’s just how things worked out.
Hello from JLB: Slowing down to catch up
I left my house this morning and turned onto an empty street. A commute that usually takes me 12 minutes took less than eight. I used the extra time to sit in my car — and do absolutely nothing. With schools out, the summer slowdown has started in earnest. And it couldn't have come at a better time. I am exhausted. And I am not alone. Every restaurant owner, chef, server, bartender and line cook I've talked to in recent weeks is equally tired. Every parent, teacher, caregiver and student is, too.
Hello from JLB: Slowing down to catch up
I left my house this morning and turned onto an empty street. A commute that usually takes me 12 minutes took less than eight. I used the extra time to sit in my car — and do absolutely nothing. With schools out, the summer slowdown has started in earnest. And it couldn't have come at a better time. I am exhausted. And I am not alone. Every restaurant owner, chef, server, bartender and line cook I've talked to in recent weeks is equally tired. Every parent, teacher, caregiver and student is, too.
Sweet summertime: A guide to restaurants, dining and savoring summer in Fort Myers
The traffic is better. The humidity is worse. And you finally have a chance of walking into a restaurant on a Saturday night. Summer is here. In Southwest Florida, summer is more of an idea than a season. It's when things heat up and also slow down. It's when temperatures climb ever higher, from hot to ugchhh, and when we hide behind our blasting air conditioners to escape this sticky, searing, mosquito-riddled misery. From a dining perspective, summer has its pros and cons.
BBQ with Seoul: Five Korean barbecue restaurants in Fort Myers, Naples Original
I've never understood the "it's Memorial Day, we must barbecue" mindset. It's a very Northern/Midwestern approach to the holiday. One that doesn't make sense in our already swampy heat. This isn't to say I don't love barbecue. I very much do. American barbecue, sure, but also grilling traditions from around the world.
Hello from JLB: As 100-year-old farm closes, bigger doesn't mean Biggar
From the pending closure of a legendary local U-pick farm to reviews and restaurant news, catch up on all the tastiest tidbits with our critic. When a colleague told me Biggar Farms in south Fort Myers was closing, my response was: "Who?" After a Google search, I realized I grew up going to Biggar Farms. I just never knew to call it that.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Annabelle
Contact Annabelle, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack