Waterfront&Alfresco

Summer Dining

Ah water! It surrounds us here on the peaceful west coast of Florida. Providing us with recreation, a healthy environment, dolphins and serenity. I couldn’t imagine not living near the water ever again.

The outdoors. Calming, exciting, sunny, windy, hot, cold, fresh ¡ just plain lovely here in FLA.

Put them both together with the right restaurant and you have a wonderful opportunity to live to the fullest. How fortunate we are! Here are just a few of the restaurants that we can enjoy year around, either with a water view or alfresco.

Seafood Shack

41010 127th Street West, Cortez, 794-1235

Celebrating its 30th year, the Seafood Shack has grown from a small restaurant to a water-front destination for great food, fun and enjoyment. Just voted, ‘Best Overall Restaurant,’ and home of the, ‘Best Grouper Sandwich,’ by the Island Sun readers, “The Shack” is a legend on the west coast of Florida. Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, it offers indoor and outdoor waterfront dining and great entertainment on the weekends. Sitting outside, next to the 90-slip marina, overlooking the Intracoastal and feasting on local fresh Grouper, captures the essence of the Florida lifestyle.

The Seafood Shack is also home to the Showboat, a double decker Mississippi-style air-conditioned paddlewheel boat that cruises the Intracoastal Waterway, for great fun on the water.

The Showboat has a full bar and concession stand. Public cruises are from Thursday to Sunday afternoons from 2:30¡4:30pm and are an ideal way to spend an afternoon, on the waters here in beautiful Florida. Accommodating up to 300 people, it is also available for private parties and special events. Many weddings and receptions are held aboard the Showboat, the Captain can even marry you there!

“The Shack” also boasts a waterfront banquet facility for 20-600 guest parties, functions and events with a spectacular view of our gorgeous Florida sunsets.

Barnacle Bill’s

1526 Main Street,
Sarasota, 365-6800

5050 North Tamiami Trail,
Sarasota, 355-7700

Webber&Beneva,
Sarasota, 923-5800

Voted the “Best Seafood Restaurant” for the past three years, Barnacle Bill’s has three Sarasota locations, with the Main Street restaurant offering alfresco dining. Their enclosed “front porch” dining area is a great spot to enjoy a truly wonderful seafood lunch or dinner.

The coziness and seafood murals provide a pleasant area for dining as the lively clientele of Main Street wander by. Their extensive menu can be seen within this issue and Barnacle Bill’s invites you to enjoy his fabulous summer dining specials, including a three course dinner for two with a bottle of wine for $39.95 per couple.

An expanded wine list (with terrific prices to match) and linens certainly add to the restaurant’s growing popularity. Reel in Bill’s award-winning Crab Cakes, Snapper, Ipswich Clams, Grouper, Halibut, Ahi Tuna, Chilean Sea Bass and more. They also serve vibrio free oysters, which are so delicious and safe to enjoy. Their market, within each restaurant, is also a great place to shop for the freshest seafood to take home. Barnacle Bill’s, seafood at its best.

J.C. Gardner’s

111 Gulf Drive South,
Bradenton Beach, 782-1122

J.C. Gardner’s, located on Bradenton Beach on picturesque Anna Maria Island, features striking Key West architecture outside, but inside...well, as the Gardner’s people phrase it, “Open 100 years ago.”

This brand new building looks as if it has been cobbled together over the years and is chock full of pictures from the early days of Bradenton Beach, and bric-a-brac, all from the early 1900’s. You can look at historic versions of beach life on the walls, or observe first hand from the third floor balcony, which gives you a spectacular view of the new white sugar sand beach and pristine Gulf of Mexico.

Diners can enjoy Euro-fusion creations, described as a mix of traditional European ingredients and preparations combined in new and unique ways. Just a few of the specialties are Chicken Arrabiata, Seafood&Shells Medley, Cosmopolitan Catfish, Beef&Ale Pie, and Baked Roquefort Cheesecake. J.C. Gardner’s also features “Smaller Plates”, which are items specifically designed to fit the needs of those with lighter appetites.

The wine list, conveniently placed on actual wine bottles on the table, was individually chosen, bottle by bottle, to enhance the meal. The courteous staff will be happy to assist you in choosing the best wine to complement your choice of entrees. Dessert is listed on the blackboard ¡ you might want to save room ¡ these offerings are very tempting. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, J.C. Gardner’s is a very welcome addition to the new Bridge Walk scene on Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach.

Bridge Tender Inn&Dockside Bar

135 Bridge Street,
Bradenton Beach, 778-4849

Along historic Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach is where diners can have the best of both worlds. In what was the Bayside Inn back in 1917, the newer Bridge Tender Inn &Dockside Bar  has provided Bridge Street a much needed casual/finer dining restaurant and bar in its recent years of operation.

Lunch and dinner are served 7 days with a lively happy hour from 3 to 6 PM. The decor is very maritime without all the trappings that so many waterfront restaurants present. Dark wood surrounds you while the outdoor deck incorporates the charming bayfront view and the character of Bridge Street.

Come by boat (Marker 49) and enjoy a fine meal today. The Dockside Bar is lively with entertainment 7 nights and weekend afternoons from 1 to 4. Here guests can enjoy a meal outdoors while taking in the views of the bay. Casual dining outside is complemented with a more formal setting indoors. Guests can still enjoy the water view while still being cool with good ol’ air conditioning. The best of both worlds for casual waterfront dining can be enjoyed at the Bridge Tender Inn.

Cafe Amici

1371 Main Street,
Sarasota, 951-6896

It wouldn’t be a downtown if there wasn’t an Italian ristorante to enjoy. A walk along lower Main Street in Sarasota brings you through the lower end of “Sarasota’s Little Italy.” Here the food aromas entice your senses to mangia.

At Cafe Amici guests can enjoy the best of Italian cuisine ¡ la cucina tradizionale ¡ at a very reasonable price.

The outdoor tables with umbrellas on Main Street await those who wish to enjoy a lunch or dinner here. Owners Achille and Massimo Negri attend to your needs with efficiency and style and make plenty of friends along the way.

Sit yourself down outside(or inside)and enjoy the fabulous summer offerings of a $9.95 dinner with salad, any pasta on the menu and dessert served Sunday through Thursday. Or try the dinner for two for $39.95, which includes a salad, any entree, dessert and bottle of wine.

Lunches and catering is also available so please contact Cafe Amici for any event you might have planned. Look for the smart outdoor tables and enjoy true alfresco dining ¡ Italian styleat Cafe Amici.

Bongo’s Bayside Grille&Bar

9915 Manatee Avenue West,
Bradenton, 761-2411

Bradenton’s latest addition to the waterfront dining scene is Bongo’s. Crazy name for a cool place. In what was so many places I tend to forget them (initially the High Seas and most recently The Reef), Bongo’s has the restaurant experience to make the operation work.

Their Palma Sola Causeway location is just beautiful. Wrap around decks, a huge outdoor dining deck ,a comfortable indoor dining and stylish lounge give the diners a plethora of choices from which to choose.

The lively shoreline brings in the boats, ultralights, girls and guys to walk in off the beach for a meal or beverage. Quality live entertainment featuring blues, jazz and reggae on the outdoor deck on the weekends brings in the crowds, (well done owners) and the same for the indoor music from happy hour  to close every night.

How about he food? Glad you asked. Lunch salads include a Greek Salad, Coconut Grouper Salad or Grilled Salmon Salad. Sandwiches include Chicken Alfresco, Grouper and Angus Burger. Dinners feature a New York Strip, Prime Rib, Fresh Fish, Snow Crab Legs, BBQ Ribs, and Calypso Chicken to name a few.

Bongo’s has it all. Something for everyone’s taste in food, entertainment and an inviting waterfront view. Make plans to visit today.

Ophelia’s on the Bay

9015 Midnight Pass Road,
Sarasota, 349-2212

Ideal for a romantic dinner or gathering for a private function or party, Ophelia’s on the Bay has long been a favorite for those who enjoy exceptional food with a truly lovely atmosphere. Their outside waterfront patio is simply gorgeous for an evening meal. The calm waters of Little Sarasota Bay lap against the deck, just putting you in a fantasy land for dining.

Awards have been bestowed on Ophelia’s and deservedly so. These include “Best Waterfront Restaurant,” “Most Romantic Restaurant,” “Outstanding Restaurant” from Zagat and the “Golden Spoon Award” from Florida Trend.

Summer offerings include a special three course dinner, including a bottle of wine for $35 per person. Guests can select from an appetizer (including Garden or Caesar Salad, Eggplant CrTpes or Prince Edward Island Mussels). For an entree, select from Pork Tenderloin, Pine Nut Encrusted Salmon, Shrimp Scampi, Half Duckling or Capon Breast plus other nightly specials. Don’t forget desserts including CrTme BrulTe, Key Lime Pie and Chocolate Truffle Cake.

For Ophelia’s year-round patrons, they now have the Bayside Diners Club, where diners can buy five, “buy one entree and get one free,” certificates. It is a $150 value for $45. Call them for the details or stop in tonight for a wonderful meal at one of Sarasota’s finest waterfront restaurants.

Maureen’s Palm Grille

5350 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, 383-7774

Carving a well-deserved niche on LBK, Maureen’s Palm Grille has been offering a little more casual fare over the past year. Prices now start at $10.50 and guests can dine alfresco on their charming outdoor patio for dinner served Wednesday through Sunday.

Bouillabaisse, Garlic and Crab Soup, Blueberry Vermont Goat Cheese Salad, Crab Fritters, and a Banana Split Martini certainly help to bring a fresh breeze of summer dining to Longboat Key at Maureen’s.

The martini bar is swinging and even the kids are welcome to enjoy the indoor restaurant or outdoor patio under the umbrellas or stars. Enjoy it soon, they will be closed August till late October.

The City Pier Restaurant

100 Bay Blvd.,
Anna Maria Island, 779-1667

The charm of Anna Maria Island is endless. Beautiful refurbished beaches, sunsets, sunrises, laid-back living, eclectic personalities and piers. I love piers. Seeing them in the distance, walking out on them, enjoying the activity of marine life ¡ is all very interesting. Anna Maria Island is home to three piers and all have a restaurant on them. Lucky us!

The City Pier Restaurant  has been around since 1910 and was “reborn” in December of 2000 with a wonderful renovation. It is a very popular draw for tourists and locals who love to fish, gazeand eat. The restaurant seats 96 and juts out 750 feet into the mouth of Tampa Bay with the Skyway Bridge hovering in the distance.

They serve primarily seafood, steaks and poultry. Included in this is Maine Lobster, King Crab, Crab Cakes, Grouper Sandwiches, Fish ‘n Chips, Mahi Mahi and Sesame Seared Tuna. $2 Corona beer all day, can’t beat that.

Dining is inside, (under AC), or out on the deck. The choice is yours to enjoy. Great service and a friendly staff certainly help to make the City Pier a well-known and sought after destination for food and fun.

Rod &Reel Pier

875 North Shore Drive.,
Anna Maria Island, 778-1885

Just a half mile north of City Pier is the very unique Rod&Reel Pier. Perhaps it is unique because it is still standing. It has defended itself mightily over the years (since 1947), from fierce storms, to having reeled in the largest hammerhead shark on record way back when. Be sure to look at the photos of yesteryear while you’re here.

With a similar view, Rod&Reel Pier is a short distance from Egmont Key and the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico at Anna Maria’s northern most point, Bean Point. It is also one of two piers in Florida to be privately owned.

Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, Rod&Reel features American Seafood, sandwiches, and the home of the two fisted 1/2 lb. burger. Nothing too fancy, it just naturally tastes better when you’re at the Rod& Reel. It is also home to the best dining table anywhere in the area. Top deck, far left, overlooking the aqua waters. Aaaahhh...

Bridge Street Pier

200 Bridge Street,
Bradenton Beach, 779-1706

The third historic pier on Anna Maria Island is the Bridge Street Pier. Located at the end of Bridge Street in beautiful downtown Bradenton Beach, the pier used to be the only way to come to the Island from the mainland, since it used to be a bridge.

Still a popular pier for fishing and sightseeing, the Bridge Street Pier café has drawn many, many people to the pier in its few years of operation. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, the café offers diners the choice of inside patio dining or outside under the umbrellas and tables.

Enjoy a complete breakfast menu (love Georgia’s French Toast) with the birds and wildlife that you see all the time on the pier. Lunch and dinner is served from 11:30AM to 10PM daily. Famous for their “all-you-can-eat” Grouper and Crab Legs, the Bridge Street café has gained a loyal following for this entree and other favorites.

A great place for casual waterfront dining, the Bridge Street Pier Café has a huge regular clientele, and with good reason. Stop in today and you’ll see what I mean. Enjoy.

Beach Bistro

6600 Gulf Drive,
Holmes Beach, 778-6444

What else can be said about the Beach Bistro? The awards are many - best this, best that, Golden Spoon as Top 20 restaurants in Florida. Proprietor Sean Murphy, heart of gold and possessor of keen restaurant savvy. Great to have as a friend and hockey partner.

His restaurant the Beach Bistro just hums along. The atmosphere ¡ on the beach with the Gulf of Mexico a short glimpse away. The service ¡ team waiting at its best. The food ¡ just great, night after night after night...

Intimate seating, $50 Rack of Lamb, guests keep coming and with good reason. It is wonderful. Be there tonight for dinner.

Island’s End

204 Pine Avenue, Anna Maria, 779-2444

A sister restaurant to the above Beach Bistro is Island’s End. Here diners can enjoy similar quality in food and service ¡ all at a lower check average.

The outdoor dining area is well sheltered and offers a terrific atmosphere for alfresco dining. The bistro style of cuisine includes Gulf Coast Gumbo, Grouper Cakes, French Onion Soup, make your own pizzas, super salads and burgers.

Entrees include Gulf Coast Cioppino Bouillabaisse, Atlantic Rim Grilled Shrimp, Pork Tenderloin and a New Orleans-style filet.

Live entertainment on the weekends and a full bar certainly add to the ambiance at Island’s End. They are serving dinner seven nights a week.

Poseidon

3434 Gulf of Mexico Drive,
Longboat Key, 383-2500

Area diners in the know have discovered what a beautiful restaurant the Poseidon is. The quality decor and scenic bayfront view certainly match the fabulous food served nightly for dinner.

Chef David Shiplett presents a fusion of new Florida cuisine with hints of the Mediterranean and Eastern. The mostly seafood based menu changes daily so everything offered is extremely fresh, delicious and creative. Popular dishes include Softshell Crabs, Lobster, Atlantic Salmon, Chilean Sea Bass, or Yellowfin Tuna.

Now into their 8th year on Longboat Key, Poseidon is proud to feature some items from their wood grill. Diners can select Grilled Black Angus N.Y. Strip, flavored by one of the various woods David may select. Poseidon’s award-winning wine list currently features over 300 selections of the best in bottled grapes, so feel free to peruse. Come and listen to the nightly entertainment of pianist extraordinaire Dennis Alberigo.

Summer specials include a dinner for two offering (appetizer, entree, dessert and bottle of wine) for $59 per couple. The Poseidon is also available for receptions and private parties. It is a great restaurant to treat yourself and your guests. Enjoy a memorable dinner there tonight.

Gulf Drive Cafe

901 Gulf Drive North,
Bradenton Beach, 778-1919

As you can see, Anna Maria Island is chock full of wonderful waterfront and outdoor dining establishments. For over 21 years the Gulf Drive Cafe has been serving quality food with great prices to match.

The view? The beach widths have come and gone at this beachfront restaurant, and now with the recent beach renourishment, they are wide once again. The outside dining area is great to enjoy a breakfast, lunch or dinner. Inside the water view is also very visible and the atmosphere is pleasant.

Breakfast is served all day and they are famous for their Belgian Waffles, Gyros, Sandwiches, Salads, Seafood Specialties (Chesapeake Crab Cakes, Seafood Mediterranean and fresh catch). Don’t forget desserts with Rhubarb Pie, Apple Walnut and more to savor. A kid’s menu is also available at the Gulf Drive Cafe. Owner Tom Chipain and his staff have done a fabulous job with the “consistency factor” over the years. They are to be congratulated and we, as customers can continue to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Thanks.

Lee’s Crab Trap 1&2

Rt. 19 , Terra Ceia Bridge,
Palmetto, 722-6255
4815 Memphis Road,
Ellenton, 729-7777

With all the new restaurants opening in our area, it is nice to see a few that have been around for years still going strong. Such is the case with Lee’s Crab Trap. With two locations in Palmetto and Ellenton, the Crab Trap is the place for crab dishes. The selections are numerous, as are many other delicacies of the seas.

A few exotic dishes can also be found on the menu including Ostrich, Wild Boar, Shad Roe and Alligator. The cocktail lounge is just enormous in Ellenton and cozy in Palmetto and both offer a very relaxing waterview. Stop in for hors d’oeuvres, sandwiches or a drink, (nice new wine list), in the lounge. A lunch and dinner menu is served 11:30 to 9, ‘til 10 on Friday and Saturday.

Recent awards include being named as the “Top 200 Restaurants in Florida” and a Zagat award for the, “Best Three Crab Soup.” Lee’s Crab Trap offers some wonderful food in a comfortable atmosphere. It is no wonder they have been doing it so well for years and years.

La Fille du Boulanger

1960 Hillview Street,
Sarasota, 955-8871

Moving to a French theme, La Fille du Boulanger on 1960 Hillview Street (955-8871) is a must. This charming French bakery, pastry shop and bistro is a wonderful addition to our culturally growing restaurant scene.

Owner Pascal Fidry has brought a lot from his French homeland with them into this restaurant. The translation of La Fille du Boulanger means, “the baker’s daughter” and while they do a wonderful job with the baked goods, pastries and breads, please don’t forget to walk into the dining area, this is where the bistro shines.

Comfortable chairs and a variety of tables await you, including a community table that can seat about 12. It has been very popular during the breakfast, lunch and dinner hours. Breakfast and lunch is served from 8AM to 4PM with a nice variety of coffees, omelettes, croissants and health drinks.

Outdoor dining underneath the umbrellas on the sidewalk (trés chic) is where guests can enjoy a true French-style coffee, (nice generous cups), a baked goods, or lunch and dinner.

Dinners are served Friday and Saturday (with Pascal cooking, merci). Everything is totally French at La Fille du Boulanger, and we should be grateful for that.

T.K.O.Shea’s

955 Riverside Drive, Palmetto, 721-9172

Offering the best of both world’s, T.K.O. Shea’s, is a casual dining and sports bar establishment with a fantastic panoramic view of the beautiful Manatee River. Located on Riverside in Palmetto, their menu includes everything from pizza to filet mignon. Diners will be please about their expanded menu, which includes many new seafood items.

T.K.O. Shea’s large rooms enable them to cater your next affair, complete with a spectacular view of the river. Contact the restaurant for more information and make plans to visit one of the prettiest restaurants in our area.

BeachHouse

200 Gulf  Drive  N.,
Bradenton Beach, 779-2222

The  beach is back! The long awaited beach renourishment project is now complete and the result is a wide stretch of beautiful white sand from one end of Anna Maria to the other. No-one is more thrilled with the result than Ed Chiles, owner of the Mar Vista, Sandbar and Beachhouse restaurants. “We have always been rightfully proud of our beautiful and unique locations, but now with this project’s completion, we can offer guests an even nicer setting than before.”

If you are looking for the perfect place to enjoy a delicious sandwich, salad, fresh fish entree or a creamy tropical drink, all while sitting on a beachfront deck watching the sun slowly sink into the Gulf of Mexico, the Beachhouse is the place for you.

With two volleyball courts, seven hundred feet of beach, live entertainment seven nights a week and the largest outdoor deck on the Florida Gulf Coast, the Beachhouse is more than just another restaurant. It is the perfect place for the entire family to spend hours of fun and relaxation.

The Sandbar

100 Spring Avenue, Anna Maria, 778-0444

If you haven’t visited the Sandbar in Anna Maria Island recently, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Already world renown for its stunning beauty of its natural setting, and with the recent purchase of an adjacent piece of beachfront property, it has never looked better. Affectionately called “Tahiti” by the Sandbar staff, this new addition offers the same sweeping vistas that the Sandbar is so rightly famous for.

It also provides an ideal setting for large parties: weddings, company functions etc. (Love the new 150 ft. beach here as well!) One thing that has not changed is the Sandbar’s commitment to serving the finest in fresh native seafood.

Whether you choose to dine under the stars on the deck or in their quaint and comfortable dining room you will be tempted with a wide array of salads, sandwiches and unique and delicious entrees.

The Sandbar is definitely one Anna Maria Island landmark that just keeps getting better with age.

Mar Vista

760 Broadway,
Longboat Key, 383-2391

The matriarch of Longboat Key eateries, the Mar Vista has come a long way from its fish camp origins but yet still retains the feel of old Florida. Nestled against the shores of upper Sarasota Bay its tranquil waterfront setting provides the perfect back drop for dining on fresh native seafood.

While the look and the feel of the Mar Vista haven’t changed much, longtime patrons will notice a difference in the decor of the dining area and bar. The thousands of dollar bills which covered the walls and ceilings are gone. Joe Rogers, Mar Vista General Manager, says that he decided to take down the bills. Most covered in messages and some dating back decades' because they had simply run out of room. (The money went to a very good cause' most of it was donated to the relief fund for the New York Fire Department and the rest to local charities.)

Joe, who recently returned to the Chiles Group after several years at Harry’s Continental Kitchens, invites all to come sample the reworked the Mar Vista wine list. They are open for lunch and dinner every day. Their outdoor deck is just beautiful any time of the year.

Rotten Ralph’s

902 South Bay Blvd.,
Anna Maria, 778-3953

With a name like Rotten Ralph’s you may not expect to discover Escargot, Oysters Rockefeller, Maine Lobster and choice New York Strip Steaks featured on the menu, but that is just the first surprise you will find at this unique waterfront restaurant on Anna Maria Island.

They are also famous for their all-you-can-eat Fish& Chips, and if it was served in a rolled up newspaper you could easily believe you were back in England. Nestled in Galati’s Marina give diners a marine view of the various boats that come and go daily. The calm waters of Bimini Bay makes you feel you are on a boat when you dine underneath the outdoor canopy. Water views are inside and out at Rotten Ralph’s, so just soak it in.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served daily along with a few new homestyle specials of meat loaf, country fried steak and open-faced sandwiches.

About the only thing you’ll find “Rotten” here is Ralph’s nickname, given him for collecting delinquent Lion’s Club dues. A taste of Old Florida awaits you today at Rotten Ralph’s on Anna Maria.

Galileo Ristorante

1538 Old Stickney Pt. Road,
Sarasota, 927-9600

There is a new shining star in the dining galaxy, Galileo Ristorante. Chef/Owner Thomas Harvey graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He served as Executive Chef at the US House of Representatives in our Nation's Capital where he prepared meals for Presidents Bush and Clinton, and our distinguished leaders of the US Congress. Galileo combines the finest Italian ingredients with an American flare to create extraordinary culinary masterpieces.

Galileo offers an extensive wine list to dazzle even the most sophisticated palate. The restaurant overlooks Little Sarasota Bay and the quaint boatyard, reminiscent of an old New England style fishing village.

The restaurant features a wrap around deck and seats approximately 70 people indoors and out. The romantic and intimate environment is perfect for creating an unforgettable dining experience.