Restaurant recommendations: Siesta Key, Sarasota (appointed, how much, big house)

[Adream]

We're heading down to Siesta Key for a week vacation during the beginning of November. I'm ready to pack and drive to the airport NOW.

I'm interested in recommendations for restaurants for: breakfast, dinner and a drink on the beach while watching the sunset. Although we're staying in Siesta Key and interested in local spots, we're also going to be visiting Sarasota and the surrounding area so any recommendations are of interest.

Some ideas we're looking for are breakfasts with not only standard fare, but options that might include organic or even a European type of food.

Dinner choices could range from casual dining, a seafood restaurant, as well as a lovely place for a romantic dinner.

I'm looking forward to your insight ~ thanks in advance!

[beerme1]

For me Heinrich's German and Solorzano's Italian Restaurant are a must stop every time. The sit down place not the pizza joints. It is a romantic if somewhat over the top kitchy Italian experience. Fantastic food and ambience. We went there for an anniversry dinner and will not visit without Sarasota without visiting them. It is authentic and it is fantastic.
And Heinrich's also had an extremely delicious and authentic home made flavor. I must have das boot of beer my next visit. If the Mrs. will drive home :-) My god they have Spaten beer on tap!!! and will give it to you in a 64oz boot!!!
I have photos of both place if I can ever figure out how to show em :-0


This is Heinrich's German Grill and my review from T/A a year ago. A must stop for schnitzel.
Address: 8420 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota, FL 34243
Tel: (941) 355-5453

Sorry if it doesn't paste well but here goes and you wont regret it!!!

We had a superb experience here for dinner after finding out that our first choice which was Solarzano's but they were closed on the day we were trying to go.
What luck!!! We just decided to try the #1 rated on TA, Heinrich's. We were extremely satisfied with every aspect of our dinner from ambience and quality of food to friendly service and ownership that is right out of the old world.
Authentic food that was prepared in front of us and reminded me of my grandma cooking.
Great beers, great wines just an all around excellent place. I like schnitzel and have never seen so many varieties of it before.

I was surprised to see what seemed to me like strange #1 and #2 restaurants when there is a Ruth's Chris in town.
TA people once again did not let me down. We did in fact go to Solrzano's the next night and everything I wrote about Heinrich's could apply to them too. You may hesitate when seeing a restaurant located in a strip plaza. Don't. You will enjoy this place.
If you plan on drinking the boot you will need to make sure you have someone else driving as it is an impressive glass of beer.

The place was near empty but it was a Monday night Dec 1st so it is still low season.




This is Solarzano's and my review for them


Address: 2117 Siesta Dr, Sarasota, FL 34239 Phone: 941 906 9444
Website: http://www.myspace.com/srqitalian

This was to be our first anniversary dinner and we wanted Italian and looked to TA for the usual advice. I was shocked when I saw that Ruth's Chris was not at the top. (Obviously, not Italian.)However we decided to try Solorzano's and were quickly disappointed because they were closed on the Monday we needed. Wasn't that bad of luck after all since we went to Heinrich's German Restaurant and had a fantastic dinner there.


We did come back to Solorzano's the very next night. While Heinrich's was nearly empty the night before, Solorzano's was busy on Tuesday and perhaps being that it was off season simply explains the lack of business on Monday's. Anyways, a young hostess checked to see that we were welcome without reservations. We were and it was a wait worth waiting for as it was a phenomenal Italian dinner that was so satisfying. We both had Veal Parm and remember it being damn near perfect. We ended up spending a long time in there and were one of the last customers to leave. It is a small place and i would highly recommend getting a reservation to avoid disappointment, particularly in season.

Much like Heinrich's the owners are on premise and make the restaurant a unique and most enjoyable dinner venue. We were treated warmly and the food was great. The ambience was thoroughly authentic and fun. They had their customary singer doing Frank of course and we really enjoyed him but a woman close to us was put off by him and stated he was too loud.
We did not think so at all. Way cool to enjoy during dinner.

We mentioned to our hostess I guess Franca, that it was our anniversay and we were trying to come the night before and she bought our desert which was scrumptious.
We chatted with her about living in the area as it is a place we are considering to re locate to. She simply told us do it you will love it here. We are thinking we agree. We are from Buffalo and she and her family are from Jersey which is a long way from us but none the less we could relate and enjoyed our conversation with her.
During our conversation as I had told the folks at Heinrich's I mentioned that we only found them because of TA. Which led into a discussion where she said she was surprised at how much of an impact it has had and that she has a piqued interest with Heinrich's about being number 1 now.

Absolutely recommend them. We're sorry we didn't get to have the family pizza but we will be back in town and will frequent the restaurant again and will also try the pie next time!

[Ladywithafan]

On SK, hit up Blase Cafe for martinis & dinner. Fabulous food.

[angelfish]

Yes, go with Lady, Blase is awesome, a must! For breakfast Sun Garden Cafe (organic and locally grown ingredients) or Cafe Continental Patisserie... The Broken Egg is still a personal favorite, but not what it used to be. Lobster Pot or the more casual SKOB (Siesta Key Oyster Bar) for seafood, Blu Smoke Island Grill, or The Hub for fresh Mexican. JoTo's for Japanese, Ophelia's on the Bay for romantic continental dinner.

[Adream]

Thanks everyone! I can't wait to try as many as we can get to!

[Big House]

Originally Posted by Ladywithafan

On SK, hit up Blase Cafe for martinis & dinner. Fabulous food.

Lady - you're my hero!
Blase Cafe is fantastic! I always recommend it. It is unique! You won't think much of it as you walk up to the place. But, once your seated, you perspective will change immediately. It is a rare find!

Yesterday, in St. Armands Circle. I had lunch at Columbo's. The food there was very good. The weather was perfect, and we sat outside. As you walk around, make sure to check the menu out!

Beerme1,
Are you up for a boot drinking adventure? I grew up drinking Genesee Cream Ale! I think they had a tap in the bar just for me! Now though I prefer Yeungling Lager. If I go to a German restaurant I like Stella, there is a german bar in Nashville near the stadium that serves it in a huge, thick frozen glass goblet. The huge mass of glass keeps the beer ice cold from the first sip to the last drop! I'll have to check out both of the restuarants you recommended.

[beerme1]

Originally Posted by Big House

Lady - you're my hero!
Blase Cafe is fantastic! I always recommend it. It is unique! You won't think much of it as you walk up to the place. But, once your seated, you perspective will change immediately. It is a rare find!

Yesterday, in St. Armands Circle. I had lunch at Columbo's. The food there was very good. The weather was perfect, and we sat outside. As you walk around, make sure to check the menu out!

Beerme1,
Are you up for a boot drinking adventure? I grew up drinking Genesee Cream Ale! I think they had a tap in the bar just for me! Now though I prefer Yeungling Lager. If I go to a German restaurant I like Stella, there is a german bar in Nashville near the stadium that serves it in a huge, thick frozen glass goblet. The huge mass of glass keeps the beer ice cold from the first sip to the last drop! I'll have to check out both of the restuarants you recommended.

A Genee cream guy huh? The 64 oz boot is a cool glass but they are not frosted that I know of. They should be if there not because that is a lot in one glass. I love Stella and will take it regularly from a tap. It is so rare to find Spaten and even rarer to find Spaten on tap though.
I will definately check out the Blase Cafe also. It sounds like the two places I mentioned in that you don't appreciate them from the outside just how good they are.
St. Armands on a beautiful day offers so many excellent choices with patio dining. I wish we were there is about all I can say.

[Adream]

We fell madly in love with Siesta Key!! It'll be our annual November Florida vacation spot from now on.

The little cottage we stayed in had a full kitchen so we ate in a few nights. There were so many restaurants to choose from for the nights we ate out, we just know we have to return to try more.

We had a great dinner at the Lobster Pot on our first night. Javier's Peruvian restaurant was fantastic, as was the "SKOB" Oyster Bar. One of the best Italian dinners we ever enjoyed was at the Cafe Gabbiano ~ and we've enjoyed Italian food in Rome! We ate at the Crab and Fin at St. Armond's Circle for lunch on our last day before we drove to the airport ~ fantastic! We tried the Broken Egg for breakfast one morning, we liked it, the breakfast was excellent.

But I have to tell you what our favorite spot was during our entire vacation...Big Olaf's ice cream right in the heart of Siesta Key! I've been craving that ice cream in the chocolate and nut dipped cone ever since.

Next time, Blase Cafe (we noticed it was packed every night), Ophelia's, Cafe Continental Patisserie...so many great restaurants, so little time!

Did I tell you that we love Siesta Key? What a fantastic town!

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by Adream

We fell madly in love with Siesta Key!! It'll be our annual November Florida vacation spot from now on.

The little cottage we stayed in had a full kitchen so we ate in a few nights. There were so many restaurants to choose from for the nights we ate out, we just know we have to return to try more.

We had a great dinner at the Lobster Pot on our first night. Javier's Peruvian restaurant was fantastic, as was the "SKOB" Oyster Bar. One of the best Italian dinners we ever enjoyed was at the Cafe Gabbiano ~ and we've enjoyed Italian food in Rome! We ate at the Crab and Fin at St. Armond's Circle for lunch on our last day before we drove to the airport ~ fantastic! We tried the Broken Egg for breakfast one morning, we liked it, the breakfast was excellent.

But I have to tell you what our favorite spot was during our entire vacation...Big Olaf's ice cream right in the heart of Siesta Key! I've been craving that ice cream in the chocolate and nut dipped cone ever since.

Next time, Blase Cafe (we noticed it was packed every night), Ophelia's, Cafe Continental Patisserie...so many great restaurants, so little time!

Did I tell you that we love Siesta Key? What a fantastic town!

That's great you had a good time while here! Siesta is a wonderful place to visit and live. Next time you visit check out the Bamboo Bistro on Ocean Blvd. I had breakfast there a few mornings ago and it was great. The fresh squeezed OJ was terrific, so was the veggie omelet.

[catsupbottle]

Columbia Restaurant on St. Armands and Roy's in Sarasota.