Several favorite Sarasota-Bradenton dining destinations honored by Florida Trend magazine
Golden Spoons have been coveted by Sunshine State restaurateurs and chefs for decades.
Florida Trend, a venerable monthly magazine based in St. Petersburg, recently announced its annual Golden Spoon winners as well as The Hall of Fame members that will appear in the 50th Anniversary Golden Spoon special section of this month's issue.
I grew up in Tampa reading Chris Sherman's restaurant reviews in the St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times). In recent years, he's been the restaurant editor at Florida Trend. I have a lot of respect for his writing and, more importantly, his picks for dining destinations.
Here are this year's Golden Spoon recipients from Sarasota and Manatee counties:
GOLDEN SPOON 2017 - BEST NEW
Sardinia
5770 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-702-8582; sardiniasrq.com
The Italian restaurant is honored for, among other things, its "rustic stuffed-pasta that Sardinians call culurgiones."
GOLDEN SPOON 2017
Indigenous
239 S. Links Ave, Sarasota; 941-706-4740; indigenoussarasota.com
Chef Steve Phelps is applauded for being "serious about local and seasonal ingredients, especially sustainable fish, like Mote Marine sturgeon."
Libby's Cafe + Bar
1917 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota; 941-487-7300; libbyscafebar.com
Dubbed Southside Village's "neighborhood staple for lunch, dinner, brunch and in-between deals."
Mozaic
1377 Main St., Sarasota; 941-951-6272; mozaicsarasota.com
"The menu changes daily and always has fun with sides," Sherman writes. Vegan options and desserts are extolled, too.
Shore Diner
465 John Ringling Blvd., St. Armands Circle; 941-296-0301; dineshore.com
Called "pure Florida" offering "contemporary tropical eating with Sarasota modern cool, with caps and rash guards below."
The Table Creekside Restaurant
5365 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-921-9465; tablesrq.com
Praised for cooking that's "global enough to make Korean tuna, chicken Marrakesh, Peruvian duck and Portuguese octopus."
GOLDEN SPOON HALL OF FAME
Beach Bistro
6600 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach; 941-778-6444; beachbistro.com
Anna Maria Island place for "polished dining on the beach, casual and professional. Sublime scallops and bouillabaisse."
Euphemia Haye
5540 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 941-383-3633; euphemiahaye.com
Sherman recommends the "famed roast duckling and peppercorn steak with worldly additions."
Maison Blanche
2605 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 941-383-8088; maisonblancherestaurants.com
José Martinez's French restaurant is complimented for its "crisp and classic cuisine ... France would be proud."
Michael's On East
1212 East Ave. S., Sarasota; 941-366-0007; bestfood.com/restaurant
Lauded as "the height of gilded society and creative cuisine for two decades."
Selva Grill
1345 Main St., Sarasota; 941-362-4427; selvagrill.com
"Sarasota’s pioneer Peruvian restaurant ushered in South America's most exotic cuisines and continues to make the Gulf Coast a lucky hot spot of cocina Peruana," Sherman writes.
Read the complete list at floridatrend.com/golden-spoons.
Have a suggestion for a great place to eat, drink, play or stay in Southwest Florida? How about a pop culture topic? Email me at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.