Bread Winners! Two Sandwiches and a Combo.
We’re heading out to discover some delicious lunchtime options!
🐢 It is SLOW! Yeah, it’s hot. And yes, the kids are back in school. I know it’s not peak travel time. But, WHOA!
Seems like all around town, restaurants have more empty seats than usual. True or not? We’ve also added a bunch more places to dine since last fall. More seats, fewer bodies = excess capacity. (That’s not the new math!)
🪟 Your window of opportunity! Let’s look at this from a glass-half-full point of view, shall we? There are places that I’m sure you’ve wanted to try out but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Well, this may be the perfect time to get around to it!
🗣️ Let’s talk lunch! Not ready to commit to a full dinner experience? Relax. It’s a great time to try out some of our local spots for lunch. It’s a little bit cheaper than dinner, and you’ll still get the flavor of the place. Think of it as a delicious test drive.
Here are a few that we’ve sampled in the last couple of weeks that deserve your attention.
The folks at Faicco’s (3590 Webber St. 941- 960-1395) are still stacking huge sandwiches at their Webber and Beneva sandwich stand. It’s mostly a “To-Go” situation. They’ve got seats outside, but honestly, at this time of year, it might be better to tackle this monster in the comfort of your air-conditioned home (or office). FULL MENU HERE!
Want a look at what you can expect from Faicco’s? We wrote a piece about them – READ IT HERE!
⏭️ Next!
The Cuban Sandwich. If you’re a fan, you’re living in just the right state. You can find a Cuban Sandwich hiding around every corner. It seems like an exaggeration. But it’s closer to reality than you would think. 😁
That’s the Cuban Special 1958 Sandwich above. It’s on the lunch menu at Cuba 1958 (1766 Main St. 941- 280-1958). I’ll admit the name isn’t the most creative thing I’ve ever heard. But at least you know what you’re getting. It’s one of the better Cubans in town, honestly. Just note that it’s only available on the lunch menu.
Again, like Faicco’s, this is a gigantic sandwich. It’s enough for two meals. My only wish is that I could have gotten this as a soup (or salad) and half sandwich combo. That would have been ideal!
Want a better idea of what the Cuba 1958 experience is like? We wrote a FIRST LOOK highlighting it. If you missed it, you can READ IT HERE!
🍲 + 🥪 Speaking of the Soup and Half Sandwich…
The Toasted Yolk Cafe (3750 S. Tamiami Trail 941- 444-0049) serves up the lunch combo I was asking for! And it’s the perfect size for a midday meal. That half Homemade Tuna Sandwich and Chicken Tortilla Soup was right on the money!
Yes, we did a little write-up on them when they first opened their doors. If you missed that, you can READ IT HERE!
🥪 More Great Sandwich Places
• The Main Bar Sandwich Shop (1944 Main St. 941- 955-8733)
• Palm Avenue Deli (1297 N. Palm Ave. 941- 263-3742)
• Focaccia Sandwich + Bakery (2300 Bee Ridge Rd. 941- 924-2268)
• Piccolo’s Italian Market and Deli (6518 Gateway Ave. 941- 923-2202)
• Southside Deli (1825 Hillview St. 941- 330-9302)
• Anna’s Deli (6535 Midnight Pass Rd. 941- 349-4888)
I think you’re starting to get the idea of what I’m driving at. It’s slow around town. Let’s turn that into an opportunity to get out and see what you may have missed. I guarantee that any of our local restaurants will be happy to seat you!! 🧑🍳
📌 Odds and Ends
🎷 A little brunch music, please. If you’re still on the hunt for something to fill the gap created when the Blue Rooster’s great gospel brunch came to an end, then you are in luck! Cask and Ale (1548 Main St. 941- 702-8740) has rolled out their Sunday Jazz Brunch! Every Sunday, 11AM to 3PM. It’s a “full spread of brunch delectables” + bottomless mimosas. This is worth adding to your weekend to-do list.
🍷 The line starts here! Get out a BIG yellow highlighter and mark your calendar. OCTOBER 15TH @ 7PM. That’s the date and time that the Sarasota-Manatee Originals will start selling tickets for the 2025 Forks & Corks Grand Tasting. These tickets always get snapped up faster than you can say “rosé.” And with good reason. It’s the area’s premier food and wine event. HERE’S A LINK TO BUY TICKETS! 📝 PRO TIP – If you want to get ahead of the line, VIP tickets will go on sale OCT 8TH @ 9AM. The link above is also good for purchasing those tickets.
🎬 Lights, camera… Hey, how about a look behind the curtain at some of the people, places, and things that make our local Sarasota food scene what it is? Dive Liquors/Hive Bar, Owner Broc Smith has a new YouTube “Vodcast” called, appropriately enough, The Dive Show. These episodes feature some super interesting hospitality industry folks. Broc recently chatted with Mouthole Smashburger’s Ray Mabalot. It’s pretty damn entertaining! HERE’S A LINK TO WATCH! 📝 This particular episode is decidedly NOT G-Rated. Maybe watch after the kids have gone to bed! 😁
🔚 That’s it! Hope you had fun. Get out there and help fill up our restaurants this month!
~ LH
🗓️ SARASOTA FOOD EVENTS 🗓️
Here are some upcoming local food events that we think you might find interesting. All you need to do is make that reservation. We’ve provided you with a link to more info.
⭐⭐ If you have an event, we’d like to help you spread the word. Let us know! (EMAIL IT)
📖 BUY A COPY OF OUR 2024 SARASOTA DINING BOOK! – ORDER HERE 📖
😋 MICHAEL’S ON EAST – MONTHLY EPICUREAN MENU – MAINE 🦞
📆 WEEKLY POP-UP KITCHEN EVENTS – 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottle Shop
⭐ THANK YOU SARASOTA MENU – Duval’s Fresh. Local. Seafood
We’ve got a few things for you to do in the next days, weeks, and months. Get out there and take advantage of what our Sarasota restaurant community has to offer! ⬇️
SEPT 19 – South African Wine Dinner – Michael’s on East
SEPT 19 – Blue Fin Tuna Cutting Event – JPan UTC
SEPT 20 – Les Vins de France Wine Dinner – GROVE Restaurant
SEPT 21 – Sarasota Opera Food & Wine Festival – INFO 🎶
SEPT 21 – Caymus Wine Dinner – Hive Bar
SEPT 25 – The Blend Progressive Dinner – Sarasota Manatee Originals
OCT 5 – Sharktoberfest 2024 (Mote Marine) – INFORMATION
OCT 17 – Round Pond Wine Dinner – Michael’s On East
OCT 24 – Whiskey Wars – Michael’s On East
NOV 2 – Rockin’ Lobster (Children First) – INFORMATION
DEC 7 – Lakewood Ranch BluesFest – INFORMATION 🎸
🧑🌾 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
THIRD THURSDAY NIGHT – RADD Night Market – DETAILS
EVERY SATURDAY – Sarasota Farmer’s Market – DETAILS
EVERY SATURDAY – Downtown Bradenton Public Market – DETAILS
EVERY SATURDAY – Venice Farmer’s Market – DETAILS
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