Ticket Editor: Best new restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton area that opened in 2022
We witnessed another big year for restaurant openings, closings and sales in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Along with my colleague Jimmy Geurts, and correspondent Lee McCall, our Ticket team here at the Herald-Tribune reported on as many of these local dining developments as possible. But what you probably really want to know is what are the best restaurants?
The past year found me again happily exploring the local dining scene. I produced lists of the best restaurants for burgers, pizza, barbecue, seafood, Cuban sandwiches, chicken wings and numerous other things including best places for romantic, and rooftop dining, as well as best sports bars. And let's not forget about the best waterfront restaurants in Sarasota, Anna Maria Island, the Venice area, Bradenton, Englewood, and the historic Cortez fishing village.
And now it's December and time for best new restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton area that opened, or at least started serving food, in 2022. These are my five favorites, for all the usual reasons including everything from taste and presentation to service and setting. You'll find I've included places from south Sarasota County to north Manatee County near the mouth of Tampa Bay. The food that I enjoyed most this year ranges from local seafood and expertly crafted sushi to comfort food classics like burgers, wings and pizza.
The year in diningThe 22 biggest restaurant openings, closings and sales in Sarasota and Manatee in 2022
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St. Armands Oyster Bar for Louisiana classics and seafood at Sarasota's St. Armands Circle
15 S. Boulevard of the Presidents, St. Armands Circle, Sarasota; 941-388-1334, starmandsoysterbar.com
One of the greatest dining and shopping destinations in Florida, St. Armands Circle near lovely Lido Beach features many of Sarasota’s oldest restaurants including the iconic Columbia opened in 1959 and Cafe L’Europe dating back to 1973. The Circle also regularly welcomes new restaurants including this year's delightful addition, St. Armands Oyster Bar. A similarly-themed sister business to Grafton Oyster Bar in Grafton, Illinois, the St. Armands Oyster Bar specializes in Louisiana dishes including such Crescent City classics as jambalaya, red beans and rice, and crawfish etouffee, which you can order individually or all together as the "Holy Trinity."
For starters, be sure to consider the savory alligator sausage and shrimp cheesecake and then proceed straight to the freshly shucked oyster selections including my personal fave: the oysters grilled over an open flame with garlic butter, Creole spices, grated parmesan and then given a fiery kiss of chipotle. You'll also want to dine on one of the oyster bar's awesomely authentic po' boys. They're served on fresh baked bread from Gambino's Bakery, a New Orleans area legend dating back to 1949, and dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickle, red onion, and habit-forming house-made sauces such as remoulade, peppercorn mayo, and sriracha "voodoo sauce."
St. Armands Oyster Bar serves Louisiana's best beer, Abita, along with New Orleans-themed cocktails with names like Voodoo Punch, Soco Hurricane, Creole Marry and the Horny Gator. The two-story establishment hosts live music with its owner smartly choosing to recently give the place an Old Florida nautical makeover by Jan Holman, the proprietor of the Sea Hagg antique shop located in nearby historic commercial fishing village Cortez that closed earlier this year after more than two decades in business.
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Flirt for sushi in a hip, historic lounge setting in downtown Sarasota
1296 First St., Sarasota; 941-343-2122; flirtsushilounge.com
The I.R. Burns & H.H. Bell Building easily ranks as one of my favorite commercial structures in downtown Sarasota. Built in 1925, the handsome, vine-adorned, two-story former real estate office found next to the Sarasota Opera House has been home to various restaurants in recent years including Umbrellas 1296, which closed in 2020, and my past favorite, Roast, which welcomed guests nearly a decade ago. Flirt Sushi Lounge took over the Burns & Bell building in April.
Flirt brings a fun, modern flair to the historic setting. There's the indoor seating on the first floor with the adjacent full-liquor bar, while a sushi bar is the star of the second floor. The large, fenced-in courtyard is another excellent option for dining, or on certain evenings, live DJ stylings and dancing. Yes, Flirt brings a much-needed, South Beachy, nightclub vibe to downtown Sarasota.
The main attraction, for me at least, remains the food, particularly the sushi rolls. They have sexy — OK, perhaps silly — names. They're huge. And they're pricey. They're also delicious. My current fave is the Sexyshimi that places gorgeous cuts of tuna, salmon, and yellowtail (likely Japanese amberjack) with pickled radish and replaces the typical rice roll with a wrap made of freshly shaved cucumber. That one costs $32. Equally impressive, though, is the basic avocado roll for $11. Featuring the standard white rice roll, it's brilliantly basic with fresh and flavorful slices of verdant avocado, each bite pairing delightfully with Flirt's highly addictive wasabi aioli.
Deep Lagoon Seafood and Oyster House for waterfront dining in Osprey
482 Blackburn Point Road, Osprey; 941-770-3337; deeplagoon.com
Waterfront restaurant openings are increasingly rare in Sarasota and Manatee counties. There's only so much real estate hugging our waterways and the restaurants occupying these prime locations tend to stay in business for a long time. This summer, though, south Sarasota County welcomed Deep Lagoon Seafood and Oyster House.
It's nestled along the Intracoastal Waterway and Little Sarasota Bay on Blackburn Point Road in Osprey, just down the street from the historic swing bridge and Casey Key Fish House. Deep Lagoon rises above the water on stilts with a second-floor dining room consisting of a high, exposed ceiling, an open kitchen, and a centrally located bar. There's also a deck for those interested in open-air dining with the docks and water directly below and the luxurious homes of Casey Key in the distance.
What impressed me most during my visit in August, though, was the restaurant's commitment to fresh, local seafood. Deep Lagoon illustrated this with a grouper sandwich containing a fresh, plump fillet of deftly blackened fish served on a soft roll with lettuce and tomato, and a side of tasty fries. The sandwich, containing I believe eight ounces of red grouper, cost $33. Pricey? Sure. But worthwhile, especially in a special setting like the one you will experience at Deep Lagoon, with its waters often populated by frolicking dolphins.
Ticket EditorNew waterfront seafood restaurant in Sarasota passes grouper sandwich test
Bortell's Lounge on Anna Maria Island starts serving gourmet bar food
10002 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria; 941-778-5487; bortells.com
I first visited Bortell's Lounge about 15 years ago when it proudly reigned as one of the smokiest and diviest bars on Anna Maria Island, back when Anna Maria Island had lots of smoky and divey bars. Today, I rarely frequent smoky dive bars but I'm still a big fan of Bortell's, which has been resurrected as one of the cleanest, most welcoming bars on Anna Maria Island, located a short stroll from the public beach by the bustling corner of Gulf Drive and Pine Avenue. About a year or so ago, Bortell's owner Steve Rose completely renovated the place and reopened with high ceilings, a large full-liquor bar, dining tables, big-screen TVs and, in more recent months, a fully operational kitchen manned by a gifted chef who goes by the name "Gator."
The menu is simple and contains a pretty much perfect offering of pub grub with unexpected options such as the marinated and grilled chicken thighs served on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes with a side of sauteed green beans. I also like pairing a cold beer with their "fried thumbs," which are basically some of the finest chicken tenders you'll find. In addition, you can get a fried or grilled chicken sandwich and if, like me, you're an enthusiast of chicken wings, they're often one of the daily specials and always delicious.
Bortell's serves thin-crust pizzas that also satisfy and then one of the best burgers on the island. Dubbed "The Beef," it's a one-third pound of judiciously flavored beef grilled and topped with American cheese, crisp romaine lettuce, tomato, and thinly sliced red onion on a hearty bun to absorb all the delectable juices. Served with a side of thin, seasoned crinkle fries and black pepper coleslaw, it's the perfect companion for an evening of post-beach boozing. Craving something sweet? Be sure to check the daily specials and if you see something on the printout about "the soon to be famous Chef Gator's Pecan Pineapple Coconut Cake topped with the best damn sauce we've ever tried" — just go ahead and do yourself a favor and order it. Trust me!
Cheeseburger in paradiseBest restaurants for burgers by the beach on Anna Maria Island
Molly's Pub for Irish food and drinks in downtown Sarasota
1560 Main St., Sarasota; 941-366-7711; eviesonline.com/location/mollys-pub
On St. Patrick's Day, Molly's Pub opened next door to sister business Evie's on Main Street in the 1500 block, replacing Evie's bowling alley. Named after family matriarch Molly Malone Evanoff (her husband and son own all of the Evie's businesses around town), the pub occupies a long, narrow space with a handsome wood bar, high-exposed ceilings, and a classy whiskey tasting room in the back. There also are tables, including ones outdoors, and live music acts perform inside.
While Molly's and Evie's share a kitchen, the former offers a cozy counterbalance to the typically rowdy sports bar next door. They also have menus with distinct differences. Molly's is where you can pair a pint of Guinness or perhaps a Jameson and soda with Irish food favorites such as the shepherd's pie made with ground lamb, or the corned beef and cabbage.
My favorite dishes at Molly's, though, are the honey ginger grilled wings and their signature burger featuring Angus prime topped with cheddar and a killer bacon jam as well as horseradish aioli. You'll also want to try the house-made “curry dusted crisps.” Ridiculously good on their own, they come with a side of malt mayo that will make you rethink the possibilities of potato chips and dipping sauces.
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Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida-Georgia Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best new restaurants opened in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice in 2022
