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"My dad used to find comfort riding the peaceful bike trails around Sarasota while my mother gets rejuvenated bobbing and talking with her friends in the pool. My sister seeks solace by reading books under the umbrella on the shores of Longboat Key and my husband discovered relaxation driving the boat on the glass-like Gulf waters.
Me? I find my body rests best after biting into a bagel.
So, with added stresses to my life that have been out of my control, I was bound to find the best bagels that make me feel “hole.”"
First Watch, a Bradenton-based daytime restaurant chain, has been rapidly spreading its brand across the United States with more than 490 restaurants in 29 states.
Growth has been slower on the chain's home turf with only three restaurants in the Bradenton area. But that's changing.
First Watch has now confirmed plans to open restaurants No. 4 and No. 5 in Manatee County.
The newest would go into the former Nancy's Bar-B-Q space at 14475 State Road 70 E., Lakewood Ranch, also known as Lorraine Corners.
"We anticipate opening our restaurant on S.R. 70 and Lorraine Road in the summer of 2024. We couldn't be more excited to welcome more of our neighbors around the table with our award-winning breakfast, brunch and lunch experience in the coming year," a company spokesman confirmed in an email Wednesday.
Prior to First Watch opening there, a full renovation of the space is planned, including new heating and air conditioning, new commercial kitchen equipment, new interior furnishings and more, according to paperwork filed with Manatee County Development Services.
Previously, First Watch confirmed that it has taken over space formerly occupied by Panera Bread in the Lowe's shopping center in Bradenton's urban core.
"We anticipate opening our new Bradenton restaurant at 1520 Cortez Road W. in winter 2023-2024," a company spokesman said in August. "We're thrilled to be expanding in our own hometown."
A new Bradenton Pizza Hut will give out free pizza for a year.
The first 25 customers in line at the restaurant’s new location at 4144 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. on Sept. 22 will get the free pizza.
The free pizza offer is only valid at the 4144 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. location, according to a news release. The winners will receive two free specialty pizzas (or pizzas up to three toppings) per month for one year.
The pizzas can be redeemed separately or together, but is valid only for the respective month. It’s also limited to carry-out only and on Hand Tossed, Thin ‘N Crispy or Original Pan crusts. It may not be combined with other coupons or promotions, the news release said.
The new location will be owned and operated by Flynn Restaurant Group, which also owns and operates Pizza Hut locations in Clearwater, Largo, Palmetto, Parrish and four other locations in Bradenton, according to the news release.
“We approach each of our new locations as an investment in the community through job creation and philanthropic initiatives,” Vice President of Marketing Randy Bates said in a statement. “We look forward to delivering great tasting food and impeccable customer service to new guests in Manatee County.”
The company said the new location is projected to create 15 new jobs.
A new bakery opened yesterday on the corner of Osprey Avenue and Siesta Drive. Bread Bandits is pumping out delicious sourdough, fresh croissants and an assortment of other baked goods from its brand-new spot.
Owners Brad Rutledge and Jules Thuet moved to Sarasota from Toronto, where Thuet’s family owned a successful bakery and Rutledge worked as the head baker.
“Brad is like the LeBron James of bakers. When it comes to bread, there is no one I’ve seen better,” Thuet continues. “He took the plunge with me, so we moved down and worked in Gulf Gate until we opened our flagship yesterday. Your Culinary Place [a shared commercial kitchen] helped us get started.
“We didn’t want to sit around not baking anything while we built this place, so Your Culinary Place gave us an opportunity to get our name out there. We mostly made croissants because our bread oven wouldn’t fit in that space.”
Thuet and Rutledge have since learned how to navigate Florida’s less-than-ideal baking climate.
“Every culture has bread, no matter the climate. There’s no excuse to not have good bread,” Thuet says. “It takes adjustments and it’s not easy, but we can make a great product here. We have a filtration system for the water, and we have good AC. We use less water than we would in a northern climate because of the humidity, and we bake everything fresh daily so, we always suggest eating it the day of.”
One adjustment the pair haven’t had to make is to the sourdough starter, which is from Thuet’s family and more than 100 years old.
“The starter is my great-grandmother’s from France. My dad smuggled it over to Canada. It has a very deep flavor,” he says.
As Bread Bandits continues to grow its audience, the pair have plans to add salads and sandwiches to the menu, as well as an assortment of local retail products to take home. They have also partnered with a few local businesses, like Hamlet’s Eatery at The Baazar on Apricot and Lime, to assist with their bread offerings.
“Bread is in my blood and where I feel most comfortable,” Thuet says. “I love working with my hands. So many people are eating bad bread. We’re bringing back good bread—how it’s supposed to be.”
Bread Bandits is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at 3546 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota. For more information call (941) 413-5112 or click here: https://www.breadbandits.com/
An exciting collaboration is brewing in south Sarasota.
You may have noticed the Calusa Brewing sign go up at the old White Buffalo Saloon space, and you might have heard stories about Steve Phelps of Indigenous opening a new sandwich shop called PigFish somewhere in town. Turns out, the owners of both ventures are partnering to create an immersive taproom experience that will include Calusa’s excellent craft beer and Phelps’ inspired food.
The new space is slated to open in mid-fall, with hopes of an October opening. The new taproom will be open seven days a week, and the original Calusa building will now only be operational for brewing purposes. PigFish, however, will maintain a five-day schedule to start and will be open 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. During the days and hours when PigFish is not open, Calusa will maintain its partnerships with area food trucks, like Mouthole BBQ.
As far as what guests can expect from Phelps and PigFish, Phelps’ signature cobia hotdog will be a staple on the menu, as will be the concept’s namesake PigFish sandwich, made with kanpachi (yellowtail), crispy pork belly, a green tomato relish and a bacon tartar sauce.
If you’re not a fish lover, PigFish will also feature a vegetarian-friendly wild mushroom grilled cheese. And for meat lovers, the hero burger, made with two thin beef patties, grilled salami, smoked provolone, vegetables and truffled tartar sauce, is sure to satisfy.
Still, it’s ultimately all about the seafood.
“We want to make a great fish sandwich and know where the fish came from,” says Phelps. “That concept started this whole company. I’m fortunate to have an incubator at Indigenous to do that. Because of that, this is going to be the best sandwich you’ve ever had.”
Calusa Brewing and PigFish will be located at 5377 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information about Calusa Brewing, click here: https://www.calusabrewing.com/
"Following our picks for the best restaurants excelling at burgers, pizza, and wings in Sarasota and Bradenton, it's time to focus on the best places to enjoy these great foods and many more while watching sports, now that football season has officially started in all of its gridiron glory.
You will find 16 restaurants, each featuring numerous televisions for watching the big game and serving some of the best comfort foods in the region. Many of these establishments are community institutions dating back decades, while one of the places on the list opened just a few months ago. Presented in alphabetical order, here are my favorite sports bars in Sarasota and Manatee counties."
Everyone's favorite hoagie-serving gas station is opening two new Florida locations this week.
Wawa is set to hold back-to-back ribbon-cutting ceremonies on Thursday, Sept. 14, for its brand-new stores in North Port and Port Charlotte — and guests get to celebrate with some exclusive freebies.
The first 100 customers through the door at each store on Sept. 14 will receive a free limited-edition “Wawa Coffee, Hoagies & Kindness" t-shirt. But don't worry if you're not able to grab a shirt — every single customer will get to enjoy 10 days of free coffee at each store from Sept. 14 through Sept. 24.
The North Port Wawa will open at 8:15 a.m. Thursday at:
1055 Sun Market Place
North Port, FL 34288
The Port Charlotte Wawa will open at 10:15 a.m. Thursday at:
14560 Chancellor Boulevard
Port Charlotte, FL 33953
Wawa will also host a Hoagies for Heroes competition at each ribbon-cutting ceremony in an effort to recognize local first responders. Local law enforcement officers and first responders will compete against each other to see who can build the most hoagies in three minutes.
The North Port Police Department will battle North Port Fire & Rescue at the North Port store while the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office will battle Charlotte County Fire & EMS at the Port Charlotte store.
Wawa will award each agency $1,000 to donate to their charity of choice. You can learn more about the festivities on Wawa's Facebook page.
A Sarasota County waterfront outdoor dining destination has expanded with a new restaurant offering Florida food favorites and other dishes.
Lakeside Bites is now open in Downtown Wellen, according to a press release, in The Yard, which features multiple restaurants operating from retrofitted shipping containers. The new concept joins two others open in The Yard: the Atlanta Braves-affiliated Pop Dawgs, near the Braves' spring training home of CoolToday Park, and Claw & Co., which serves lobster rolls and similar seafood fare and is part of the same restaurant group as Downtown Wellen's The Banyan House, Bocca Lupo Coal Fired Pizza, Prime Serious Steak, and Donato’s Italian Restaurant.
Lakeside Bites' owners are Jamie Albano and Ryan Lane, proprietors of the outdoor rental company Kind Vibes Outfitters in Downtown Wellen. Albano is also a former owner of the Oyster Bar on downtown St. Petersburg's Central Avenue.
“The menu highlights local fresh ingredients and affordable prices,” Albano said about Lakeside Bites in a statement. “We plan to have local seafood nights and stay open late for cornhole nights, concerts and events. We have a great chef from Baltimore, Chef Hans Baumgartel, who has helped us build a really cool concept in Downtown Wellen.”
Lakeside Bites offers blue crab, fish and other fresh-caught seafood courtesy of the local commercial captains Albano has met since opening a bait shop in Kind Vibes Outfitters, along with other Florida-appropriate dishes such as a Cuban panini and gator bites. Other menu items include chicken bites, veggie fried rice bowls, loaded tots, fries and other paninis ranging from chicken parmesan to peanut butter, Nutella and marshmallow.
Along with The Yard and The Banyan House, Downtown Wellen's dining and drinking options include Villani & Co. Steaks Seafood and Raw Bar, Bright Ice Scoop Shop, and Foxtail Coffee Co., with Italian restaurant Acqua Pazza and locally founded craft beer and pizza spot Oak & Stone set to soon join them. Downtown Wellen's other current attractions include an 80-acre Great Lake, Solis Hall and Great Lawn for community events.
Lakeside Bites is at 19773 Wellen Park Blvd. and plans to be open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. For more information, visit facebook.com/trylakesidebites.
At Charm Thai, 4511 Manatee Ave. W., the motto is "a bowl of happiness."
To that motto, owner Ying Chotikanik might add, it's a bowl of authentic Thai cuisine, served with gracious hospitality.
The restaurant is the realization of a long-time dream by Ying, who worked as a waitress for 15 years.
But the dream actually goes back much further to her mother's Bangkok, Thailand, noodle house, which she operated for more than 25 years.
Three months ago, the family opened Charm Thai, after the owners of Thai Cafe, which opened at the same location in 2019, sold their business.
Ying is the face that guests see in the front of the house, while her mother, Nittaya Chotikanik, works as a chef, assisted in the kitchen by family friend Sam Don.
"I grew up helping her in the kitchen," Ying says of the noodle shop in Thailand.
"We are a small, cozy place offering authentic Thai cuisine," Ying said.
Among the most popular menu items are Pad Thai (thin rice noodles, stir-fried with bean sprouts, scallions and eggs, served in a tamarind sauce with ground peanuts), Massaman curry (Massaman curry paste in coconut milk with potatoes, onions and peanuts) and green curry (green curry paste, basil, bamboo shoots and bell peppers).
The menu includes a variety of appetizers, including skewers of satay (pork or chicken marinated in coconut milk, herbs and curry powder), spring rolls, fried wonton, steamed dumplings and more.
Also on the menu are a variety of salads (think papaya to Yum (spicy) Beef), soups, fried rice, stir-fried noodles and stir fry (Thai basil, cashew nut, mixed vegetables and more).
Dine-in and take-out service are available at Charm Thai. Parking is limited in front of the restaurant, but more parking is available behind the shopping center.
Typical of the reviews: "So good! Service was awesome and food was delicious."
Business hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Monday and 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Sunday.
For more information, call 941-900-1592 or visit the Charm Thai Facebook page.
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