Sarasota/Longboat Restaurant Evaluations

[Longboat]

I live part time on Longboat Key and dine out pretty much every night. While I’m starting to look to find some good very casual restaurants up to now we’ve only eaten at the higher end places.

Here are my evaluations of the top restaurants in Sarasota/Longboat, not in any particular order (and note that for the BEST list below we’ve dined in each restaurant multiple times):

BEST

Zoria
Cork: upstairs is formal and terrific, downstairs is informal and terrific
Maison Blanche (Longboat)
Beach Bistro (Holmes Beach)
Zaks: outstanding steak, no need to go to the chains like Flemings and Ruth’s
Selva Grill
Beach Bistro (Holmes Beach). Just awesome.
Ophelia (Siesta Key)
Euphemia Haye (Longboat)

GOOD, BUT NOT AS GOOD AS THOSE ABOVE:

The Table: but never, ever, on a weekend; we recently waited 50 minutes with reservations; we canceled our pending reservation and won’t go back again anytime soon, but I can’t deny the food is good.
Pattigeorge (Longboat)
Bijou Cafe
Michaels on East: I avoid this one on weekends, it gets the fancy crowd and is very busy
Café L’Europe
Crab & Fin
Tommy Bahama (casual)

ON MY TRY FOR FIRST TIME LIST:

Derek’s Culinary Casual
the restaurant at the Ritz, I’ve had lots of breakfasts there but not dinners

PLACES I'LL NEVER, EVER RETURN TO:

Rustic Grill: food just wasn’t any good, dry chicken, etc.
Uva Rara: dirty paper dish towel in my Caesar salad (and not comped!), rest of dinner was mediocre
Morel: a disaster in every way from start to finish

[gfr1111]

I'd like to add Cafe Baci to the list. It has excellent Northern Italian cuisine, with a tip of the hat to south Italy. I've never had a bad meal there and I think that it is underrated. By the way, the listings of the other posters have been right on the money!

[fastcars]

You need to try Cafe Gabbiano.. Whenever I am in town I go there as much as I can. They are opening up a wine bar next door. Not sure when its going to be ready but should be in the next couple of weeks. Either way you need to try it the owner is from italy!! and so are the chefs. so you know its authentic The Table is out of business (way to expensive for the amount of food they gave you anyway) Cafe Baci is good too.

[nsxtasy]

I just posted a detailed report on the meals on my just-concluded trip to Sarasota in the topic at www.chowhound.com/topics/459360 In summary, I had outstanding meals at three "casual fine dining" gems - The Table, Derek's, and Rustic Grill - and a very good meal at Country Pancake House as well. See the other topic for all the "gory" details! ;)

Thanks to all who provided advice here, which was helpful in planning my trip.

[Mother of four]

Lets go down the list!
Zoria- used to love it when it was on Hillview, but not as much now. Too big, food not as good, prices went way up.
Cork- Great! Food and service wonderful. Our waiter was Timmy, and a real pro.
Zaks- Horrible experience there. Wouldn't touch that restaurant with a ten foot pole. If you go into any website that reviews restaurants in Sarasota you will find my review. The owner is a horrible rude man.
Selva Grill- one of my favorite, excellent food and service, but can be a bit noisy.
Bijou Cafe- would not go back again, expensive and the food is not worth the price.
Tommy Bahama - great food, but better to go in the off season.
Rustic Grill- have had good meals there, have not been there this year, but will be going there in a few weeks.
Morel- I agree that it was not very good, although I wouldn't call it a disaster.

A few to try:
Deja Vu- on Gulf Gate, chef owned, very small, food is very good.
Gabbiano on Siesta- also chef owned
Stonewood- always good, service is good, not expensive
Petrella- love their pizza, very thin and crisp. Don't go on Sunday, pizza makers night off!!!!
Casey Key Fish house- very good inexpensive good. VERY casual, plastic plates and glasses, but they did upgrade to silverware a few years ago! Willie, the chef is wonderful!
That's about it for now. Enjoy!

[Longboat]

Interesting different take on things.

I'll certainly try Deja Vu; I've lived and worked in Paris and so I'm always eager to try French restaruants. Maison Blanche is an authentic one, by the way, but note that it's expensive.

I didn't know Zoria in the old days but I know and like it now. Barbara is a terrific waitress. It also has a good, sophisticaled "feel" about it -- which counts in my book.

I've actually had quite the opposite experience with Zaks and Zak himself. I find the food terrific, the quality of top steak restaurants anywhere. Last night I ate at Primehouse New York (in NYC), a big name NY steakhouse. Zak's beef is better. With regard to Zak, personally, he's been terrific with us. The first time I was in there we got to be talking about wine and he ended up selling me a not-on-the-wine-list pinot noir out of his personal cellar that had a "Do not sell" sticker on it -- and he gave me a terrific price on it, too. Now whenever we go in I ask him to pick out whatever bottle that he thinks we should have and he hasn't failed yet. He couldn't be nicer or more gracious. We've been there multiple times and love the place.

Agreed that Selva is noisy, I wouldn't eat there with another couple since conversation is difficult. Food is excellent. Anyone not liking spicey food should probably look elsewhere.

Tommy Bahama takes reservations at dinner and so far they've honored them at 8 PM. That's why I'm willing to dine there in season.

I want to like Bijou more than I do. I have to eat there again (been there twice) to make my mind up.

One thing I should mention is that we dine at 8 PM or 8:15 PM and at that hour we can usually get into wherever we want even in season. That said, we generally close the restaurants out and sometimes some of the offerings are sold out at that time.

Thanks for the heads up on Petrella, I've reached point where I can only afford the calories of think crust pizza.

[LJBTampa]

Hubby and I go to Lido Beach Resort each April for our anniversary. We've eaten at Cafe L'Europe and Crab & Fin several times. Crab & Fin can be uneven, but it has always been wonderful to sit outside at both places.

Last year, we discovered Cork. We ended up going twice. The first night we sat outside downstairs. They let us order from both menus (upstairs and downstairs restaurants). The second night we sat at the bar and had appetizers. Both nights the food was amazing!

I can't wait to try your other suggestions this Spring.

[Longboat]

I love Cork and eat there once a week when I'm in town. I also take visitors there and they have no problem at all handling, say, 8 people, even in season. Timmy the waiter is a real pro. Pretty much everyone there is professional and welcoming. Right now they are serving a seasonal dessert: pumpkin souffle and it's to die for...

[jazzy77]

I tried to find a website to look at the menu, but no such luck. What is their style?

[nsxtasy]

You can look at their menu on their website at www.corkonthecircle.com

(Their website is the first one listed if you google "cork sarasota"!)

[jazzy77]

That's funny, I did google that yesterday and the search engine kept trying to correct "cork" to "corp."

Thanks for the URL.

[LJBTampa]

I would call their style French. Not stuffy French -- more like country French. Last Spring I had a cassoulet one night and a lovely salad with haricot verts and puy lentils the next night. Outstanding. Really.

[nsxtasy]

Looking at their menu, it appears that they have a lot of global influences, as is common in restaurants that are often called "contemporary" or "contemporary American". I see quite a few Italian touches here and there (gnocchi, risotto), and their frequent mention of the sourcing of ingredients lends an American tone overall. Like many upscale places, it's tough to pigeonhole, and probably better just to view the menu and decide for yourself.

[Longboat]

I think it's better to just dine there!

;-)

[jazzy77]

This might be a bit non-Chowish, but the dress at these places is business casual? I need to be able to tell people what to pack...

We're probably going to try for Beach Bistro, Cork, or Table (or two of the three).

[nsxtasy]

Business casual is fine at Beach Bistro. I haven't been to the other two yet but I'm sure it's fine there, too.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm only aware of one restaurant in the Sarasota area that has been dressier than business casual in recent years, with jackets appropriate for gentlemen. That was when I ate at Vernona (in the Ritz) 5-6 years ago. I see from their website that they, too, have become business casual since then.

[Longboat]

Interesting question. As a male, I generally wear a collared shirt and nice slacks/khakis to the better places. If it's cold out I'll wear a sports jacket over that or a sweater, just to be warm, though, not because it's needed. You see all kinds of dress in the Bistro and Corks, from people in shorts (they really shouldn't wear them there but they don't get turned away) to those who wear sports jackets and ties -- these are generally older gentlemen, though, who were raised in the 50s and that's how it was done. ;-) The Table is not as upscale in sytle (on the weekends the restaurant turns into a music club after dinner) and you can get away, perhaps, with a non collared shirt, although I wouldn't. The Bistro is the most formal of these places but it's far from stuffy. Before moving onto Longboat I stayed at the Ritz a lot (and have had breakfasts there many times) but haven't had dinner in Vernona; that said, I have looked into the restaurant at night and based on what I saw, frankly, I would wear a sports jacket there (even if not required).

[nsxtasy]

Thanks for the additional information. It sounds like perhaps the *customary* attire at Vernona hasn't changed since I have been there, even if the *requirements* stated on their website imply otherwise: "For breakfast and lunch, Resort Casual attire is recommended. For dinner and Sunday brunch, attire is Upscale Resort Casual (no jeans or sneakers please)".

Interesting that they refer to "no jeans or sneakers" as "upscale resort casual". FWIW, around here (Chicago), that would be called "business casual" and is consistent with your description ("a collared shirt and nice slacks/khakis"). All of which is a fairly standard definition here, as it's widely used in the business and commercial world, either as a dress code for everyday attire, or for businesses which have "casual Fridays" and "business attire" (i.e. jacket and tie) on other days.

Thanks again.

Looking forward to my visit - two more weeks!

[snickerus]

a total unknown gem in sarasota is the drunken poet (on main street off orange ave.) - they will often take a loooong time to get you your food if you order off the menu, but that said, order off the menu!

it is really, really rare for a pan asian restaurant to really excel equally in all the areas offered, but owner oy is one of the most amazing thai chefs i have ever come across, and sushi-chef/co-owner bank had a recruit attempt by one of the owners of nobu. the food is excellent (and i rarely say that in sarasota), presentation beautiful, nice atmosphere (although they're still working on it), and they are just two of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.

they have finally put together a menu of sorts for the non-sushi items, but if you're in the mood for kick-ass pad thai or a specific curry or something that will make you sweat bullets from the first bite, or even something that you've never had but always thought would taste good, just let them know. same goes for the sushi. it is one of the only places i've ever been where i feel 100% comfortable and confident sitting down and saying "feed me," (resulting in a salmon dish with lemongrass, cilantro, cashews, dried apricots in a chili lime sauce) or, "i want something really garlicky" (decadent, un-greasy garlic sauce with baby bok choy and fried garlic bits) and leaving it at that. bank made me a delicious sushi creation on request i liked so much that i asked utumaro (where we used to go for sushi) to make the same one night when the DP was closed. it had all the same ingredients but i was so, so disappointed. bank has sushi-magic, plus the rolls are huge and beautifully presented.

of course, i go there so much that oi and bank now know what i like and what i don't (i'm a selective pescetarian) but if you go the 'create-your-own-dinner' route, oy will have a talk with you about your likes and dislikes. my boyfriend says the duck is the best he's had in his entire life, and he lived with a prominent french chef for a while. totally worth the wait - just go with someone whose company you enjoy and get there before you're really hungry. sushi is quicker than thai if you're starving, although they're much better at getting dishes out off the menu now that they have one.

this is, as my significant other says, the food thai people must cook for themselves - if they're lucky enough to be so talented. none of the greasy plates at the end of a meal you normally find at thai restaurants. go, enjoy!

[irwin]

I must agree to Beach Bistro being the best in the Sarasota area, but what I don't like is a few weeks ago we were a total of 4 people and the tables are now so close together, that the woman behind me kept hitting me as she was cutting her rack of lamb. This definately should not happen when you paying $58 for the rack.
Other fine restaurants in Sarasota area are:
Bijou
Selva Grill
De Ja Vu
Divino's
Ezra on Manatee Ave
The Table
I really don't feel that the following restaurants come close to the above:
Derek's
Crab & Fin
Pattigeorges
Cafe E'urope is very good but they rush you
Euphemia Haye is only good for their duck
A new steak house in opening soon HYDE PARK
We are still not sure about a few recent openings:
Franko's on Main St
Arosa across from the Bijou
Freds recently opened, but the jury is out

[Longboat]

Beach Bistro is tight, no doubt about it.
Euphemia Haye has terrific pepper steak and Caesar salad. Agreed, the duck is also excellent. The atmospshere is also attractive and the restaurant is pretty.
I've never been to Deju Vu, Ezra or Devinos from the fine restaurant list above.
I also put Pattigeorges, Crab & Fin and Cafe L'Europe as steps down from the top places. Crab & Fin would be two steps down if there were a lot of other seafood places around (all the restaurants offer seafood of course). I'm told that the Bonefish Grill is good but I don't go to restaurants that don't take reservations so they're out for me, as is Roy's for the same reason.
I've not heard of the new places listed.

[irwin]

Bonefish does take reservations.
Drydock on Longboat also has very good fish dishes.
But, for the best Grouper sandwich, you must go to Cortez Fishing Village, and find Star Fish or Cortez Kitchen.... Wow-eat with the fishermen and enjoy.

[nsxtasy]

Interesting. There's lots more discussion at www.chowhound.com/topics/459360 Thanks for posting!

[Longboat]

Thanks for the heads-up, interesting thread. I wish I could change my misspelling of Restaurant in the title!

[jazzy77]

So, which restaurant is your favorite?

[Longboat]

I like all of the top list that I presented above for different reasons but the Beach Bistro is the best, no question. They have a freebie taste when you sit down of tomato soup with Maytag blue cheese that will bring tears to your eyes. This restaurant isn't a secret either: Zagat says it sets the standard for fine dining on Florida's West Coast and rates it a 27.

Of the others, Zoria and Selva will give you a downtown Sarasota experience while Cork is on St. Armand's Circle, the premier upscale shopping area in Sarasota and it's fun to walk around there before dinner. The Beach Bistro is a hike, maybe 40 minutes from downtown Sarasota located on Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. For locals, Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key and Anna Maria are all within what's considered the Sarasota dining area. You may not wish to travel that far.

[Longboat]

By the way, jazzy77, I saw on another thread that you may be staying on Siesta Key. In that case, hands down you should go to Ophelia, which is on the southern end of that key. It's on my top list. That said, you need to reserve ASAP. It's on the water but faces east so you won't get a direct sunset but it's gorgeous anyway looking out over part of the bay. You have the choice to reserve outdoors or indoors -- they try to accomodate -- but eating outdoors is a risk since if it rains you may have to wait a while to get an inside table. I guarantee you that in-season they'll be full so you make your choice and take your risk...I generally reserve indoors since the restaurant's walls are all glass anyway and if the weather is good than I try to finesse my way onto the deck when I arrive.

[The Chowhound Team]

We were happy to correct that for you. All you have to do is ask!