Sarasota, Lido Key, Siesta Key, Venice, south thru Englewood
Sarasota, the name sings on the lips. It’s a welcoming place and stars as the gem of culture for all of Florida, with its many internationally rated museums and operas, colleges, history, theatres. The list is impressive, and we haven’t even gotten over the causeway to its stellar beaches. The Ringlings have had alot to do with this cultural polyglot; we can see his collection of European art plus the Circus Museum 2 miles north of downtown. You could get carried away in this rich environment and run to the beach to let it all soak in as you play lounge lizard on any of the sugary barrier beaches that wait just across the causeway. Lido Key, a 2.5 mile stretch from Big Sarasota Pass to New Pass, is home to three county parks at S. Lido Beach, Lido, and N. Lido Beach, all 3 offering that pristine beautiful sand, and full facilities except N. Lido which is kept wild for the birds and beachcombers, and until recently, nudies. Siesta Key, a favorite of locals and visitors alike, has one of the finest sand beaches in all of Florida, and that’s saying alot. You get 8 miles of it. The good news is you’ll love the community feel of the place, the bad news is the traffic can be a nightmare. Time your coming and going, but do go. Dining is a pleasure here, as there is a great variety to choose from, including more of those stone crabs from local fishermen. Venice is a quiet tidy community blessed with five miles of beach, one of which, Casperson Park, is justly famous as the shark tooth capital of the world. This needn’t alarm you, as the teeth aren’t “new”, but the fossilized ones from a shark burial ground a few miles offshore. Here too is a grand boardwalk that goes through a nature trail and back through to the beach, for a 2 mile walk to Manasota Key, but get back in time to see and hear the famous Nokomis Beach Community Drum Circle, between 20 and 100 regular drummers who get started at sunset on Saturdays. It is a sound you won’t soon forget. As you travel south to Englewood, you’ ll see a few beaches to play on, the best being Manasota Beach, at the west end of Manasota Beach Rd. Owned by Sarasota County, it has full facilities and free parking. Blind Pass Beach, Englewood Public Beach at Chadwick Park, and Stump Pass Beach with restrooms and lifeguards, are your choices here before Charlotte Harbor. Storms have meant that a lot of beaches along this stretch of southwest Florida are “renourished”, read: grey to blackish and spongey. Communities spend millions to replace sand lost to hurricanes, only to see it disappear again. Mother Nature is asking us to pay attention.
Sarasota:
Breakfasts:
Yoder’s Restaurant: Always jammed and for good reason. Good breakfasts, great pies, baked apples, Sausage & kraut with corn muffins and green beans, etc, etc.
3434 Bahia Vista St, Sarasota, (941) 955-7771
Viva Sarasota: Good, fresh breakfast and brunch at a good value.
2773 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota, (941) 925-3535
First Watch Restaurant: A downtown old standard for breakfast and lunch that is still going strong with those HUGE pancakes.
1395 Main St, Sarasota, (941) 954-1395
Blue Dolphin Cafe: Stop when you see that blue awning and get a great breakfast.
470 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, (941) 388-3566
Simon’s Coffee House: Great deli and coffeehouse with fabulous soups, sandwiches, and desserts
5900 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, (941) 926-7151
Lunch & Dinner:
Simon’s Coffee House: Great deli and coffeehouse with fabulous soups, sandwiches, and desserts.
5900 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, (941) 926-7151
Bijou Cafe: Upscale and worth every bit of it. A very comfortable, classy setting with great food.
1287 1st St, Sarasota, (941) 366-8111
Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: Good steaks, good happy hour, good atmosphere, and an incredibly attentive staff.
35 S. Lemon Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 366-7788
Lee Roy Selmon’s: A good, full menu to go along with some good, solid barbecue
8253 Cooper Creek Blvd, Sarasota, (941) 360-3287
El Adobe: A local staple for decades with good food and better margaritas in a nice bar.
4023 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, (941) 921-7476
Guadalupana: Good, tiny Mexican joint with the real thing.
1620 N. Washington Blvd, Sarasota, (941) 365-3133
Seafood:
Barnacle Bill’s Seafood Market & Restaurant: Good seafood market and mid-range restaurant.
1526 Main St, Sarasota, (941) 366-6800
Walt’s Fish Market & Restaurant South: Another good seafood market and restaurant in the south end of town.
4144 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, (941) 921-4605
Pizza:
Pontillo’s Pizzeria: Real good little pizza joint.
6592 Superior Ave, Sarasota, (941) 921-0990
Rico’s Pizzeria: Good pies and they deliver.
1902 Bay Rd, Sarasota, (941) 366-8988
Cosimo’s Brick Oven: And brick ovens do make a difference in the great crust!
3501 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, (941) 363-0211
Panificio: Yup, another pizza joint. Pick the closest one and enjoy. This one has a great thin crust.
1703 Main St, Sarasota, (941) 366-5570
Sushi:
Vizen Sushi: The real deal sushi in a tiny hole in the wall place
6559 Gateway Ave, Sarasota, (941) 926-0830,
Yume Sushi: Excellent sushi in a very nice setting
1537 Main St, Sarasota, (941) 363-0604
Markets:
Whole Foods: Solidly good for all your market supplies.
1451 1st St, Sarasota, (941) 955-8500
Morton’s Gourmet Market: Nice, friendly homey Whole Foods type market.
1924 S Osprey Ave, Sarasota, (941) 955-9856
Beachside:
Broken Egg Restaurant: Good breakfast spot with some different twists and great hash browns.
140 Avenida Messina, Siesta Key, FL 34242, (941) 346-2750,
Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant: Good family seafood with the best stone crab going and fish coming off the boats as you eat.
800 Broadway St, Longboat Key, (941) 383-1748
Pattigeorge’s Restaurant: Great waterfront location for real good Asian Fusion dishes.
4120 Gulf of Mexico Dr, Longboat Key, (941) 383-5111,
Dry Dock Waterfront Grill: Great grouper! And the calamari rocks! Plus you’re just about in the water.
412 Gulf of Mexico Dr, Longboat Key, (941) 383-0102
Watercolor by Peter Bailey