Sarasota Eats Overview

Today, we are going to take a quick look at the culinary hot spots that made the cut for our brief visit to Sarasota back in January. When researching restaurants, I was looking for what I am always on the lookout for, a place recognized for its great food, made with quality ingredients, and in a desirable setting.

While you wouldn’t normally think of Indian food when visiting a coastal community, this restaurant caught my attention when it revealed a Google rating of 4.9 stars from over 3,700 reviews. That is absolutely phenomenal. So, with great anticipation, we visited Turmeric Indian Bar & Grill our first evening in town. The restaurant spans 3 floors, includes a bar, and has outdoor seating as well. The decor was modern. The lighting for dinner dim and the mood set for an intimate dining experience. The ambiance was very different from most other Indian restaurants we have visited. I would not call it fine dining, but definitely an elevated experience compared to what you would typically expect from any budget-friendly restaurant. The daytime vibe seems to be much different, bright and more casual, but they execute an amazing job of transforming the restaurant into a relaxing and essentially romantic atmosphere for dinner service. For our entrees, we enjoyed our main Indian staples of Garlic Naan, Butter Chicken, and Tikka Masala. The food definitely ranked up there with the best Indian we have ever had. It was piping hot and did not disappoint. While I find both dishes to be similar in looks and flavor, they were both bursting with the unique taste of Indian spices, but at a level of heat we could handle. So if you are a fan of Indian cuisine or want a classy evening out without spending a small fortune, be sure to check out Turmeric if you are ever in the area. https://www.turmericsarasota.com/

The next morning we stopped in to Green Zebra Cafe for breakfast. They have 2 locations, one in the heart of downtown Sarasota and the other in St Armands Circle. We dined at the St Armands Circle location. It was a tiny cafe with limited seating, but thankfully they were not busy when we first arrived. The restaurant was clean, cozy and quiet. Just what we needed at the early morning start of our day’s adventure. Green Zebra Cafe is a family owned business known for preparing their menu with organic and local ingredients. Of course, I held to vacation tradition and ordered the Challah French Toast with a side of chicken sausage. What a culinary delight! The French Toast was pillowy and cinnamony with a light drizzle of syrup. Just the way I like it! My beloved went with the Brazilian Acai Bowl and added a hot Cappuccino to take the edge off a fairly chilly morning. (He enjoyed the Cappuccino so much he went back for a 2^nd round the next morning.) You could certainly see and taste the freshness and quality of the ingredients and the presentation was a temptation to the eyes. It is always a challenge to find establishments that offer a healthier alternative to the norm. We absolutely would revisit Green Zebra again, where we can still indulge on a few guilty pleasures without sacrificing a higher level of quality ingredients. https://greenzebracafe.com/

Our next dinner spotlight is on Blue Sunshine Patio Bar & Grill at Marina Jacks. This stop had been on my bucket list for years. Driving past the iconic downtown marina on many occasions, I was curious to experience a Florida sunset dinner amidst the beauty of Sarasota Bay and a collection of magnificent boats and luxury yachts. (It’s a coastal thing.) Marina Jacks is a full service marina with dockage, visitor amenities, boat charters, and boat rentals. Its dining options consists of an upscale indoor dining room, lounge, piano bar, outdoor patio and even a dinner boat. Staying on the more budget-friendly side, we chose the Blue Sunshine Patio Bar. It was also a great way to capture a waterfront sunset while enjoying soothing gentle breezes with a front row view of the marina. The Patio Bar has a more casual menu than the indoor dining room, but still many usual and unusual coastal menu items. I decided to try the Grouper Reuben sandwich for a seafood twist on a classic favorite. It was served with coleslaw and fries. I opted to have the Grouper fried, but I think the sandwich would have been much more successful had I requested grilled. The panko-type breading seemed to overpower the flavor of the Grouper and overshadow the other components to the Reuben. My beloved also had Grouper, but his was simply grilled fillets. The sunset that accompanied our meal was a little difficult to fully enjoy as the reflection off the water was quite blinding from where we were sitting. However, the hues of red, yellow and orange on the horizon were something to behold. While the meal and the sunset was not exactly what I expected, the captivating view of the bay and the variety of boats to see at the docks and making their way in and out of the bay made the dining experience all worth while. https://www.marinajacks.com/water-front-dining/blue-sunshine-patio.html

Bonus Tip: If you are looking for a sweet treat made with excellence, check out Great Heights Creamery. They use quality local and organic ingredients to make their unique flavors of homemade ice cream. They have signature flavors that are available year round and seasonal flavors to maintain their commitment to the best ingredients. The day we visited, I had one of their signature flavors, Oatmeal Cookie, while my beloved had a seasonal flavor, Black Cherry. You certainly could taste the homemade difference down to the last bite. This is a great pick for all you ice cream lovers out there! https://greatheightscreamery.com/

Mural near the Green Zebra Cafe at St Armands Circle.