A Taste of Summer: Foodie Fun & Restaurant Specials

June 2022—On the prowl for some foodie fun? Sarasota has no shortage of yummy options to enjoy. Explore cooling cocktails and summer bites of all kinds.

Just a short walk from the beautiful beaches of Sarasota, Café Gabbiano brings Italy to Siesta Key. Its serene, casual ambiance imitates that of the paradise surrounding it. With 4,000 square feet to spare, Café Gabbiano offers intimate, private dining in their wine rooms as well as comfortably cool, outdoor seating on our climate controlled patio. 

Stop by the bar during happy hour (5–6:30PM) to cool yourself off from the summer heat with a Basil Martini. Made with Hendrick’s Gin, St. Germain, basil, egg whites, shaken and served up, it is sure to keep you cool in the summer heat. Pair it with a tossed salad or fresh pasta made in-house.

Serving their Savor Sarasota menu and other specials all throughout summer is Amore Restaurant, open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 9PM. Located on the corner of Fruitville & Lime with more than 150 free parking spaces and outdoor seating, this Portuguese & Italian Restaurant provides a unique, intimate ambiance to your meals. Only minutes away from the theater, Amore is the perfect place to enjoy a pre-matinee dinner. Not going to the show? Enjoy live entertainment at Amore itself, featuring performances every night with the likes of Eddie Tobin, Sinatra Live, and Michelet Innocent.

Feeling daring? Try your hand at one of their most popular Portuguese dish recipes, Salted Cod—Bacalhau Ribatejano. This is a delicious and simple dish that anyone will be able to cook at home to surprise and impress friends and family. You’ll need: 

• 2-pounds Salted Cod
• 1/2cup olive oil
• 1-large fine/halfs sliced onion
• 1/2cup sliced black olives
• 1/4cup chopped roasted red bell peppers 
• 1/4cup chopped parsley 
• 1.1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup marinara tomato sauce
• 2lb sliced fried potatoes or regular fries
• 8 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Directions: Bring a large-skillet into high-heat. Add the olive-oil and the onions, let the onion cook 4 to 5 minutes stir periodically. When onions soften, add the olives, bell peppers, parsley and white wine. Let it cook for a couple more minutes add the marinara sauce and the cubed salted-cod. Let cook on medium-heat for 8 to 10 minutes while stirring periodically. Prepair eggs and fries. Add a little more olive oil and white wine to the cod if too dry, but remember there shouldn’t be too much liquid when ready to serve over the eggs and fries.

Then in a big-paller (to serve family style) or individual plates, lay out the fries around the plate and the sliced eggs down the middle. Pour the Salted Cod over the eggs and garnish with one large branch of parsley or a beautiful edible-flower on the top of cod. Sprinkle the plate with some chopped parsley and—Bom-Apetite!

Grillsmith is an approachable polished casual restaurant celebrating classic American comfort dishes paired with modern wines, whiskeys, and handcrafted cocktails. 

Say Hello to Summer with 3 refreshing handcrafted cocktails, part of Grillsmith’s “Hello Summer” cocktail specials:

Coconut mojito

Coconut rum, fresh mint, lime and pineapple juice, coconut cream, soda

Pineapple peach margarita

Villa One Blanco tequila, muddled pineapple, peach nectar, lime juice, tajin salt rim

Blueberry Basil Lemonade Martini

Tito’s vodka, homemade basil lemonade, Giffard elderflower, fresh blueberries

Located in Sarasota and Bradenton, each Mattison’s restaurant location is unique to its neighborhood, offering Chef Paul Mattison’s signature menu items, outstanding service, and quality ingredients, while supporting the community, regional farmers, and culinary suppliers. Mattison’s Catering is a chef-owned and operated company procuring fresh, natural, and local ingredients. 

Kick off your summer eats at any of the Mattison’s restaurant locations. Enjoy their Tuna Poke Tower, made with fresh tuna, mango chayote slaw, avocado, togarashi rice noodles, sweet soy drizzle, and wonton chips (available at Mattison’s Forty-One). Pair it with  a Sea Cucumber Cocktail, featuring gin, elderflower liqueur, cucumber juice and lime juice rimmed with tajin.

For a truly memorable dining experience, with cuisine and atmosphere paired as thoughtfully as food and wine, stop by 481 Gourmet. Explore texture, color, and ultimate tastes with the menu of the season. All the ingredients are fresh and carefully selected by the chefs, and can be enjoyed a la carte. 

Located next to the Sarasota Opera House, 481 also offers a pre-theater menu prix-fixe at $42 per person. Choose your starter, salad, and main course from a menu of delectable dishes such as spinach salad, stuffed salmon with smoked tomato, beurre blanc and seasonal vegetables, chicken florentine strudel with pesto mornaise, petite diane filet with roasted herb potatoes, and more. Reservations are recommended, as the patio can fill up quickly. 

Looking for a waterfront view? Look no further than Turtles Restaurant on Siesta Key. Stop by for brunch, lunch, or dinner to experience their fun, fresh, and affordable menu. Dolphins, manatees, green parrots love to visit too!

Try such menu items as crispy, fried shrimp tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce; a fresh garden salad of tomato, cucumbers, red onions, red cabbage over mixed greens with Italian dressing; or a delicious grouper sandwich. Pair it with one of their classic cocktails or daiquiris (both traditional and non-alcoholic options available).