SARASOTA INFORMATION
Here is some information about Sarasota, and the resturants, shops and
events that make Saraota so wonderful.
Resturants
events that make Saraota so wonderful.
Resturants
36 Hours in Sarasota, Fla.- From New York Times
By ANNE GLUSKER
Published: NEW YORK TIMES
IN the great war between nature and culture, it can be hard to satisfy both those family
members who want museums and those who want beach. For that matter, it is often
difficult to satisfy those warring parts of yourself that want, variously, edification and
relaxation. In Sarasota, the beachfront city promoted by the circus impresario John
Ringling in the 1920's, you can have a little of each. Respected cultural institutions on the
mainland coexist with vibrant beach, golf and tennis options on the barrier islands of Lido
Key, Longboat Key and Siesta Key, all three just a short causeway away. ANNE GLUSKER
Friday 5 p.m. 1) Toast the Sunset There's nothing quite like sitting outside by the water
and sipping a cocktail as the sun goes down to let you know you have arrived at the
beach. Head to the Bay View Bar and Grill at the opulent new Ritz-Carlton hotel (1111
Ritz-Carlton Drive, 941-309-2000). Or go out to Lido Key; just before the bridge to
Longboat you will find the Old Salty Dog (1601 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island,
941-388-4311), the ultimate beach snack shack, with clam strips ($4.95) and grilled
grouper sandwiches ($8.95).
8 p.m. 2) Be a Cool Cat Wander a bit off the beaten track to the Alley Cat Cafe (1558
Fourth Street, 941-954-1228), where the menu extends from a crab cake appetizer
($10.50) to filet mignon ($26). On an upstairs balcony, hidden among the trees, is the Cat
on a Hot Tin Roof bar. Or for a very small check but a lot of flavor, try the Vietnamese
restaurant Nha Trang (1578 Main Street, 941-951-1330), and be sure to order the
fresh-squeezed lemonade made with club soda. Saturday 9 a.m. 3) Local Flavor An
exploration of the historic downtown area, below, can begin at the lively farmers' market
(Saturdays only, 7 a.m. to noon; Main Street and Lemon Avenue), where you can get a
great taste of the city. The offerings include succulent Gulf of Mexico shrimp,
Caribbean-style baked goods, spices and botanical products like foul-smelling asafetida
and aromatic galangal. Stop for breakfast at C'est la Vie (1553 Main Street,
941-906-9575) -- do not miss the heavenly almond croissants ($2.20). 11 a.m. 4) Hide in
a Banyan Tree Decide whether you are in a nature or a culture frame of mind before
choosing between the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (811 South Palm Avenue,
941-366-5731) and the Ringling Museum of Art (5401 Bay Shore Road, 941-351-1660).
The gardens are a delight even for those who are not usually horticulturally inclined. Bring
children: the huge banyan with its above-ground roots is perfect for hide-and-seek. Buy a
packet of fish food as you come in -- the google-eyed fish in the koi pond take no
prisoners. Although the Ringling is a top-notch regional museum, the real draw these days
is the fabulous Cà d'Zan -- John and Mable Ringling's over-the-top Venetian-style palace,
built in the 1920's and recently given a $15 million restoration. Wind up your visit with
coffee on the back terrace, overlooking Sarasota Bay (where Mable used to park her
gondola). 12:30 p.m. 5) Sangria and a Sandwich Leave the mainland for lunch across the
causeway at the Columbia Restaurant (411 St. Armand's Circle, 941-388-3987), an
institution for 44 years, which makes a meltingly mean Cuban sandwich ($6.95). And
sybarites can wash it down with a pitcher of sangria ($12.95). Choose dessert from any
one of the Circle's five ice cream places, although Kilwin's (312 John Ringling Boulevard;
941-388-3200) is the most popular. Little ones will love to watch as the day's candy is
made -- everything from cashew brittle to caramel apples. 2 p.m. 6) White Sands The wide
white sands of Lido Beach lie just a quick stroll from St. Armand's Circle: perfect for
walking or gazing at the windsurfers and kite sailers if the water's too chilly for splashing.
Or get back in your car and take the three-minute drive down to South Lido beach -- a
real find on a windy day because the inlet there is more protected than the other beaches.
Children love the small playground; watch for raccoons that live in the nearby bushes. 6
p.m. 7) Waterfront Feast If you're feeling nautical, the Dry Dock Waterfront Grill (412 Gulf
of Mexico Drive, 941-383-0102) is a great spot on the bay side of Longboat Key. Feast on
stone crab claws ($25 a pound) and peel-and-eat shrimp ($9.95 a half-pound) as you
watch boaters heading back to the marina. For a more substantial dinner, continue down
the road to Pattigeorge's (4120 Gulf of Mexico Drive, 941-383-5111) for a sophisticated
Asian-influenced menu. 8 p.m. 8) Strauss and Verdi) Sarasota's entertainment offerings
are hardly the standard beach options. The Sarasota Opera's season, which ends April 2,
includes ''Die Fledermaus,'' ''The Pearl Fishers'' and two versions of Verdi's ''Macbeth''
(61 North Pineapple Avenue; 941-366-8450; tickets $15.50 to $72). The Florida West
Coast Symphony offers a varied repertory at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (777
Tamiami Trail, 941-953-3434), which also offers dance and popular music performances,
like one by José Feliciano, below left, on April 27. Sunday 9 a.m. 9) Thinking of Dogs
Breakfast at the Blue Dolphin Cafe (470 John Ringling Boulevard, 941-388-3566) can be
anything from a cup of coffee to banana-granola pancakes ($5.75) or a spinach and feta
omelet ($7.25). A bowl of water is always outside for thirsty dogs. You can get your
morning paper -- including many from overseas -- next door at the well-stocked Circle
Books (478 John Ringling Boulevard, 941-388-2850). 10:30 a.m. 10) Sharks, Manatees,
Pelicans Mote Aquarium (1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island; 941-388-2451;
admission $12 for adults, $8 for children) is a charming small aquarium with a shark tank
and a mammal area -- be sure to see the manatees. Down the street is the Sarasota Bay
Walk, a short boardwalk loop trail leading out into the bay. To get out onto the water,
Sarasota Bay Explorers offers a two-hour boat trip (941-388-4200; $24, $20 for children 4
to 12) that takes you out to uninhabited Edwards Island and past a state-protected bird
rookery. Mote also offers three-hour guided kayak trips into the mangroves ($50 for
adults, $40 for children). Just adjacent to Mote is the nonprofit Pelican Man's Bird
Sanctuary (1708 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island, 941-388-4444; admission, $6 for
adults, $2 for children), a home and rehabilitation center for 55 bird species. 1 p.m. 11)
Amish Country It may not be anyone's idea of beach food, but try one of Sarasota's Amish
restaurants. Yoder's (3434 Bahia Vista Street, 941-955-7771) offers addictive fried
chicken ($8.50), corn fritters ($1.95) to die for and sweet baked apples ($1.95) in a
no-frills diner setting. The pie selection ($2.95 to $3.50 a slice) is one of the wonders of
the world. If you eat your entire piece of chocolate peanut-butter banana pie, you may
never fit into your bathing suit again.
By ANNE GLUSKER
Published: NEW YORK TIMES
IN the great war between nature and culture, it can be hard to satisfy both those family
members who want museums and those who want beach. For that matter, it is often
difficult to satisfy those warring parts of yourself that want, variously, edification and
relaxation. In Sarasota, the beachfront city promoted by the circus impresario John
Ringling in the 1920's, you can have a little of each. Respected cultural institutions on the
mainland coexist with vibrant beach, golf and tennis options on the barrier islands of Lido
Key, Longboat Key and Siesta Key, all three just a short causeway away. ANNE GLUSKER
Friday 5 p.m. 1) Toast the Sunset There's nothing quite like sitting outside by the water
and sipping a cocktail as the sun goes down to let you know you have arrived at the
beach. Head to the Bay View Bar and Grill at the opulent new Ritz-Carlton hotel (1111
Ritz-Carlton Drive, 941-309-2000). Or go out to Lido Key; just before the bridge to
Longboat you will find the Old Salty Dog (1601 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island,
941-388-4311), the ultimate beach snack shack, with clam strips ($4.95) and grilled
grouper sandwiches ($8.95).
8 p.m. 2) Be a Cool Cat Wander a bit off the beaten track to the Alley Cat Cafe (1558
Fourth Street, 941-954-1228), where the menu extends from a crab cake appetizer
($10.50) to filet mignon ($26). On an upstairs balcony, hidden among the trees, is the Cat
on a Hot Tin Roof bar. Or for a very small check but a lot of flavor, try the Vietnamese
restaurant Nha Trang (1578 Main Street, 941-951-1330), and be sure to order the
fresh-squeezed lemonade made with club soda. Saturday 9 a.m. 3) Local Flavor An
exploration of the historic downtown area, below, can begin at the lively farmers' market
(Saturdays only, 7 a.m. to noon; Main Street and Lemon Avenue), where you can get a
great taste of the city. The offerings include succulent Gulf of Mexico shrimp,
Caribbean-style baked goods, spices and botanical products like foul-smelling asafetida
and aromatic galangal. Stop for breakfast at C'est la Vie (1553 Main Street,
941-906-9575) -- do not miss the heavenly almond croissants ($2.20). 11 a.m. 4) Hide in
a Banyan Tree Decide whether you are in a nature or a culture frame of mind before
choosing between the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (811 South Palm Avenue,
941-366-5731) and the Ringling Museum of Art (5401 Bay Shore Road, 941-351-1660).
The gardens are a delight even for those who are not usually horticulturally inclined. Bring
children: the huge banyan with its above-ground roots is perfect for hide-and-seek. Buy a
packet of fish food as you come in -- the google-eyed fish in the koi pond take no
prisoners. Although the Ringling is a top-notch regional museum, the real draw these days
is the fabulous Cà d'Zan -- John and Mable Ringling's over-the-top Venetian-style palace,
built in the 1920's and recently given a $15 million restoration. Wind up your visit with
coffee on the back terrace, overlooking Sarasota Bay (where Mable used to park her
gondola). 12:30 p.m. 5) Sangria and a Sandwich Leave the mainland for lunch across the
causeway at the Columbia Restaurant (411 St. Armand's Circle, 941-388-3987), an
institution for 44 years, which makes a meltingly mean Cuban sandwich ($6.95). And
sybarites can wash it down with a pitcher of sangria ($12.95). Choose dessert from any
one of the Circle's five ice cream places, although Kilwin's (312 John Ringling Boulevard;
941-388-3200) is the most popular. Little ones will love to watch as the day's candy is
made -- everything from cashew brittle to caramel apples. 2 p.m. 6) White Sands The wide
white sands of Lido Beach lie just a quick stroll from St. Armand's Circle: perfect for
walking or gazing at the windsurfers and kite sailers if the water's too chilly for splashing.
Or get back in your car and take the three-minute drive down to South Lido beach -- a
real find on a windy day because the inlet there is more protected than the other beaches.
Children love the small playground; watch for raccoons that live in the nearby bushes. 6
p.m. 7) Waterfront Feast If you're feeling nautical, the Dry Dock Waterfront Grill (412 Gulf
of Mexico Drive, 941-383-0102) is a great spot on the bay side of Longboat Key. Feast on
stone crab claws ($25 a pound) and peel-and-eat shrimp ($9.95 a half-pound) as you
watch boaters heading back to the marina. For a more substantial dinner, continue down
the road to Pattigeorge's (4120 Gulf of Mexico Drive, 941-383-5111) for a sophisticated
Asian-influenced menu. 8 p.m. 8) Strauss and Verdi) Sarasota's entertainment offerings
are hardly the standard beach options. The Sarasota Opera's season, which ends April 2,
includes ''Die Fledermaus,'' ''The Pearl Fishers'' and two versions of Verdi's ''Macbeth''
(61 North Pineapple Avenue; 941-366-8450; tickets $15.50 to $72). The Florida West
Coast Symphony offers a varied repertory at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (777
Tamiami Trail, 941-953-3434), which also offers dance and popular music performances,
like one by José Feliciano, below left, on April 27. Sunday 9 a.m. 9) Thinking of Dogs
Breakfast at the Blue Dolphin Cafe (470 John Ringling Boulevard, 941-388-3566) can be
anything from a cup of coffee to banana-granola pancakes ($5.75) or a spinach and feta
omelet ($7.25). A bowl of water is always outside for thirsty dogs. You can get your
morning paper -- including many from overseas -- next door at the well-stocked Circle
Books (478 John Ringling Boulevard, 941-388-2850). 10:30 a.m. 10) Sharks, Manatees,
Pelicans Mote Aquarium (1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island; 941-388-2451;
admission $12 for adults, $8 for children) is a charming small aquarium with a shark tank
and a mammal area -- be sure to see the manatees. Down the street is the Sarasota Bay
Walk, a short boardwalk loop trail leading out into the bay. To get out onto the water,
Sarasota Bay Explorers offers a two-hour boat trip (941-388-4200; $24, $20 for children 4
to 12) that takes you out to uninhabited Edwards Island and past a state-protected bird
rookery. Mote also offers three-hour guided kayak trips into the mangroves ($50 for
adults, $40 for children). Just adjacent to Mote is the nonprofit Pelican Man's Bird
Sanctuary (1708 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island, 941-388-4444; admission, $6 for
adults, $2 for children), a home and rehabilitation center for 55 bird species. 1 p.m. 11)
Amish Country It may not be anyone's idea of beach food, but try one of Sarasota's Amish
restaurants. Yoder's (3434 Bahia Vista Street, 941-955-7771) offers addictive fried
chicken ($8.50), corn fritters ($1.95) to die for and sweet baked apples ($1.95) in a
no-frills diner setting. The pie selection ($2.95 to $3.50 a slice) is one of the wonders of
the world. If you eat your entire piece of chocolate peanut-butter banana pie, you may
never fit into your bathing suit again.
 |
 |
 |