Ticket Editor: Best foods to eat at restaurants in Sarasota, Manatee including burgers, BBQ
There are rewards for us true Floridians who stay in Sarasota and Manatee during these hot and humid summer months.
There are still fun things to do here every weekend, and then you can also check out some of the most famous attractions in Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice without encountering the kind of soul-crushing traffic that plagues us during season. And you've probably noticed you can visit our best beaches these days and actually find parking.
But my favorite thing to do during the summertime in Sarasota and Manatee counties is dine out — without the company of all our beloved snowbirds and tourists, who are perhaps in need of learning a few more Sarasota-isms.
So, while we still have a bit of time to enjoy summer, let me share with you some of the best things I've eaten at local restaurants during the past few months.
Best waterfront restaurants in Sarasota: And what to eat and drink there!
Best waterfront restaurants on Anna Maria island: And what to eat and drink there!
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The 25 best restaurants for burgers in Sarasota County
My annual list of best burgers in Sarasota County runs in May ahead of National Hamburger Day and I've already been back to many of these places for outstanding experiences. Unfortunately, Overton and Pub 32 both closed in July, with plans to hopefully reopen at new locations, and Mandeville Beer Garden now has new owners with plans announced in July to rebrand as an oyster bar. And stay tuned, I'm working on a freshly updated list for Manatee County to run ahead of National Cheeseburger Day, which is Sept. 18.
Which restaurants make the best burgers in Sarasota County? Here are 25 of our favorites
The best BBQ restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton
For this story published in June, I focused on local restaurants and a food truck that I have visited multiple times in recent years and have already begun revisiting. Each occasion provided a memorable dining experience, including one happily spent standing at an outdoor festival with sauce-covered fingers and face!
What are the best BBQ restaurants, food trucks in Sarasota, Bradenton? Check out our faves
Restaurant reviews: Best things to eat at Café L’Europe, Demi’s Noodle House, and The Wharf in St. Pete Beach
Published in late June, this edition of my semi-regular Best Things to Eat column features reviews of the new and improved lunch menu at the iconic Café L’Europe on St. Armands Circle, as well as Demi’s Noodle House for authentic Vietnamese cuisine in Palmetto, and fun comfort foods to enjoy while on the water at The Wharf in St. Pete Beach.
Restaurant reviews: The best things to eat in the Sarasota, Bradenton areas; June 29-July 5
Restaurant reviews: Best things to eat at Mattison's, Circo, and Doggystyle
Published in July, this edition of my semi-regular Best Things to Eat column features reviews of new menu items at Mattison's, with locations in Sarasota and Bradenton, the taco and bourbon joint Circo in downtown Sarasota, and Doggystyle for gourmet hot dogs and more in downtown Sarasota.
Restaurant reviews: The best things to eat in Sarasota and Bradenton area, July 20-26
12 best restaurants for chicken wings in Sarasota and Bradenton
These are hard times, particularly for those of us who find solace in simple pleasures such as pairing cold beers with hot wings. Thanks to the pandemic-induced poultry shortage, the cost of chicken wings has skyrocketed, with the term “market price” no longer applying to only fresh seafood – and at least one of my favorite local restaurants dropping wings from their menu due to the prohibitive pricing. July 29, though, was National Chicken Wing Day. And that meant raising a wing to the good folks in Buffalo who invented the beloved bar food and spotlighting the best chicken wings served at restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton.
Which restaurants make the best wings in Sarasota and Bradenton? Here's our 12 favorites
Best restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton for real Cuban sandwiches
In honor of National Cuban Sandwich Day, which is Aug. 23, I recommended my favorite local restaurants for real Cuban sandwiches. Let's start with the Columbia and its excellent Tampa-style Cubano, then you will find four more restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton serving authentic Cuban food including Cuban sandwiches prepared Miami-style, which means they do not include the salami.
Tampa or Miami-style? Best restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton for real Cuban sandwiches
Read more recent Ticket Editor columns by Wade Tatangelo
Ticket Editor: Exciting new seafood spot opens on Sarasota’s most famous restaurant row
Ticket Editor: New waterfront seafood restaurant in Sarasota passes grouper sandwich test
Ticket Editor: The best Irish pub in Sarasota is closing – but owner has plan to relocate
Ticket Editor: Sarasota waterfront restaurants make '100 best' in U.S. for outdoor dining
Ticket Editor: Sarasota and Bradenton seafood restaurants ranked among '15 best' in Florida
Wade Tatangelo is the Herald-Tribune’s dining and entertainment editor overseeing the weekly Ticket publication. He's also author of the Best Things to Eat and Top Things to Do columns and co-leader of USA Today Network's Uniquely Florida team creating statewide content. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He may be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best foods to eat at Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice restaurants near me
