June 13, 2025

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Ten Delicious Savor Sarasota Appetizers

We’re rolling out some great appetizer possibilities just for you!

Small but mighty! Yes, I’m talking about the appetizer. They are there on just about out every menu.  

They can be plain (ex. wings, mozzarella sticks, or guac & chips). They can also be fancy (ex. gourmet deviled eggs, charcuterie boards, or kimchi pancakes with fermented flowers). But with or without the bells and whistles, a good appetizer can get the meal off and rolling on the right track. 

🤚 Let’s see some hands. OK – A show of hands. How many of you have taken advantage of some of the fantastic Savor Sarasota dining deals that are going on right now? All right, that’s some of you, but not nearly as many as I’d like to see. For the rest of you, what in the world are you waiting for!?? 

Maybe you just need an enticer. Or maybe, more appropriately, an appetizer. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Be prepared to be enticed.  

If you’ve been a long or even medium-term reader of this newsletter, you will know that here at dineSarasota, we like lists. And over the years, we’ve put out more than a few of them. So, here’s another one. 

We present to you for your “apping” pleasure, Ten Great Savor Appetizers!  

📝 Just so it doesn’t look like we’re “ranking” these, we’ll call them out in alphabetical order. That seems OK, right? 

• Adeline – Crispy Pork – Chinese black vinegar, sesame chili oil, honey. 

• Amore Restaurant – Salted Cod Fritters (Bolinhos de Bacalhau) – Three salted cod fritters blended with mashed potato, onion, parsley, and garlic, served fried with garlic aioli. 

• Anna Maria Oyster Bar (North Port) – Crab Mac & Cheese – Penne pasta folded into house-made chipotle cheese sauce, topped with a parmesan-bacon crumble, and crowned with succulent blue crab. 

• Crab & Fin – Thai Coconut Curry Maine Golden Mussels – Lemongrass, ginger, kefir lime, coconut rum, green onion, local tomato & cilantro-curry butter. 

• Dolce Italia – Burrata with Truffle Figs – Ball of burrata mozzarella with a creamy center, served with truffle figs marinated in honey over arugula. 

• Fat Rabbit Pub – Fattened Shrimp – Juicy jumbo shrimp, perfectly blackened and seared, served over arugula with cocktail sauce. 

• Harry’s Continental Kitchens – Fresh Pear Salad – With crumbled gorgonzola cheese, glazed walnuts, and mixed greens, mango basil vinaigrette. 

• Lazy Lobster – Fried Green Tomatoes – Fried golden brown with goat cheese, balsamic drizzle, and Georgia peach chutney. 

• Selva Grill (downtown) – Maya Shrimp Ceviche – Shrimp marinated in orange, lime juice, achiote, tossed with avocado, tomato, red onion & Cusco corn. 

See! I told you there are some great starters out there on the Savor “Flavor Trail.” 

In case you somehow forgot how all of this works, we’ve got a super short and sweet refresher course.  Eyes on the board! 

WHEN – JUNE 1-20 

LUNCH – $25 PP, 2 Courses 

DINNER – $45 PP, 3 Courses 

We know that you’re all serious food people (why else would you be reading this! 🤷‍♂️). But just in case you haven’t taken the time to construct your own personal Savor roadmap, we’ve done it for you. HEY, that’s what we’re here for! 

📝 THE 2025 SAVOR SARASOTA CHECKLIST IS HERE! 

If you’re out and about and sampling any of these special menus, drop us a note and let us know what you thought of your Savor meal. Maybe we’ll even re-print a few of them in an upcoming Sarasota Bites.  

That’s it. The fasten seatbelt sign is now off. You are free to move about the cabin! 🙂 

~ LH 

📌 ODDS & ENDS 

🥩 Steaking out some territory. If you live in the Englewood area AND you are a lover of meat, then this fall, you’re going to have a lot to cheer about. Sometime after Labor Day Keith and Laurie Farlow will be welcoming guests to their newest culinary creation, Chophouse 285. Yes, those are the very same Farlow’s that have been serving up some great dishes at their namesake restaurant, Farlow’s on the Water, for the past 20 years! I’m guessing that the folks in South Sarasota County will be ready and waiting with steak knives in hand when they throw open the doors. HERE’S SOME BASIC INFO. More info later this summer… 

😢 le restaurant est fermé. Thierry Raynal and Véronique De Stefani have closed their super cozy and delicious Bonjour French Cafe in Siesta Key Village. They have been serving authentic French cuisine on SK for the past ten years. I know that after every season, we get a little burst of restaurants calling it quits, but… Is it just me, or does this stream of closings seem like a fire hose versus a garden hose?? Bonjour will be missed out on the key. 

🆕 A slice of life. One door closes, and another one opens. Through Saturday (JUN 14) night, Dough Boy Swift (2881 Clark Rd.) will be hosting their soft opening. That means it’s a chance for you to get in a sample a few things before the hungry pizza-loving crowd descends. They’ll be serving a limited menu, but if you’d like to get a sneak peek, now’s the time. Best of luck to Broc and the rest of the Dough Boy crew! – HERE’S THE SOFT OPENING MENU!🍕 

🖨️ It’s all there in black & white. Tell me if you’ve been here. You have a great meal, and it’s accompanied by attentive service. You’re having fun with your friends or family, and when the bill arrives, you just tip, sign, and go.  

Then, later, upon further inspection of your printed bill, you notice a few “small print” charges. Yes, you should have seen them. That’s your job as a consumer to make sure everything is A-OK before you sign. If you catch these charges well after the fact, I’m certain you’ll feel a little less enthusiastic about your whole experience. 

Sometimes, those fees can feel like they’re buried deep in the details. Starting July 1^ST, restaurants will be required to post their “fees” in an “in an obvious and clearly readable manner on the menu board or on an obvious and clearly readable sign by the register where the customer pays.”

This might not be enough to save us from our unobservant selves, but it might be a step in the right direction. 

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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 2025 SARASOTA DINING BOOK! – ORDER HERE 📖 

😋 MICHAEL’S ON EAST – MONTHLY EPICUREAN MENU – SAVOR THE WORLD🌍 

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🧑‍🌾 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 Farmer’s Market – DETAILS 

THIRD THURSDAY EVERY MONTH – UTC Night Market – DETAILS 

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