We flew into Fort Myers to pick up my mom and headed North to Sarasota to get out of Hurricane Ian’s destruction and hopefully above the Red Tide. Later we’d pick up my son at the Sarasota airport to join us for a few days. Our VRBO was conveniently located near downtown Sarasota and trips back and forth to the airport only took 20 minutes.
Here are some highlights of the trip to this arts-oriented city.
Ringling Museum – We’ve been to the Ringling Museum in the past and it’s worth the drive up from Fort Myers and staying if Sarasota, it is a no-brainer destination. The incredible circus model is my favorite part but there is also the Circus museum, Ringling’s personal Pullman rail car, Circus wagons, touring John and Mable Ringling mansion, the gardens, the art glass exhibit, and the art museum.
Another highlight is the restaurant near the entrance which serves modern, well-crafted dishes. If you are staying in the area you might consider buying a membership and going twice because there is so much to see.
Museum Admission includes entry to the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, Bayfront Gardens, and the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion. This Admission does not include entry to Ca’ d’Zan but you can pay an extra $10 to tour the first floor of the home.
The art museum and grounds are open on Mondays for free. If you just want to walk around the grounds, admission is only $5.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall – We caught a show at the beautiful and very purple Van Wezel. We saw the Broadway touring performance of Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls” which was excellent and there probably isn’t a bad seat in this theater. Doors open one hour before the performance so you can get a good parking space and a drink before the show.
Owen’s Fish Camp – We tried to go to this well-known fish place in historic downtown Sarasota but they don’t take reservations. We showed up at 6 pm and the girl at the reception station just rolled her eyes and said it would be a 2.5 wait. So we walked over to the cute little wine bar and pizza place – The Fountain Kitchen and Wine Bar. They were able to seat the five of us inside and we enjoyed a variety of great handcrafted pizzas. If you really want to have fish and seafood, I’d go Walt’s Fish Market (see below) .
Toasted Mango Cafe – We found this fantastic unassuming cafe over by the Van Wezel. They serve great breakfast and lunch dishes. It was so good and the staff was so friendly, we ended up going two days in a row – once for breakfast dishes and once for lunch items.
PF Chang – We drove by this Asian food chain every day so when it was theater night we decided this place could guarantee us a timely dinner before the show. I’ve been to other PF Chang locations and thought the decor was kind of sparse compared to other locations I’ve visited. Maybe it’s their new look but it seems more like a Panara than the richly decorated PF Chang I’m used to in Providence, RI or even in Fort Myers. The food was the same although the Mongolian Beef portion seemed to have more scallions and less beef.
Lido Beach – We headed over to Lido Beach for some sun and sand time. Left the house at 10 am and had no trouble getting a parking space. Parking was free which was a nice change from the beaches down in Fort Myers and on Sanibel Island. The white sand was beautiful and the facilities were great – bathrooms, changing room and food options. There was even a pool if you wanted to pay extra. The ocean temperature was warm and the waves were fun for body surfing.
Armand Circle – After a few hours at the beach we headed over to Armand Circle which is a collection of 200 shops and eateries. After browsing the stores we ducked into Daiquiri Deck St. Armands for a refreshment. We landed in a booth at 2:50, ten minutes before happy hour which is 3 pm to 7 pm with half-price 16 oz frozen Daiquiris. So we asked the waitress if we could hold off orderings. The place was rather empty but she started muttering something about holding up a table, but we put in an order for Grouper Bites. She said there are only 4 in an order ($18!) so we ordered two. They ended up being five little pieces of fried fish per order. Nothing exciting but at least we got our drinks for $4.50. Timing is everything at this place.
This place has all of those sweet, frozen daiquiri machines like you’d see in New Orleans. They have a bunch of standard flavors and then make combinations out of them. You can get up charged for an extra shot for an additional $4. You can also get up charged for a variety of cheap souvenir travel mugs.
Walt’s Fish Market – 4144 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231 – Ok, now we are talking. This place is a fantastic dining experience. With a history dating back to 1918, Walt’s has the freshest fish in Sarasota and even supplies other restaurants in the area with fresh fish.
It might not look like much with its dated signage and logo and location on the business road with chain restaurants and eye care centers but the building has been transformed over the past decade into a giant tiki hut.
Parking is a challenge as the place expanded over the years into the restaurant’s own parking space but they’ve either purchased adjoining properties for parking or made arrangements for parking in adjoining lots after 5 pm.
The Walt’s Kitchen experience begins with a great spacious waiting area under the roof of the thatched Tiki Hut complete with two bars serving Tiki-style drinks like Painkillers and Rum Runners in big ice-filled tumblers. A perfect way to chill and relax for 25 minutes or so before being seated.
Once in the restaurant, you’ll receive a complimentary fish spread and crackers made from smoked mullet. It’s great! And then be prepared for some really good chef-inspired dishes made with the daily catch.
They have some standard fried items but we found that this place really excels with some more creative and fanciful ways of serving fish including fish served on risotto with blue crab stuffing and delicious sauces or served on a bed of bacon and roasted potato “hash”.
Certainly, a place to stretch your idea of what fish dishes can be — beyond fish and chips or a blackened grouper sandwich.