It’s a Leap of Taste at Lefty’s Oyster & Seafood Bar
Frog legs are on the menu at this Rosemary District seafood restaurant
🙃 And now for something completely different. Growing up on/in Chicago’s southside/south suburbs was a pretty standard middle-class affair. At least, it was in my mind in the 60s and 70s.
September through mid-June was school. Mid-June through Labor Day was “summer.” Everybody in my world operated on the same annual schedule.
The food. Looking backward, nothing crazy. Lots of summer grilling (burgers, hot dogs…) and winter casseroles, meatloaves, and soups. All of my friends were pretty much eating off the same menu.
🚗 But every now and then… Northwest Indiana was a quick car trip from where I lived. That’s the way it seemed to me anyway. I wasn’t behind the wheel yet, so the role of passenger was light duty.
Tucked away in Hammond or Whiting, IN (depending on the year) was a real culinary treat (at least for a peanut butter and jelly elementary school kid). There, in all of its unapologetic throwback style, stood Phil Smidt’s.
“Phil’s” served a pretty classic Midwest menu. But there were a couple of things that everyone went there for. The Boned and Buttered Lake Perch AND my personal favorite, the Pan Sautéed Frog Legs. 📝 At the young age of 10, I had absolutely no idea what “pan sautéed” meant. I figured it must have meant tasty. 😋
The perch and the frog legs both came in an “All You Can Eat” option. And, of course, that was the option that I opted for. Even in the fifth grade, I could amass an impressive pile of tiny frog leg bones on my plate. I can only imagine just how proud my parents were of their little amphibian-devouring pre-teen.
⏩ Fast forward 50 or so years! Back in the summer of 2022, I saw the news. Not blockbuster type news. Another Sarasota restaurant was closing. Sold, actually. I was sad to see that the Mandeville Beer Garden was changing hands. I loved their craft beer selection and casual “backyard” atmosphere.
The new owners, Mike Quillen, Chip White, David Sessions, and John LaCivita, know how to run restaurants. Cask & Ale, Pi Pizza 3.14, Blase Cafe, and Pie on Main all come under the Watershed Hospitality umbrella. This was an encouraging sign.
🦪 Enter Lefty’s Oyster & Seafood Bar!
It took a little bit for Lefty’s (428 N. Lemon Ave. | 941-954-8688) to get its doors opened. But in January of this year, they welcomed guests to a newly renovated and spiffed-up dining space.
There’s lots of indoor seating.
Still a big, spacious outdoor area.
Of course, they have a bar (they left the big Mandeville bar largely intact).
Lefty (Chip’s pup) even has his own place to call home when he’s roaming the grounds.
As you would guess from the name, they feature seafood. The menu rotates through a daily section of fresh fish and oyster offerings.
But things don’t stop at those few choices. It’s loaded with possibilities. Apps, handhelds, soups, and salads dot this seafood-centric menu. 📝 There are items for those folks who are looking for something other than seafood.
🐸 I think you know what I’m here for! That is correct. Lefty’s Frog Legs (Lightly fried and served with tartar sauce). This isn’t NW Indiana in the 60s. It’s SW Florida in the 2020s. Your frog leg options are severely limited. 📝The only other place that I have seen frog legs on a standard menu is the Linger Lodge (and that’s a story for another time and place!).
These weren’t pan sautéed like they were at Phil Smidt’s. “Lightly Fried” is a pretty accurate description of the prep method. Yes, they’re battered. But it’s not heavy. Frog legs have a fairly delicate taste (no, they don’t taste like chicken 😁). So, a thick batter and deep frying wouldn’t be great.
These are pretty good-sized. Phil’s were a lot smaller. But they were still super tender and had a nice crunch for those who like some texture variation.
All in all, they absolutely scratched that itch. I’d been looking for them on Sarasota seafood restaurant menus for a long time. It’s safe to say that hunt has now ended.
⭐ A couple more things. Even though the frog legs were the reason for the visit, it seemed like we should test drive a few other items…
The Seafood Chowder (Cream base chock full of Gulf grouper, conch, and clams) was super rich and creamy. There’s lots of conch and clams in there, too, just like it says on the menu!
Seems like Smoked Fish Dip (Served with crispy corn tortilla chips) is on every menu at every place right now. Maybe Lefty’s didn’t want to be left out of the party. The tortilla chips as a carrier were different. I think I prefer a standard Saltine. But that’s just me. Try it for yourself and let me know how you feel about it.
Again, there are lots of places to grab Fish Tacos (Gulf grouper, lobster, or shrimp) around town. These won’t disappoint. They’re lighter than they look. We got one grouper here and one shrimp (Normally, you can only get one style, not mix and match. Our server Tianna put in a good word for us with the Chef! Thanks!) Yep, that’s a side of Red Beans and Rice you see.
✅ The Bottom Line – YES – Lefty’s is a great place to get that frog leg fix (if you need one!). For the “non-frog leg” crowd, there are lots of other possibilities. It’s also a pretty good spot just to grab a cold beer and relax outside. If you happen to be on the prowl for someplace relatively new to try, you should happily hop on over! 😜
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