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The Latest Sensations From busy sushi bars to glam gourmet establishments, our restaurant critic picks the hottest new additions to our ever-expanding dining scene. Kristine Nickel |
There’s even more international flavor on this Main Street: Saijo Sushi and Japanese Restaurant serves a well-rounded Asian menu, focusing on all manner of Japanese cooking styles. There’s sushi (I like the toro), a tempura menu, and items prepared teriyaki style. It’s a great way to become better acquainted with this culinary universe.
Just a short distance across I-75 is the Outlet Mall, home to the Island Time Grill, a colorful Floribbean concept with just enough of a Jimmy Buffett atmosphere to deliver a carefree state of mind. The seafood entrÈes are interesting; the salmon served with a pistachio-studded polenta is spot on. The bar serves an even more casual menu, featuring a great cheeseburger topped with Gorgonzola.
Across the center’s parking lot, you’ll see MT’s, a trendy bar and restaurant where the namesake initials stand for martinis and tapas. You’ll find plenty of both. Favorite tapas include the meatballs—yes, meatballs—which are bite-sized and spicy and, let’s face it, not found on that many menus. The usual assortment of finger food like bruschetta, hummus, and crostini is available, too. And the wine list is just as enticing as the wide range of martinis.
On the Trail
Any longtime local can tell you that just about everything happens on or around the "Trail," or U.S. 41. Starting in Tampa and ending in Miami, this highway was it before I-75, and in many ways it still is. Mattison’s Riverside is just a few blocks west of the trail in Bradenton, situated on the pier across from City Hall. This was formerly the Twin Dolphin, which for many years was the place to eat in downtown Bradenton. The Miller family hooked up with restaurant impresario Paul Mattison, and Riverside was born. It’s a huge improvement. This is a great waterfront space that had become fatigued in a big way. Now the dÈcor is updated and the menu is Asian-inspired—a departure for Mattison, who usually showcases the Mediterranean kitchen. I’m pleased to report that Mattison did keep the 1976 salad, which is delicious and a favorite of all who were patrons of the Twin Dolphin. Seafood is serious at Mattison’s Riverside, and just about anything that formerly swam will please the palate.
Further down the Trail, just past Sarasota Memorial Hospital, is Hillview Street, lined with restaurants and clubs. The newest is Red Peruvian Restaurant, one of several Peruvian restaurants in Sarasota. Red specializes in seafood and focuses on ceviche, the seafood dish that cooks in its own marinade. There are several ceviches on the menu, all fiery to one degree or another. Red is the place to get acquainted with yucca, too. The restaurant uses it in a variety of dishes, even featuring it as an appetizer with a red-hot dip.
Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion has been the hottest ticket in town since it opened last fall. The wildly successful chain, began by Hawaiian Roy Yamagucci of Iron Chef fame and owned by the same company that owns Fleming’s steak houses, has perfected cross-cultural dishes. This fusion cooking produces deliciously innovative layers of flavors and textures. The talents of the local chef are showcased, too, as each restaurant caters to its local clientele with original dishes. The butterfish, seafood associated with Hawaii, is aptly named, tasting and feeling like butter. It gives way with a fork. Any of the seafood is a sure bet for a fine dining experience, and don’t miss the Hawaiian martini, either. While the extensive and expensive wine list also tempts, this martini captures the essence of old Hawaii with its fresh pineapple flavors. Aloha.
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Posted By: Gene K "Foodmaster"
How do you rate Divino for Italian ? I found Esca and Derek's ridiculously overpriced.
Posted By: marie centa
I cannot believe that you all the italian eatery in this issue except for this tiny little plce my friends and i discovered a few weeks a go! It is the best italian in all of Sarasota, it is Solorzanos on Siesta Drive! The atmosphere, the music they play, the food out of this world!! You should have them in yor articles or the best of the best!!!
Posted By: Toni Ricigliano
Can you please update this? Thanks