10 great steakhouses in Sarasota-Bradenton

Thursday
Dec 14, 2017 at 2:01 AM

Element and nine other local restaurants for excellent cuts of beef

By Abby Weingarten, Correspondent

Steakhouses are consistently making the cut in Sarasota-Manatee’s dining scene, and each eatery has its own signature rubs, sauces and accompaniments. With the recent downtown opening of Element and, shortly before that, Connors Steak & Seafood at Westfield Siesta Key, it seems every corner of the local culinary map is beefing up its selection of sirloins and ribeyes.

The new Element, a “modern Mediterranean grill” on Main Street in downtown Sarasota, is going all in on its "steaks and chops” menu section. Steaks are all grilled or seared, and served with garlic herb butter—from the 10-ounce filet to the 14-ounce New York strip, the 16-ounce ribeye and the 38-ounce tomahawk ribeye. Have a savory slab with horseradish mustard or thyme aioli, finish the meal with chocolate salami, and sip a gin-based Duke of Earl libation at the craft cocktail bar. Element is at 1413 Main St., Sarasota. 941-724-8585; elementsrq.com.

A steak staple for 30 years with 1940s-style supper club décor, Michael’s On East sets the meat standard with its finest hand-cut USDA-certified beef. Specialties include Phil’s carved prime 14-ounce New York strip (porcini-rubbed with roasted shiitake mushrooms, baby peppers, chimichurri and lemon-oregano fingerling potatoes). Finish the entrée sweetly with a s’mores in a jar, and choose from more than 1,000 international estate-bottled wines inside Michael’s Wine Cellar. Michael’s On East is at 1212 East Ave. S., Sarasota. 941-366-0007; bestfood.com.

Turducken may be the culinary mashup on every guest’s mind when it comes to Alpine Steakhouse during the holidays, but the red meat on the menu is just as choice. More than four decades old, Alpine serves New York City steakhouse-style entrées in a family-centric space with a built-in meat market. Adding to the prime rib roast, center-cut New York strip and filet mignon with béarnaise is a trove of German dishes, 60-plus important beers, and desserts like apple strudel. Alpine Steakhouse is at 4520 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-921-3798; alpinesteak.com.​

Rubs are rave-worthy at The Capital Grille—from the kona coffee to the porcini mushroom—on the finest specimens of dry-aged steaks. Regulars return for the sliced filet mignon with Cipollini onions, wild mushrooms and fig essence; the gorgonzola-and-truffle-crusted, bone-in New York strip with cherry-Cabernet reduction; and the bone-in, kona-crusted New York strip with shallot butter. Pair them with soy-glazed Brussels sprouts and bacon, and a Stoli Doli pineapple-infused cocktail at the upscale bar. The Capital Grille is at 180 University Town Center Dr., Sarasota. 941-256-3647; thecapitalgrille.com.

Wet-aged “giant” steaks are on deck at Cannon’s—a Gulf Gate purveyor of gourmet cuisine in a neighborhood tavern-esque atmosphere. Dine under chandeliers made of wine bottles and listen to pianists play while indulging in hand-cut house specialties like the 24-ounce Cannon Delmonico or the 48-ounce Double Cannon. Add hollandaise, horseradish or burgundy sauces, and have the roasted bone marrow with fresh thyme and candied pecans. Beer and wine happy hour, and mango-guava cheesecake, anyone? Cannon’s Steakhouse and Tavern is at 6540 Superior Ave., Sarasota. 941-924-7171; cannonssteakhouse.com.

Bringing Tennessee charm to Southwest Florida, Connors is earning points for its southern flair and stellar steaks at Westfield Siesta Key (the company’s fifth location). With its wood interior and fireplaces, the eatery serves comfort fare like a nine-ounce bleu cheese filet with bleu cheese butter and red wine reduction, a six-ounce Boursin filet with crispy tobacco onions, and a 16-ounce espresso ribeye. Order a side of batter-fried mushrooms with Creole mustard sauce and sip an Old Fashioned. Connors Steak & Seafood is at 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-260-3232; connorsrestaurant.com.

Beyond the famed prime rib dinner special every Sunday, Fleming’s has an all-week-long appeal in the form of expertly-cooked steaks and award-winning wines. The beef is aged a minimum of 21 days, broiled at 1,600 degrees, and finished with butter and parsley. Have a main 12-ounce filet mignon or a 16-ounce prime dry-aged New York strip with classic porcini mushroom/gorgonzola cream. Complete the decadence with chipotle-cheddar macaroni and cheese, and a slice of walnut turtle pie. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is at 2001 Siesta Dr., Sarasota. 941-358-9463; flemingssteakhouse.com.

Cozy up near a crackling fireplace or snag a barstool for happy hour at Hyde Park in downtown Sarasota, where the steaks are as inviting as the $5 bar plates and espresso martinis. Lobster mashed potatoes or creamed corn pancetta complement the 18-ounce garlic steak (a New York strip with mushrooms and garlic butter) and the 12-ounce steak a la lobster (filet mignon over bordelaise with lobster, béarnaise, asparagus and mushrooms). There are Japanese and Australian wagyu selections, too. Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse is at 35 S. Lemon Ave., Sarasota. 941-366-7788; hydeparkrestaurants.com.

A “Florida casual” American brasserie in Bradenton with a wealth of in-house aged beef, Michael John’s serves Iowa-sourced, grass-fed cuts that wow patrons. Experience the 22-ounce prime Delmonico ribeye with house garlic-herb butter, or the eight-ounce filet pinot (a cut crusted with Dijon mustard and bleu cheese, served with a raspberry-pinot noir reduction). Roasted broccoli and Parmesan potato gratin are unique additions, as is the signature French 75 cocktail with gin, Grand Marnier and champagne. Michael John's is at 1040 Carlton Arms Boulevard, Bradenton. 941-747-8032; michaeljohnsrestaurant.com.

Hand-cut daily and aged for 28 days, Prime steaks are flavor-packed and sometimes even “drunken” (like a 20-ounce sirloin that is marinated overnight in hard cider). This casual fine dining locale, next to Costco at Westfield Sarasota Square, offers Chairman’s Reserve certified beef that is prepared at the onsite butcher shop. The 14-ounce Kansas City strip with bleu cheese butter and the Beef Wellington are both unmissable, as is the Hasselback potato that is baked and fried accordion-style. Wash it all down with a fresh peach nectar and prosecco Bellini Martini. Prime Serious Steak is at 8201 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-921-6161; primeserioussteak.com.

Thursday
Dec 14, 2017 at 2:01 AM

Element and nine other local restaurants for excellent cuts of beef

By Abby Weingarten, Correspondent

Steakhouses are consistently making the cut in Sarasota-Manatee’s dining scene, and each eatery has its own signature rubs, sauces and accompaniments. With the recent downtown opening of Element and, shortly before that, Connors Steak & Seafood at Westfield Siesta Key, it seems every corner of the local culinary map is beefing up its selection of sirloins and ribeyes.

The new Element, a “modern Mediterranean grill” on Main Street in downtown Sarasota, is going all in on its "steaks and chops” menu section. Steaks are all grilled or seared, and served with garlic herb butter—from the 10-ounce filet to the 14-ounce New York strip, the 16-ounce ribeye and the 38-ounce tomahawk ribeye. Have a savory slab with horseradish mustard or thyme aioli, finish the meal with chocolate salami, and sip a gin-based Duke of Earl libation at the craft cocktail bar. Element is at 1413 Main St., Sarasota. 941-724-8585; elementsrq.com.

A steak staple for 30 years with 1940s-style supper club décor, Michael’s On East sets the meat standard with its finest hand-cut USDA-certified beef. Specialties include Phil’s carved prime 14-ounce New York strip (porcini-rubbed with roasted shiitake mushrooms, baby peppers, chimichurri and lemon-oregano fingerling potatoes). Finish the entrée sweetly with a s’mores in a jar, and choose from more than 1,000 international estate-bottled wines inside Michael’s Wine Cellar. Michael’s On East is at 1212 East Ave. S., Sarasota. 941-366-0007; bestfood.com.

Turducken may be the culinary mashup on every guest’s mind when it comes to Alpine Steakhouse during the holidays, but the red meat on the menu is just as choice. More than four decades old, Alpine serves New York City steakhouse-style entrées in a family-centric space with a built-in meat market. Adding to the prime rib roast, center-cut New York strip and filet mignon with béarnaise is a trove of German dishes, 60-plus important beers, and desserts like apple strudel. Alpine Steakhouse is at 4520 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-921-3798; alpinesteak.com.​

Rubs are rave-worthy at The Capital Grille—from the kona coffee to the porcini mushroom—on the finest specimens of dry-aged steaks. Regulars return for the sliced filet mignon with Cipollini onions, wild mushrooms and fig essence; the gorgonzola-and-truffle-crusted, bone-in New York strip with cherry-Cabernet reduction; and the bone-in, kona-crusted New York strip with shallot butter. Pair them with soy-glazed Brussels sprouts and bacon, and a Stoli Doli pineapple-infused cocktail at the upscale bar. The Capital Grille is at 180 University Town Center Dr., Sarasota. 941-256-3647; thecapitalgrille.com.

Wet-aged “giant” steaks are on deck at Cannon’s—a Gulf Gate purveyor of gourmet cuisine in a neighborhood tavern-esque atmosphere. Dine under chandeliers made of wine bottles and listen to pianists play while indulging in hand-cut house specialties like the 24-ounce Cannon Delmonico or the 48-ounce Double Cannon. Add hollandaise, horseradish or burgundy sauces, and have the roasted bone marrow with fresh thyme and candied pecans. Beer and wine happy hour, and mango-guava cheesecake, anyone? Cannon’s Steakhouse and Tavern is at 6540 Superior Ave., Sarasota. 941-924-7171; cannonssteakhouse.com.

Bringing Tennessee charm to Southwest Florida, Connors is earning points for its southern flair and stellar steaks at Westfield Siesta Key (the company’s fifth location). With its wood interior and fireplaces, the eatery serves comfort fare like a nine-ounce bleu cheese filet with bleu cheese butter and red wine reduction, a six-ounce Boursin filet with crispy tobacco onions, and a 16-ounce espresso ribeye. Order a side of batter-fried mushrooms with Creole mustard sauce and sip an Old Fashioned. Connors Steak & Seafood is at 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-260-3232; connorsrestaurant.com.

Beyond the famed prime rib dinner special every Sunday, Fleming’s has an all-week-long appeal in the form of expertly-cooked steaks and award-winning wines. The beef is aged a minimum of 21 days, broiled at 1,600 degrees, and finished with butter and parsley. Have a main 12-ounce filet mignon or a 16-ounce prime dry-aged New York strip with classic porcini mushroom/gorgonzola cream. Complete the decadence with chipotle-cheddar macaroni and cheese, and a slice of walnut turtle pie. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is at 2001 Siesta Dr., Sarasota. 941-358-9463; flemingssteakhouse.com.

Cozy up near a crackling fireplace or snag a barstool for happy hour at Hyde Park in downtown Sarasota, where the steaks are as inviting as the $5 bar plates and espresso martinis. Lobster mashed potatoes or creamed corn pancetta complement the 18-ounce garlic steak (a New York strip with mushrooms and garlic butter) and the 12-ounce steak a la lobster (filet mignon over bordelaise with lobster, béarnaise, asparagus and mushrooms). There are Japanese and Australian wagyu selections, too. Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse is at 35 S. Lemon Ave., Sarasota. 941-366-7788; hydeparkrestaurants.com.

A “Florida casual” American brasserie in Bradenton with a wealth of in-house aged beef, Michael John’s serves Iowa-sourced, grass-fed cuts that wow patrons. Experience the 22-ounce prime Delmonico ribeye with house garlic-herb butter, or the eight-ounce filet pinot (a cut crusted with Dijon mustard and bleu cheese, served with a raspberry-pinot noir reduction). Roasted broccoli and Parmesan potato gratin are unique additions, as is the signature French 75 cocktail with gin, Grand Marnier and champagne. Michael John's is at 1040 Carlton Arms Boulevard, Bradenton. 941-747-8032; michaeljohnsrestaurant.com.

Hand-cut daily and aged for 28 days, Prime steaks are flavor-packed and sometimes even “drunken” (like a 20-ounce sirloin that is marinated overnight in hard cider). This casual fine dining locale, next to Costco at Westfield Sarasota Square, offers Chairman’s Reserve certified beef that is prepared at the onsite butcher shop. The 14-ounce Kansas City strip with bleu cheese butter and the Beef Wellington are both unmissable, as is the Hasselback potato that is baked and fried accordion-style. Wash it all down with a fresh peach nectar and prosecco Bellini Martini. Prime Serious Steak is at 8201 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 941-921-6161; primeserioussteak.com.

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