Quick Bites: Top 10. Big Deals. Big Flavor.
Your May Guide to Sarasota Dining—Plus Cocktails, Brunch & Plant Bingo
🗓️ What We’re Celebrating This Month
🍔 May is National Hamburger Month! (OUR BURGER LIST IS HERE!)
🎉 May 5 – Cinco de Mayo (Kolucan & The Hub Baja Grill)
⭐ May 9 – Foodies Day! (This day is for all of you!)
🍤 May 10 – Shrimp Day (Walt’s & Big Water)
🍫 May 18 – I Love Reese’s Day (This day is for me!)
🐌 May 24 – Escargot Day (Figaro Bistro & Rick’s French Bistro)
🎖️ May 25 – Memorial Day
📋 The LIST – May 2026
May is upon us! It’s time to start thinking about some summer plans. Oh, and of course some summer sampling. Food that is. 🙂
📝 See below for news on great summer dining deals that are just around the corner.
☑️ All right, it’s time for a few comments on this month’s Top Ten.
Masō notches the three-peat. Yes, that’s three months in a row for this new and unique dining spot. Seems like a pretty firm grip on the number one slot. Impressive.
We just wrote about Kitchen Social, so no real surprise that it makes the top five this month. But how about the old-school Alpine Steakhouse coming in at number three!?
If you’ve been following along with our monthly lists, you may be asking, “What in the world happened to the Shebeen Irish Pub?” Well, this was an executive decision. Yes, they are a mainstay on The LIST. Since they haven’t opened up their new location yet, we felt maybe we should only include restaurants that you can actually eat at! Have no fear, once they open their doors, they’ll be back in the mix.
Congrats to Double Deez Chicago Style Hot Dogs for making the list. I LOVE a good Chicago dog! And apparently so do you! 🌭
😋 Savor the Flavor. OK, granted, June seems to be just a few miles down the road. But when there are great deals on delicious Sarasota food, you can never be too prepared. The 2026 edition of Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week is just around the corner. June 1–14 to be exact!
We will have lots more info just around the bend. We just thought that it was important enough for you to add to your culinary calendar right now! Keep an eye out…
👩🍼 The Mother of all Days. Mother’s Day info continues to come into the dineSarasota inbox at a pretty good clip. Here’s another one to add to the list of dining possibilities. Duval’s Fresh. Local. Seafood. is rolling out an off-the-menu brunch that any mother will love. There’s a great assortment to choose from. It spans the spectrum from Caprese Avocado Toast to Berry Trifle, and lots more. The special menu runs all day, so if you want to sleep in, that is no problem! HERE’S A LINK TO THE MENU!
🪴 Plants + Beer?? Yes, you did read that correctly. And I’ll agree it is an odd combo for sure. Here’s how this strange couple comes together. B-I-N-G-O! That’s correct. The first Sarasota occurrence of Plant Bingo (at least that I’m aware of!) and it’s hosted by Sarasota’s own nationally-famous Beer Bar, 99 Bottles Taproom.
This fun and unusual event is scheduled for Thursday, May 7 at 7PM. For $49.87 (I agree. It’s a funny price! 😀), you get eight rounds of plant bingo + two drink tickets. You’ll need to be 21 to attend. And even if you’re not one of the evening’s lucky bingo winners, you’ll still receive a FREE plant! – HERE’S A LINK FOR TICKETS! 🎫
🌱 Your Table is Waiting. Good news. You can now make a reservation at The Green Orchid at Selby Gardens! This unique restaurant, nestled in one of the country’s best botanical gardens, is a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
Aside from the delicious dishes that are crafted by the Michael’s On East culinary crew, this restaurant grows a lot of the vegetables they serve right on the rooftop of the building. Talk about skipping the middleman.
We wrote a piece about them right after they opened. If you haven’t read it, you can do so right HERE. If you’re visiting Selby and want to make certain that you have a table before or after your stroll around the beautiful grounds, you can make a reservation by calling the restaurant at (941) 265-8194. The Green Orchid is open from 11AM to 3PM daily.
🍹 Sip, Sip, Hooray! The cocktails have been shaken AND stirred, and there are winners. This year’s Sarasota-Manatee Originals Set the Bar competition has been all wrapped up, and yes, there were winners. We promised you a recap of the best creations of the day, and we’re here to fulfill that promise. Here you go!
Best Overall: Tiki in the Mist | Jack Dusty | Heidi Finley
Best Bourbon Cocktail: Tiki in the Mist | Jack Dusty | Heidi Finley
People’s Choice Cocktail: Disco Geisha | Tsunami Sushi, Cocktails, & Grill | David Roth
Best Vodka Cocktail: Disco Geisha | Tsunami Sushi, Cocktails, & Grill | David Roth
Best Rum Cocktail: Old Man and the Sea | DD Roasters | Vic Cipolla
️Best Tequila Cocktail: Bella Basil | Michael’s On East | Lars Hall
Best Gin Cocktail: Pink Guava Fizz | Harry’s Continental Kitchens | Geoff Pinter
Best Bar Bite: Cochinita Pibil Tacos | Kolucan
Best Tablescape: Pop’s Sunset Grill
We weren’t part of the judging crew this year. But this year’s panel had some pretty impressive cocktail credentials. Congrats to all the 2026 winners!
~ LH
📝 END NOTES –
(a) 99 Bottles was recently named the fourth-best beer bar in the country by USA Today. That is definitely BIG time. Congrats to their super knowledgeable staff!
(b) If you’re really into bingo, Big Top Brewing has a bingo night every Tuesday starting at 6:30PM, hosted by B Trivial. For more info, check the Big Top Brewing website.
🗓️ 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!! – Stella’s Greek Cuisine – 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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