Ticket Editor: Sarasota restaurant named among '100 Most Romantic' in U.S. by OpenTable

Wade Tatangelo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·3 min read

One of the most romantic restaurants in Sarasota has also been named one of the most romantic restaurants in the country by a highly influential national dining website. On Monday, Jan. 30, online restaurant reservation and review service OpenTable published its annual "100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America for 2023." The list is culled from 13 million diner reviews and represents establishments from across the U.S., according to a press release issued by OpenTable.

This year, OpenTable's "100 Most Romantic Restaurants" list includes 27 states, with California again taking the No. 1 spot with 13 restaurants. Arizona has nine restaurants, and Hawaii and Florida each totaled eight, with one of my favorites representing Sarasota-Manatee. In addition to recently making our own most romantic restaurants list, the place appeared two weeks ago on our list of best waterfront restaurants, and in October was featured in best seafood restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee serving fresh stone crab.

RelatedBest romantic restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton area, from Venice to Anna Maria Island

More:Best waterfront restaurants with outdoor seating in Sarasota and what to eat, drink there!

And:12 best seafood restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee serving fresh Florida stone crab

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill is at 412 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, overlooking Sarasota Bay.
Dry Dock Waterfront Grill is at 412 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, overlooking Sarasota Bay.

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill in Sarasota named among '100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America' by OpenTable

Located on Longboat Key overlooking Sarasota Bay behind the Boathouse marina, Dry Dock Waterfront Grill does an excellent job of serving fresh and smartly prepared seafood that pairs perfectly with the gorgeous setting where you can enjoy watching playful pelicans, frolicking dolphins and spectacular sunsets. Dry Dock also has a rich history dating back to 1989 with the Sarasota-based Gecko’s Hospitality Group operating the waterfront grill since 2015. I have dined at Dry Dock under both groups of owners and every time has been a rewarding experience.

Favorite dishes include the fresh stone crab claws and their famed grouper sandwich. You'll also want to consider starting your meal with the bacon-wrapped scallops that find the sweet, tender mollusk meat encased in crispy slices of salty pork presented in a pool of maple syrup. My personal fave, though, and one of my favorite dishes from anywhere in Sarasota-Manatee, is the citrus grouper entree. The fillet is lightly breaded and sautéed, locking in all that juicy grouper goodness, with a citrus cream sauce that lovingly recalls liquified Key lime pie.

Citrus Grouper, breaded and sautéed with citrus cream sauce, at Dry Dock Waterfront Grill on Longboat Key.
Citrus Grouper, breaded and sautéed with citrus cream sauce, at Dry Dock Waterfront Grill on Longboat Key.

Restaurant reviewDry Dock for blackened grouper, citrus grouper entree and bacon scallops

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill in Sarasota previously featured on OpenTable lists for best restaurants in the U.S.

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill is at 412 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, overlooking Sarasota Bay. Photographed Nov. 12, 2022.
Dry Dock Waterfront Grill is at 412 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, overlooking Sarasota Bay. Photographed Nov. 12, 2022.

In December, Dry Dock made OpenTable's even more prestigious "Top 100 Most Beloved Restaurants in America" for 2022. And in 2019, Dry Dock was on OpenTable's "100 Most Scenic Restaurants in America" along with another local favorite, The Crow’s Nest Restaurant & Marina, the Venice landmark overlooking the South Jetty. The recent list, though, is timed for those "celebrating Valentine's Day, Galentine's Day or Palentine's Day.""Over the 2022 holiday season and into January, dining exceeded pre-pandemic levels — we anticipate this trend to continue through Valentine's Day," said John Tsou, VP of Marketing for OpenTable, in a statement. "Data from our Q1 Diners Survey also revealed that U.S. diners are looking to splurge for the holiday: over one-third plan to spend more money on Valentine's Day dining this year, compared to years past."

More recent stories by Wade Tatangelo

Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida-Georgia Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network.
Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida-Georgia Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network.

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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: Sarasota restaurant Dry Dock '100 Most Romantic' in U.S. by OpenTable