Light meals are great for pre-theater in Sarasota
When you're hungry for quality but not quantity, savor a myriad of morsels at our award-winning restaurants. Sampling hors d'oeuvres, antipasti or tapas is a playground for the palate and easy on the purse. Classic or trendy, indoors or out, here, good things really do come in small packages.
Perched above Euphemia Haye restaurant on Longboat Key, the Haye Loft is a charming hideaway. Though best known for its enormous, delicious pies and cakes served in an eclectic atmosphere, it also presents light dinner fare like soups, salads, appetizers and gourmet pizzas. You can also grab a delicious cup of coffee while listening to one of the Loft's many talented musicians.
Mid-key, Pattigeorge's dishes up coastal cuisine from around the world. Its small plates menu contains many Asian-fusion delicacies.
People-watching comes naturally on St. Armands Circle, where most restaurants spill onto the streets. Café L'Europe, Hemingway's and Columbia share only a Circle address; their menus are distinctively unique.
Columbia's appetizers like the 1905 salad, chilled gazpacho soup and black bean cake are as mouthwatering as they are legendary among locals.
Crab & Fin specializes in finfish, shellfish and caviar from around the world. The Oyster Tasting is a must for lovers of the chilled bivalve, and might include Vancouver Fanny Bays, Washington Skookums and Washington Belons. Oysters depend upon harvest and season.Caspian caviar selections stand alone or serve as a tasty topping on smoked salmon pizza. The piano outside is a permanent fixture; dine al fresco for live music with your meal.
Downtown Sarasota is peppered with renowned restaurants and cafés too numerous to mention; some specialize in light bites; others offer them as an addition or alternative to a traditional multi-course meal.
Sangria Tapas Bar serves up Spanish regional styles in a fun, convivial setting. It offers marinated skewered meats, fish, shellfish, potatoes, sausage and cured ham enhanced by ingredients such as olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, cheeses, olives and peppers. Wines from Spain, music as spirited as the colorful décor and stellar service will surely leave you hungry for more.
Horse Feathers Grill & Lounge caters to the professional crowd in search of upscale bites, such as California-style flatbread pizza and cornmeal crusted calamari.
Selva Grill, a Peruvian restaurant specializing in ceviche, and Mattison's City Grille, with a separate tapas menu and lively outdoor dining, are in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.
For all things Asian, try Pacific Rim, where you can sink your chopsticks into authentic Thai and Japanese cuisine.
Farther south find Fleming's Prime Steak House & Wine Bar and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse; both offer starters as succulent as their tender filets. Dining room reservations are highly recommended, but for a spontaneous soirée, pop into the lounge at Ruth's Chris for a cocktail and anything at all from the menu. All of the items are handmade and most are from Ruth's original recipes.
Venice is home to the Crow's Nest Marina Restaurant, where family fun meets fine dining in a casual sports atmosphere. This exceptional eatery also boasts an award-winning wine cellar and a calendar of events so jam-packed that the restaurant publishes a newsletter.
If you go:
Café L'Europe, 431 St. Armands Cir., Sarasota
941-388-4415
www.cafeleurope.net
Columbia Restaurant, 411 St. Armands Cir., Sarasota
941-388-3987
www.columbiarestaurant.com
Crab & Fin, 420 St. Armands Cir., Sarasota
941-388-3964
Crow's Nest Marina Restaurant, 1968 Tarpon Center Dr., Venice
941-484-9551
www.crowsnest-venice.com
Euphemia Haye Restaurant & HayeLoft, 5540 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key
941-383-3633
www.euphemiahaye.com
Fleming's Prime Steak House & Wine Bar, 2001 Siesta Dr., Sarasota
941-358-9463
www.flemingssteakhouse.com
Hemingway's Restaurant, 325 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota
941-388-3948
Horse Feathers Grill & Lounge, 1923 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota
941-955-9179
Marina Jack, Two Marina Plaza, Sarasota
941-365-4232
www.marinajacks.com
Mattison's City Grille, One N. Lemon Ave., Sarasota
941-330-0440
www.mattisons.com
Pacific Rim, 1859 Hillview St., Sarasota
941-330-8017 or 941-330-0218
Pattigeorge's, 4120 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key
941-383-5111
www.pattigeorges.com
Ruth's Chris Steak House, 6700 S. Tamiami Trl., Sarasota
941-924-9442
www.ruthschris.com
Sangria, 1532 Main St., Sarasota
941-366-8686
www.sangriatapasbar.com
Selva Grill, 1345 Main St., Sarasota
941-362-4427
www.selvagrill.com
