January 2, 2026

Lots of Delicious Things Ahead in 2026!

We’re taking a look back at 2025 & a look forward into 2026!

🥳 2025 Is Officially in the Books! Yes, I know it’s a little mind-numbing how quickly the pages get torn off the calendar. It scares me just a touch too. But at the same time, time marches on. And that’s a good thing.

⬆️⬇️ It’s Yo-Yo Time in Sarasota! For the next 45 days or so, it pays to use that weather app. I would just hate to see you dressed inappropriately. The temp goes up one day and then crashes down a few days later. Welcome to “winter” Sarasota-Style. This year (unlike some past years), I am prepared for the downturns!

🐻 Yes, those are a pair of new wool socks! Lovingly handmade and sporting the colors of my favorite NFL team. I believe it’s the ultimate stocking stuffer! 📝 I am fully aware of how short the wool sock-wearing season is in a place where the average January temp is 71°! But trust me, I’ll break them out every chance I get!

📅 2025 in the Rearview Mirror. I realize that you’re not here for an inventory of my sock drawer. I’m guessing you’re probably here for something more restaurant and dining-related.

Today, it’s 2025 dineSarasota wrap-up time! We’re giving you just a little peek behind the curtain at how (and what) we did this past year.

1️⃣ Our Sarasota Bites newsletter.

• We added 568 new subscribers! That’s almost 50 per month! Thanks to all of you who subscribed last year. Hope you enjoy reading it every week.

• We published 42 articles, all with original content. And the subject matter ran the gamut from European street food served here in Sarasota to our monthly editions of The List.

• Sarasota Bites was named a finalist for the 2025 Florida Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism Award! 🏆

2️⃣ Our dineSarasota.com website!

• We added 24 new Sarasota restaurants to our database. That’s 2 per month.

• We had 43,000 website users in 2025, and they viewed 253,000 pages of content!

• Our most viewed page was our Top 25 page. You obviously want to know where the hottest places in town are.

• Our most read article was a piece on Sarasota’s Golden Hour. A look at the Oshen bar at the new St. Regis Hotel and Resort.

3️⃣ Our Little Sarasota DINING Book.

• We published our 16th annual guide to Sarasota restaurants. Number 17 is available right now!

You can pick up a copy of the 2026 edition at either of our area Barnes & Noble bookstores, as well as downtown at Bookstore 1 Sarasota, and of course, online.

All in all, a fantastic year for dineSarasota! We are so happy that you’re enjoying our website, newsletter, and dining book. Thanks for helping to make dineSarasota what it is today. We couldn’t do it with you!

Hey, let’s keep this thing rolling for another year! Why not?? 🤷‍♂️

⏩ A Look Ahead. We always try to make some plans for the new year. I mean, it’s good to have some goals, right? Here are a few things we’d like to check off in 2026.

• Another 500+ newsletter subscribers.

• The return of our popular Make it at Home series. ⭐ We could use your help with this one. If you own a restaurant or would like to make a recipe suggestion, please get in touch. We will be happy to feature your dish! – EMAIL US HERE!

• A dineSarasota event! Yes, an actual in-person event for you to maybe eat some great food and meet some other like-minded, food-centric Sarasotans! We’ve talked about this in the past. Hopefully, 2026 is the year it happens!

• When we asked our readers last May what they would like to see us write about, “Day Trips” got a BIG response. We’re hitting the road in 2026 to report on what you can find if you gas up the car and go! 🚗

• 🍔 OH – and yes, since a lot of you have asked, we’ll be hunting down and sampling some more burgers in ’26! (Of course, fries too! 🍟)

That’s it. The past and the future all rolled up into one nice, neat post-New Year’s Day package. We love keeping you in the loop! Here’s to a happy, healthy, and filling 2026!

~ LH

📌 ODDS & ENDS

🦞 A Whole Lotta Lobster. Do you love a lobster dinner? Would you like to find one at a price that won’t require you to sell some family heirlooms to enjoy? If that’s a YES and a YES, we have some details for you.

Every Thursday, Lefty’s Oyster Bar & Seafood is offering their new Steamed Lobster Pot. You get a steamed Maine lobster served with red potatoes, corn, and a cup of seafood chowder. They get fresh, live lobsters flown in each Thursday and serve ’em up to you!

These lobster pot specials have been selling out every week. So maybe make it an early bird lobster special to guarantee you get yours!

🍽️ The Family Table. Does the idea of dining outdoors at downtown’s Five Points Park at a giant dinner table sound like a culinary adventure you’d like to take? If it does, we can help scratch that off your to-do list.

TUES, JAN 20TH The Scout Guide Sarasota hosts Pineapple to Plate: 5 Chefs – 5 Courses – 5 Points Park, and you can be part of one of the biggest dinner parties of the young year.

You’ll enjoy a “thoughtfully-curated, five-course dinner prepared by the culinary teams of Sage, Michael’s On East, Hanami & Tsunami, 1592 Wood Fired Kitchen & Cocktails, Pop’s Sunset Grill, and Simply Gourmet by Metz, with each course perfectly paired with Hartford Court Wines from the acclaimed Jackson Family Wines portfolio.”

Ready to dine under the stars? Here’s a link for more info and to purchase a ticket – PINEAPPLE TO PLATE TICKETS!

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🗓️ 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 📖 

🧑‍🌾 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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Get information on 350+ Sarasota restaurants on the dineSarasota.com website 

Did you miss a story? Here are some of our past Bites – SB ARCHIVE 

Do you love our A Burger A Week pieces? – HERE’S THE FULL ARCHIVE 🍔 

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Cover image Erik Dungan

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