We’re Back… and We Brought Good Eats
The latest LIST rankings, Seattle sandwich discoveries, Whit’s Frozen Custard, Sarasota Food News, and a look at what Michelin recognition really means.
👋 Did you miss us while we were gone? Well, we sure missed you! So, I guess this is “Welcome Back” to both of us.
📆 What We’re Celebrating This Month
🥪 August is National Sandwich Month (Focaccia & Piccolo’s Deli)
🥩 August 13 – National Filet Mignon Day (Summer House & Connors)
🌭 August 16 – National Bratwurst Day (Heidi’s Schnitzel Kitchen & Alpine Steakhouse)
😋 August 22 – National Bao Bun Day (Kojo & Namo Izakaya)
🍔 August 28 – National Burger Day (SEE OUR SARASOTA BURGER LIST!)
📋 The LIST – AUGUST 2026
Ups & Downs. Like usual, there is plenty of movement on this month’s LIST. So, let’s get right to it!
📊 LIST Watch
👀 Some Observations
Kitchen Social held onto the No. 1 spot for a second consecutive month, confirming that its jump to the top wasn’t just a one-month spike. The biggest mover was Happy Clams & Hams, which surged from No. 15 to No. 4, while Victoria’s Hong Kong Cafe climbed ten spots to enter the Top 10.
🥈 Highest New Entry
Hive Bar enters this month’s Top 25 at #10, the highest-ranking restaurant not listed in July.
📈 Another Interesting Trend: four Asian restaurants now occupy places in the Top 10, reflecting just how much interest readers have in Sarasota’s diverse dining scene.
🧀 Edible Arrangements. Who doesn’t love a good graze every now and then? I think most of us have spent a minute eyeing the best selections of a perfectly designed charcuterie board. I know I have!
These sometimes extravagant works of edible art can be as beautiful to behold as they are to sample. As with anything, there are tricks to the board construction trade. And now you can get a little peek behind the curtain.
Monday, August 17, 99 Bottles Taproom will be hosting a Charcuterie Night! It’s one of a series, and this version is a couples-themed event. You’ll get to “Learn, Create, and Take Home.”
This is certain to sell out fast (if it already hasn’t). Want more info? (Of course you do!) – CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS
🍧 I Scream, You Scream… I have yet to meet an ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato, or soft serve flavor that I didn’t love. If it’s frozen and it’s sweet, you can deal me in.
Siesta Key Village is about to get a new player in the frozen confection game. Whit’s Frozen Custard is about to open the door to some wild new tastes.
The Whitser is their calling card. It’s a bunch of different flavors spun up like a DQ Blizzard. These come in a Whitser Flavor of the Month. I’m waiting anxiously to sample a Buckeye Madness (vanilla custard blended with Reese’s® peanut butter cup, peanut butter, and chocolate syrup).
This new Whit’s is located in the former Siesta Key Physical Therapy space next door to Coldwell Banker. (Those unsuspecting real estate agents are about to put on 10-15 unexpected pounds! 😀)
⭐ Whit’s on Siesta opens up on Wednesday, August 12!
📝 It wasn’t that long ago that Siesta Key shunned anything that even remotely resembled a chain concept. I remember folks shouting down a Starbucks fifteen years ago. It looks like ice cream may be a whole different ballgame. A Kilwins opened a couple of years back across the street in Davidson’s Plaza. And now Whit’s is on the way. Looks like ice cream may have melted the hearts of even diehard SKers. 😋
✈️ Eats From the Emerald City.
OK – Well, we took a couple of weeks off. But we didn’t just sit on the couch channel surfing or rearranging the sock drawer. We did what any food-possessed person would do. WE ATE!
Our summer sojourn took us out west to the Evergreen State. More specifically, Seattle! Yes, the home to Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Jimothy (🦝), and some damn good eats.
August is National Sandwich Month, but that didn’t stop us from celebrating just a touch early. That beauty above is the Gran Sasso (Finocchiona, pecorino romano, artichoke pesto, arugula) from Fortuna. The secret to this sandwich (and all of their sandwiches) is their homemade schiacciata bread. It’s a lighter, thinner, crispier version of focaccia. Each of their half dozen signature sandwiches is made with no more than five ingredients. Simple sandwich, complex flavors.
Of course, we also had to make a sandwich stop at the Best Sandwich in Washington State. Yes, Un Bien is that good! We got a sandwich pic, but it doesn’t really do it justice. So, you get a couple of shots of the place instead. A classic Seattle stop!
📝 Here’s an interesting little foodie tidbit. Sarasota currently has three homegrown restaurants that have earned Michelin recognition. Seattle has none. Not because its restaurants aren’t worthy, but because Michelin doesn’t currently evaluate restaurants there.
The reason: Having Michelin inspectors evaluate your region requires a financial commitment from area business-support groups. It’s these business support organizations, like the local Chamber, CVB, and others, that bring Michelin inspectors to a region to evaluate local restaurants and determine whether they are worthy of inclusion (very few are).
Just to be perfectly clear, restaurants themselves don’t (and can’t) pay for inclusion in the guide; this isn’t advertising. It’s a HUGE honor to be recommended. When a local independent restaurant earns Michelin recognition, it’s being evaluated alongside every other place that Michelin inspectors visit throughout Florida, not just those in Sarasota.
📰 We’ve Got News! Lastly, while we were off for the last couple of weeks, we were busy making dineSarasota better than ever. Of course, work has started on the 2027 Little Sarasota DINING Book. And we’ve just recently launched a new feature on the website. Our Sarasota Food News page has become one of our most popular site destinations since it went live a couple of weeks ago.
This new page is meant to be your go-to source for ALL Sarasota food news. We comb through the news every week and post the stories that are important to our local restaurant and dining community. It’s a “One-Stop Shop” for everything that you need to know around town that’s food-related.
Are you curious? We know you are! OK – Let’s set you up with an easy way to get there:
➡️ VISIT OUR SARASOTA FOOD NEWS PAGE HERE
That’s it. All done for this week. We’ll see you right back here next Friday. Have a fantastic weekend. It’s SO good to see you again! 😊
~ LH
🗓️ SARASOTA FOOD INFO🗓️
Here is some local food information that we think you might find interesting. We’ve provided you with a link to more info.
📖 BUY A COPY OF OUR 2026 SARASOTA DINING BOOK! – ORDER HERE 📖
📋 MENU OF THE MONTH!! – Tralia Pizza – MENU HERE!
🧑🌾 FARMER’S MARKET INFO 🌾
EVERY SUNDAY – Siesta Key Farmer’s Market – DETAILS
EVERY SUNDAY – Farmer’s Market at Lakewood Ranch – DETAILS
EVERY SUNDAY – The Meadows Farmer’s Market – DETAILS
EVERY WEDNESDAY – The Phillippi Farmhouse Market (Oct-Apr) – DETAILS
EVERY THURSDAY – Englewood Farmer’s Market (Oct-May) – DETAILS
EVERY SATURDAY – Sarasota Farmer’s Market – DETAILS
EVERY SATURDAY – Downtown Bradenton Public Market – DETAILS
EVERY SATURDAY – Venice Florida Farmer’s Market – DETAILS
THIRD THURSDAY EVERY MONTH – UTC Night Market – DETAILS
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