SOUNDING MORE LIKE ROME! Fla. restaurant adds fleshy fare to the menu

Nearly nude, Gabrielle Patchell remains still as people pluck sushi pieces off of her arms, legs and tummy.

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Gabrielle Patchell is a real dish.
The petite 5-foot-6 model lies on her back with her long, blond hair splayed out on a table like an Asian fan. Nearly nude but for a thong and strategically placed leaves and artificial blossoms, she remains stock-still as people pluck sushi pieces off of her arms, legs and tummy.

"She's my platter that I get to put my food on," says Brian Sung, sushi chef at Torch Bistro, Sushi and Martini Bar in Punta Gorda.

Long considered a sleepy little hamlet, Punta Gorda has joined the ranks of megacities such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami in serving so-called "naked sushi."

"I hope Punta Gorda is ready for it," quips Evelyn Keller, a North Fort Myers, Fla., resident who had stopped in for a more conventional dinner with friends.

Apparently it is.

The trio of chefs behind Torch — Shane Federici, Jason Bush and sushi-roller Sung — say they've booked at least one full-body sushi party a month since they opened in January. With models costing $100-$200 an hour, private parties can run $300-$400 depending on how many guests attend and how much food is ordered.

Torch also serves more Italian cuisine and American comfort food, but the sexy sushi presentation is what's attracting attention. A travel writer on AOL.com ranked it second on a list of the "10 Most Outrageous Restaurants" around the world — between the No. 3 California eatery where patrons dine in the dark and the No. 1 in Japan where monkeys are the servers.

The practice formally known as nyotaimori is intended to celebrate female beauty — though male models also are available.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which inspects restaurants statewide, has no laws or license requirements regarding the preparation or serving of sushi.

"Current law does require that all food contact surfaces be smooth and easily cleaned," says DBPR spokeswoman Alexis Antonacci Lambert.

Torch's models shower with antibacterial soap and shave before they are made up, painted with Asian symbols and decorated with flowers. The process takes about 90 minutes.

Then, staffers carefully place volcano rolls and spicy tuna rolls on top of leaves or seaweed sheets on the models — the food doesn't actually touch their skin. Patrons sit around the table, plucking sushi with chopsticks, but aren't supposed to talk to the models.

It's nothing new to Patchell, the 24-year-old sushi model, gymnast and graduate student. She once served as the vessel for an ice cream sundae buffet. How does she manage to stay so still when she has lily pads pressed into her armpits? Yoga skills help.

"I concentrate," she says. "I don't hear the conversations going on."

Stuart Sanchez, 57, and his wife drove down from Sarasota, Fla., for the special public demonstration.

"It's fantastic," Stuart Sanchez says. "I'm so surprised to find it here."

Remembrance VETRANS WEEK & REMEMBRANCE DAY

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past..

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one..

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbours
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew whereof he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For old Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
Tho a Soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state.
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young.
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Someone who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician’s stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, though small.

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Soldier--
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end?

He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honour
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."

Patriotism – Pass it on!

YOU can make a difference!!!