Here’s the update for this week. The Top 5 most searched for Sarasota restaurants on dineSarasota.com.

You have some great taste!

Here’s our weekly list of the most searched for Sarasota restaurants on dineSarasota.com for the past week. The more things change, the more they stay the same. No change at the top, but a little shuffling of the deck.

Check out the top twenty each month on The LIST.

Here’s our weekly list of the most searched for Sarasota restaurants on dineSarasota.com for the past week. No Change at the top, but a little shuffling of the deck.

Check out the top twenty each month on The LIST.

Food is funny. Sometimes we scour our city in search of the latest in new and fresh cuisine. Other times we long for our culinary comfort zone. Can a steakhouse fit in to both categories? It’s a question that has plagued mankind for centuries (OK, maybe not), but, it still deserves an answer.

Here in Sarasota we have several choices when it comes to the traditional steakhouse. Number one on that list is Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. Located on Siesta Drive, Fleming’s comes through on all of the elements you would expect from a first class steakhouse. It has a BIG city feel. It has fantastic, attentive table service. And, a wine list that would make any New York or Chicago establishment blush.

Now Fleming’s has taken the traditional steakhouse concept up a rung or two with the introduction of their “New Classics” menu items. There are eight new dishes that are destined to be old favorites in no time. These items have been created to provide diners with more variety, smaller portion sizes and healthier options. All of the new dishes have a price tag that is accessible to all.

These innovative new menu creations were produced especially for Fleming’s by two highly respected female chefs. Los Angeles based Chef Jamie Gwen and one of southwest Florida’s very own and James Bread Award winner, Chef Jeannie Pierola. These two have combined to put together some new versions of classic dishes, plus a few brand new surprises of their own.

Let’s take a look at one of my favorite “New Classics”, The Tillamook Bay Petrale Sole. We all know that Fleming’s can put out perfectly cooked cuts of steak from their kitchen, after all that’s their specialty. But, what about a delicate piece of fish like Petrale Sole?

Fleming’s version is lightly seasoned and drizzled with a lemon butter sauce. The plate is finished with several delicious and light crab Beignets. This is a tough dish to get right and Fleming’s take on it is on the money. The fish was cooked perfectly. Light, flaky and moist. The Beignets make a great accompaniment. The preparation is as good as the finest seafood restaurant could offer.

Another new seafood dish joins the sole as a “New Classic”. The Salmon Nicoise Salad combines all of the elements of a more traditional Nicoise, but, with a contemporary twist.

You say, “Yeah, seafood is great, but, I’m still looking for a steak.” In addition to all of Fleming’s traditional steak offerings, now you can enjoy two new options. A Peppercorn Steak, topped with Fleming’s new proprietary F17 sauce and a Porcini Rubbed Filet Mignon. Both cooked to the temperature of your choosing.

A couple of appetizers make the new menu, a Roasted Mushroom Ravioli and an amazing Lump Crab Louis Wrap. And, to round things out, there are two new side dishes, Roasted Baby Carrots and Sautéed French Green Beans.

The Bottom Line: If you’ve gone to Fleming’s in the past to enjoy their traditional steakhouse favorites, you now have a whole new group a choices awaiting you. Of course the steaks are awesome, you would expect that. But, with Fleming’s “New Classics” you can now expect to be wowed in unexpected ways!

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
2001 Siesta Drive
Sarasota, Florida 34239
941-358-9463

The new year always brings us some great new Sarasota dining options. And, this year is no exception.

Every Saturday and Sunday, from 9am to Noon, the Siesta Key Oyster Bar (SKOB). Will be offering local diners a fantastic breakfast menu. This special collection of items is sure to get your weekend off on the right foot.

The offerings include some new twists on classic breakfast dishes. How about starting your day with a delicious Crab Cake Benedict topped with a tangy Key Lime Hollandaise sauce like the one above? Of course the menu boasts some traditional items too.

Let’s see, how can the Wake Up Call Breakfast be even better? How about two complimentary mimosa’s, Bloody Mary’s or screwdrivers? That’s better!

Here’s a look at the complete SKOB Wake Up Call Breakfast menu.

Click on the image below to view the full menu.

Siesta Key Oyster Bar
5238 Ocean Blvd.
Sarasota, FL 34242
941-346-5443

In the past several weeks we’ve given you the rundown on the Sarasota restaurants that have been using the micro blogging service Twitter to help promote their businesses. Since posting those articles, we’ve had some people ask us which of their favorite Sarasota restaurants they could find on the hugely popular social networking site, Facebook.

We all know that Facebook is a popular place to connect with current friends and re-connect with old ones. But, more and more, businesses are using the service to get the word out about what they are doing. For restaurants it seems like this is a natural platform. Posting food specials, events or promotions is an efficient way for business to communicate with potential customers.

On the flip side, it’s also a great method for customers to find out what’s going on at their favorite eateries. Whether it’s a particular band that’s playing or a themed dinner or even karaoke night, “Fans” of a restaurant have that information pumped straight to them without any effort on their part.

We decided that it would be a great thing for both our local restaurants and our Sarasota diners if we could put all that important Facebook information in one place. So, that’s what we’ve done.

Just like our Twitter list, you can find a constantly updated listing of area restaurants that are using Facebook in the right sidebar of our Pot Luck page. Just click on the restaurant name and if you have a Facebook account, you will be taken straight their page. Once there, you can sign up to be a fan or a friend.

So, without further ado here’s a list of some of our local restaurants and where you can find them, Friend them or Fan them on Facebook.

Click on the restaurant name to go to their page.

• 15 South Ristorante
• Bangkok Restaurant
• Beach Bistro
• Big Sugar
• Bijou Cafe
• Cafe du Monde
• Cafe Epicure
• Cork on the Circle
• Derek’s Culinary Casual
• dineSarasota
• Harry’s Continental Kitchen
• Le Colonne
• Libby’s Cafe + Bar
• Michael’s On East
• Monterey Grill
• Patrick’s of Sarasota
• Pattigeorge’s
• Polo Grill & Bar
• Primo Ristorante
• Sarasota Olive Oil Company
• Sarasota-Manatee Originals
• Selva Grill
• Siesta Key Oyster Bar
• Station 400
• The Old Salty Dog

Facebook is a social networking platform. In keeping with that, we need your input to help keep our list as current and useful as possible. If you know of any other Sarasota restaurants that should be included in our list, please drop us an email or leave a comment to this post. We’ll be more than happy to add them.