A chilled, oversized martini glass filled with tangy key-lime mustard sauce and cocktail sauce makes the foundation for The Colony’s Naked Stone Crab Martini. Next up: mango-avocado-tomato salsa, spooned into half a lemon.  Crabmeat fills the glass, and jumbo cracked stone crab claws over a bed of mixed greens rim the entire plate. Florida’s finest seafood cocktail, bar none. 1620 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, (941) 383-5558.

This deliciously gamey, meltingly tender medallion of ostrich at Maximo’s probably comes from one of hundreds of ostrich ranches dotting the United States, but we like to imagine it’s fresh from the savannahs of Africa, an image encouraged by the safari-like ambiance of this South African-flavored eatery. All the food is as engaging as the exotic atmosphere, but you just have to order the ostrich. 149 Avenida Messina, Siesta Village, (941) 346-7865.

Michael’s On East has set the culinary standard in Sarasota for 20 years now, and the bow-tie pasta has been one of its most popular entrées since the beginning. For good reason: The grilled chicken is a supporting player to salty pancetta, crunchy snow peas and earthy shitake mushrooms, all fused together with a rich, Parmesan cream sauce. 1212 S. East Ave., (941) 366-0007.

Dip Chutney’s warm, doughy pita bread into creamy Middle Eastern hummus and you’ll be humming for more. The mashed chickpeas are perfectly seasoned with garlic, lemon juice and sesame oil, transforming the ubiquitous and usually pedestrian appetizer into a morsel of manna. You’ll want to eat every last drop—and may even ask for more pita bread. (We always do.) The very best appetizer on Hillview’s restaurant row. Chutney’s Etc., 1944 Hillview St., (941) 954-4444.

Excellent as the entrées are at The Table, they’re just an exquisite prelude to the dessert list, especially the Key lime tower. It’s a testament to the chefs’ creativity that they’ve figured out how to lift Florida’s omnipresent Key lime pie out of the ordinary: Construct a tower circled by a crunchy wall of graham crackers and filled with a creamy, tongue-tingling, tropical custard. Welcome to paradise. 1934 Hillview St., (941) 365-4558.

The antiques and fine art inside the historic Florida Citrus House make the new Rustic Grill a sensory feast even before the food arrives. When it does, the first bite comes in a brown paper bag—warm cornmeal biscuits, punctuated with pepper and so rich they almost fall apart in your fingers. They’re a seductive introduction to an eclectic cuisine that combines old Florida with ultra-modern sensibilities. 400 N. Lemon Ave., (941) 906-1111.

Purists—and they are legion—insist that fresh air and a water view are essential ingredients in a great grouper sandwich. They don’t get any greater than on the waterfront patio at the Old Salty Dog on City Island, where fresh grouper filets are dipped into homemade batter and expertly fried. Add lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce, serve with a cold beer, and you’ve got the perfect Florida vacation meal, served in the perfect spot. 1601 Ken Thompson Parkway, (941) 388-4311.

There is crème brûlee—and there is crème brûlee! The Bijou Café knows how to deliver the real thing, a creamy custard creation with more than a hint of fresh vanilla bean. But we all know the classic French dessert is as much about the crusty caramelized topping as it is about the custard. Bijou hits all the high notes with a brown torched-sugar crust that, when broken with your spoon, dissolves meltingly into the rich custard. 1287 First St., (941) 366-8111.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse puts great American spin on the classic French pomme frites with its shoestring French fries. Monster Idaho potatoes are sliced sliver-thin and fried in peanut oil until they turn golden-brown. Dusted with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, these crispy delights make a sensational side for steaks and come to the table spilling out of a distinctive cone cup. 2001 Siesta Drive, (941) 358-9463.

You don’t have the scoop on Sarasota if you haven’t strolled around St. Armands licking a creamy, dreamy ice-cream cone from Kilwin’s. Whether you choose classic vanilla or seasonal pumpkin, it’s the quintessential introduction to the city—sea breezes waft by, shop windows beckon, and many of the prosperous-looking tourists in colorful Lily Pulitzers and Tommy Bahama gear are blissfully bemused with their own Kilwin’s cones. 312 John Ringling Blvd., (941) 388-3200.