Lourdes Ramirez

Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations President and Sarasota County Commission Candidate

"The Roma sandwich made by A Taste of Germany on Siesta Key. Fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomato pesto, onion, tomato, lettuce and cucumber with turkey on a freshly made carrot roll. I arrange 'meetings' there just to have an excuse to order the sandwich."

Rob Alfieri

SUP [stand-up paddleboard] Sarasota Founder

"I have a huge chocolate chip cookie and coffee every day at around 3 p.m., sometimes from the Startup Cafe here at the HuB. The sugar and caffeine rush get me through the rest of the afternoon and spur me to either the gym or out on the water for a paddle."

Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller

"I'm of Italian heritage, and I like good pasta that's cooked properly. Not overdone—al dente. And I start my day with espresso. I actually have four espresso machines. I like good coffee."

Ringling College of Art and Design student and Buffalo Wizards Bassist

"The green smoothie at Big E's: It's a $2.50 medium-size cup and it has strawberries, pineapple juice, hemp seeds and spinach. It's tropical, but substantial; by the time you're done with it, it feels like you had a whole meal."

Sarasota Ballet dancer

"Almonds. Lots of almonds. And I love Selva Grill's mirin-roasted sea bass. A lot of the dancers like to go there, and the sea bass is just a treat, because I'm not a very good cook."

Hayden Reis Founder and Wine, Women & Shoes Co-Chair

"I start my day off with a flat white from Perq, either hot or iced. It's two shots of espresso with perfectly steamed milk."

Sarasota Chalk Festival Founder

"Super foods in the morning: 16 ounces of water with four tablespoons of cold-pressed organic aloe leaf juice, two tablespoons of liquid chlorophyll, mint and three teaspoons of spirulina. [Plus] a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal and quinoa with sunflower, almonds, pecans, Medjool dates, raisins with coconut milk and maple syrup."

Baltimore Orioles First Baseman and Major League Baseball All-Star

"My wife, Jill, makes great homemade sweet potato pancakes. The first few times she made them last year, I hit a home run that night, so they became a good luck charm for me."

Atomic Holiday Bazaar Founder

"The chicken flautas at Guerrero's Bakery & Restaurant, and also those tortilla chips. I used to make mine, but theirs are to die for."

Click here to see our editors' and food critics' picks for the 57 best dishes in Sarasota. >>

This article appears in the February 2014 issue of Sarasota Magazine. Like what you read? Click here to subscribe. >>