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The scent of sizzling seafood floats through the air surrounding Chipi’s Food, a new food truck in Bradenton. The truck’s ocean blue hue calls to mind relaxing days spent lounging on the beach, listening to the crash of the waves. For Owners and Chefs Rebeca Fernandez and William Jimenez, the husband and wife team behind Chipi’s Food, their mobile restaurant is the ideal vehicle to blend beachside staples from their native Venezuela with American delights like tacos and sandwiches.
The couple started Chipi’s in March 2023, but Fernandez began her culinary career at the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota, where she had the opportunity to work in the kitchen, preparing meals for banquets, the restaurant and room service. “After I had my child, I left that job, but I always had the desire to do something for myself, something with food,” she says. The pair brainstormed the idea of opening a food truck that would feature a menu different from most other similar establishments’ specialties. They called the truck Chipi’s Food, paying tribute to “chipi chipi”, the nickname that Fernandez’s mother used to call the small children in her family. “I told my husband, what if we did seafood?” she adds. “You can go to a restaurant and get seafood, but we don’t have a lot of street seafood here.”
Inspired by Venezuela’s culture of beachside food vendors and iconic coastal cuisine, they developed a menu highlighting some of the country’s most beloved dishes. One of their bestsellers is the Fried Red Snapper, a whole fish served with tostones (crispy fried plantains), avocado and housemade coleslaw. The red snapper is a common sight on tables in Venezuela and across the Caribbean. “Google recommends us as the best fried fish in the area for our Red Snapper,” says Jimenez, “and this is a great achievement because we’re a food truck that’s just opened and is competing with businesses that have been open for years.”
First Watch, the Bradenton-based Daytime Dining concept serving a chef-driven menu of brunch favorites and seasonal specialties, has renovated its Downtown Sarasota restaurant to feature an open-air patio with a built-in bar and outdoor mural designed to complement the area’s vibrant arts scene.
The newly refurbished restaurant at 1395 Main Street was First Watch’s third restaurant in Florida, having opened in 1992, and has evolved significantly since its time as the original site of the breakfast, brunch and lunch concept’s corporate office in its early years.
The mural facing the Selby Public Library was designed by muralist Effie Theodosiou (@lzysunday) and brought to life by Florida-based lettering artist, muralist, and illustrator, Morgan Elyce (@uhbeautifulmes).
Nestled within the design are breakfast essentials like a pot of coffee with nods to the fresh seasonal produce grown in the Sunshine State and sourced for First Watch’s rotating seasonal menu, such as oranges and watermelon.
The renovations come just as the restaurant concept unveils two new specialty iced coffees and launches its new summer seasonal menu with five limited-time offerings – from a Strawberry Tres Leches French Toast to Lone Star Brisket Hash – available now through August 13.
With its headquarters based in Bradenton, First Watch has been a Florida brunch staple for more than 35 years with more than 110 locations across the state. The concept serves its entire menu seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. for pickup, delivery and dine-in service.
To place an order or join a digital waitlist, guests can download the First Watch App available for Apple iOS and Android or visit:
Hamlet’s Eatery, a food truck parked at The Bazaar on Apricot and Lime, will celebrate National Hot Dog Day Saturday with a do-it-yourself hot dog topping bar, according to a Facebook post.
Vegan options will be available.
Saturday is also the eatery’s third birthday celebration. Free beer samples from Sun King Brewery and Big Top Brewery will be available.
For the first time ever, the award-winning food truck, Hamlet’s Eatery, is hosting a rock and roll bash featuring Sarasota's favorite local band, MonkeyFinger! Mark your calendar for this Saturday, July 15th from 6-9pm, for an evening filled with live music, delicious food, and drinks!
And the best part? There's no cover charge! So, come and dance the night away. MonkeyFinger is no ordinary band - they've got two singing chick drummers! With their incredible talent, they'll be playing classic rock, pop, and hair metal hits from some of the greatest bands of all time.
Think .38 Special, The Beatles, Pat Benatar, Boston, Bryan Adams, CCR, Cheap Trick, EMF, Fleetwood Mac, The Foo Fighters, Joan Jett, Loverboy, Poison, and many more!
Don't miss out on the fun! Located at 821 Apricot Ave in Sarasota. There is plenty of seating under a covered patio with fans and loads of room for dancing. For more information, visit:
The Rosemary Art and Design District presents the RADD BBQ Bash. Enjoy delicious barbeque alongside friends, family, and neighbors in the hottest spot of downtown Sarasota at The Rosemary Park. There will be music by Sunsets and Soundwaves. Arrive at 6 pm for the Blvd Bike Ride, a community staple. Rosemary Park, 1386 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota.
Join the Alliance Francaise de Sarasota in Celebration of 14 juillet/Bastille Day at Bijou Garden Cafe. The apero is a great way for Francophiles to come together and share their passion for the French language and Francophone cultures. Bijou Garden Cafe, 1287 1st St., Sarasota:
Geckos Grill and Pubs Trivia,Think While You Drink. If you love Trivia, join us for the 21st Annual Summer Trivia Tourney begins on July 10.
Trivia will be held on Mondays at the Clarke Rd. location, Tuesdays at the Stickney Point and SR 64 locations and Wednesdays at the Hillview Street and SR 70 locations. All Trivia starts at 7:30 pm. Prizes, giveaways and specials plus the Geckos fare you love.
Each Trivia Show will qualify three teams. Teams will combine their best four scores over the six weeks, dropping the two lowest scores. The three teams with the highest cumulative scores from each show will be invited to the championship at Geckos Clark Road.
Ask your friendly server or barkeep how to signup. Everyone who makes it to the championship round will receive a commemorative t-shirt and other swag. To learn more, visit:
This August, Paisano’s Italian Bakery will celebrate its 25th anniversary of serving up Italian comfort food to the Sarasota community. Husband and wife David and Laurie Moretti opened Paisano’s in 1998. David, the son of Italian immigrants, began his career working as a cleaner in a bakery. He gained skills at a variety of different bakeries, with the goal of opening up his own business, a desire echoed by Laurie, who wanted to be self-employed.
Founding Paisano’s not only allowed the pair to pursue their passions but also presented them with an opportunity to combine beloved recipes with culinary techniques learned through years of experience. “David learned to cook with his grandmother,” says Laurie, “and our eggplant calzone is an old recipe from his family, as are our stuffed shells.” Originally from Rhode Island, the couple brought Italian staples, like pizza strips, from New England to Sarasota. Pizza strips are thick rectangles of dough topped with tomato sauce and are popular amongst both New Englanders and Paisano’s patrons. “I remember when my husband threw me a surprise party for my 21st birthday, and on top of the table was a plate of pizza strips,” she adds. “They’re the kind of food that goes with every occasion.”
Aside from savory options, the bakery carries a wide variety of sweets, from delectable cakes and cookies to flaky pastries. Many flavors of biscotti line the display cases, paying homage to David’s previous work in other bakeries. Laurie’s favorite is the chocolate chunk pistachio biscotti, and she credits her team for producing high-quality baked goods. “I have a diverse team of talented decorators,” she says, “including Ritz-Carlton-trained decorators and a baker who used to own a famous restaurant in town.” A quick glance into the shop’s display showcases colorful cookies with vivid details, scrumptious cakes and more.
Paisano's Italian Bakery, 2732 Stickney Point Rd. Sarasota
Two Sarasota area restaurants named among Top 100 in U.S. for outdoor dining by OpenTable
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Two Sarasota County restaurants were named among the best outdoor dining experiences in the U.S. by a national website that's showcased our area multiple times in the past.
Dry Dock Waterfront Grill on Longboat Key and The Rosemary & Thyme in Sarasota were both included in online restaurant reservation and review service OpenTable's 100 Most Popular Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in America: 2023 Edition list. OpenTable has included both restaurants in previous lists, with Dry Dock Waterfront Grill also making last year's outdoor dining list along with being named one of the 100 Most Beloved Restaurants in America, while The Rosemary & Thyme was named one of the 100 Best Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in America for 2021.
Overlooking Sarasota Bay, Dry Dock offers covered open-air seating as well as umbrella tables that place customers right on the water, where they might glimpse pelicans and dolphins. Dry Dock belongs to the same locally owned Gecko's Hospitality Group that also operates fellow seafood restaurants Dockside Waterfront Grill in Venice and Tripletail Seafood & Spirits in Sarasota, as well as its namesake Gecko's Grill & Pub with multiple locations.
The Rosemary & Thyme, meanwhile, is located in Sarasota's Rosemary District neighborhood and is open for dinner hours and Sunday brunch, with its nearby sister restaurant The Rosemary currently closed for the summer season. The Rosemary & Thyme expanded its patio seating amid the pandemic, taking over the outdoor space of the then-temporarily-closed Angelino Sarasota, which has since closed permanently, with 481 Gourmet now in the space.
Along with Dry Dock and The Rosemary & Thyme, other Sarasota area restaurants that've been recently highlighted by OpenTable include Connors Steak & Seafood, which opened in 2017 in the mall now known as Crossings at Siesta Key and is one of six currently operating locations, according to its website. The Connors in Sarasota was also named one of OpenTable's 100 Most Beloved Restaurants in America for 2022, as well as one of the 100 Most Popular Brunch Spots in America earlier this year.
Here's a new more detailed review of the Dry Dock restaurant.
Best waterfront restaurant in Sarasota named among most popular in U.S.
"We are fortunate to have many great local waterfront restaurants in Sarasota, Anna Maria Island, the Venice area, Bradenton, Englewood, and Cortez fishing village. However, among these establishments, only one has been consistently receiving national attention. This week, the online restaurant reservation and review service OpenTable revealed its annual list of the 100 Most Popular Restaurants for Outdoor Dining. Florida had 17 restaurants on the list, putting the Sunshine State second only to California, which had 31.
Two restaurants from Sarasota County made the list, but only one of them offers guests seating right on the water. In fact, this particular waterfront destination was among the select few Florida restaurants that also made OpenTable's list of the best places for outdoor dining last year. You're likely familiar with the Longboat Key landmark, which has been open since 1989.
Of the many waterfront restaurants I love to visit in Sarasota County, Dry Dock is my favorite. I've been a fan for about a decade, and the restaurant's winning combination of superior seafood, gorgeous views of Sarasota Bay, and excellent service remains unmatched. Owned by the Sarasota-based Gecko’s Hospitality Group since 2015, Dry Dock is an ideal spot for both a casual lunch and a special occasion dinner, which is one of the many reasons it continues to garner national praise."
Sarasota's Doggystyle Hot Dogs has been recognized nationally...for a vegan dog.
PETA listed its Top 10 Vegan Dogs in the country — and Main Street’s own Doggystyle has won a top spot for its scrumptious vegan dog, the Chicago Hot.
The Field Roast vegan dog comes with hot pepper relish, yellow mustard, red onion, diced pickle, diced tomato, a sport pepper, and celery salt.
“The Chicago Hot brings the heat to a summertime classic and is the perfect animal-friendly answer to any comfort food craving,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “All the award wieners on PETA’s national Top 10 list prove that compassion is a delicious business.”
The Sarasota Doggystyle store, located at 1544 Main St. and owned by Steve DiBartolomeo(Dibo) and Melissa Penry, was opening as the pandemic hit, but Penry and DiBartolomeo have been the big dogs on the block ever since.
A Charlotte County-founded brewery has made its way to Sarasota-Manatee with a new taproom and restaurant, joining the growing list of dining and drinking destinations in a bustling shopping district.
Fat Point Brewing is now open in University Town Center at 257 N. Cattlemen Road #90, in the former space of BurgerFi. The brewery was founded in Punta Gorda, which is Spanish for "Fat Point," but is no longer open at its original location.
Fat Point president LJ Govoni, who is also president of the Clearwater-based Big Storm Brewing Co. whose parent company bought Fat Point in 2017, said they're still looking for a new location in Punta Gorda. Yet they were also interested in growing beyond their original location, and University Town Center's reputation as a restaurant, bar and retail destination made it an appealing area to expand to.
Fat Point has 12 taps, a third of which will be dedicated to four core beers: The Big Boca and Keewaydin Island ales and the Latitude Attitude and Summadayze IPAs. The remaining eight taps will feature other beers from Fat Point and guest breweries such as Big Storm or Sarasota's Big Top Brewing Company, with the taproom also offering a full-liquor bar.
In addition, the taproom will feature a "coastal" and "fish house-inspired" menu with seafood offerings such as smoked fish dip, a variety of shrimp dishes including a po'boy, mahi mahi or shrimp tacos, salads with salmon or mahi mahi, and a blackened salmon entree. Other menu items will include bar bites such as fried pickles, wings in a variety of flavors and other chicken dishes, and burgers including an Umami Burger with savory mushrooms, melted Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and tangy umami sauce.
Fat Point will be open daily, offering indoor and outdoor seating. For more information, call 941-491-2827 or visit:
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