The Saunders Blog

Table Tops – More of Our Favorite Sarasota-Area Restaurants

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Romantic or casual? Discover your favorite dining spot in Sarasota.

The Sarasota area offers an array of dining choices, covering all corners of the world in terms of styles and flavors. As longtime area residents and people about town, our agents and branch managers have sought, savored and selected the preferred dining spots they enjoy sharing with guests, clients and family alike.

So here—in no particular order—is the second sampling of a multi-part series highlighting some of our favorite Sarasota-area restaurants:

• VIZEN Japanese Cuisine – Located at 6559 Gateway Avenue in Gulf Gate, VIZEN Japanese Cuisine comes as the preferred choice for Main Street agent Tammy Garner. Housed in contemporary décor, VIZEN presents its guests with fresh sushi and an assortment of interesting dishes using a combination of great herbs, vegetables and meats selected by the owners/chefs. Chef Masaki “Matsu” Matsunae brings over 20 years of experience creating authentic Edo-style recipes mixed with a bit of French influence fusion to please sushi lovers. Tammy suggests making reservations. Smart casual attire required. Click HERE for more information.

• Mediterraneo – With its convenient downtown Sarasota location, Mediterraneo is named as the favorite area dining spot by Main Street agents Kim & Michael Ogilvie. With a casual yet chic style and a combination of consistent great northern Italian food, Mediterraneo offers a real “big city” atmosphere and the friendliest staff in town to keep Kim & Michael going back for more. “We feel like one of the family with complimentary rosemary flat bread right out of the oven and oftentimes a Limoncello to cap off the evening. Our favorite maître de and the boys from Milan are engaging and entertaining. So passionate are they about their beloved futbol, once there were tears whilst taking our wine order as the Italian team was upset in the World Cup and the lad just had to excuse himself and return to take our order.” It’s also perfectly located for a pre-movie meal. Visit HERE for more information.

• The Thailand – Peter Bartys of The Commercial Group and Barbara Roberts, manager of the St. Armands Circle office, simply love the conveniently named Thailand Restaurant on Gulf Gate Drive. Bringing a mix of styles, Thailand Restaurant is not just a Thai restaurant any more. Now it is a Sushi Bar and Japanese Steakhouse, too.  Recent renovations have created a romantic atmosphere with lots of wood and carved Thai art. The servers are attired in costume from Thailand and are very attentive. And, according to Barbara, the best is the food–it is always fresh and great! Thailand Restaurant is located at 2238 Gulf Gate Drive in Sarasota. Call 941.927.8424 for more information.

• Beach Bistro – Garnering its second appearance on our Table Tops list, Beach Bistro on Anna Maria Island is the restaurant of choice for Palmer Ranch office manager Darla Furst. Darla finds Beach Bistro to be the perfect romantic waterfront restaurant for any special occasion. The restaurant is a very intimate small dining area situated right on the Gulf of Mexico. It’s not uncommon to see the waves “slap” the windows of the room. The food is outstanding with the chef’s flair, which is always unique and delicious. The service is impeccable with attention to detail and presentation. Visit HERE for more information.