EDIBLES: the restaurants you'd miss the most

‘Takeout’ is now part of my everyday vocabulary, so with that said, our family loves Chipotle (“beans and rice,” my 3-year-old calls it) and Bangkok. Bangkok is always a wonder … something close to our house and made fresh to order. If Bangkok were not here, I can safely say I do not know what I would do without it.
 — Stacey McLeod Anderson












Our No. 1 favorite local restaurant is Beach Bistro. The atmosphere is charming, and the food is always delicious and creative. The staff always makes us feel special and welcome. Kudos to Sean Murphy for creating a dining experience second to none!
— Jerry and Wendy Feinstein
 

I would be devastated if I couldn’t order a caramelized onion and brie chicken sandwich from Shakespeare’s. I’m British, and settling in for a few pints of cider there is the closest I’ve ever come to being back in a pub in Brighton, England. Their food is fantastic … the ambience is awesome: laid-back and come-as-you-are … and the beer menu is only barely exceeded by that corporate place in Lakewood Ranch!
— Natalie Chambers 












I can’t imagine my life in Sarasota without Michael’s On East.  I am there frequently, especially for lunch. I love that any time of year, even in the dead of summer, I always see several friends and acquaintances I can hug and kiss, or just wave hello to as I walk in or leave. It makes me feel like I’m in my own private club. 
— Debbi Benedict













Hyde Park Steak House … it is always open when we come in late at night. The people are nice, and the food is what we like — high-quality, simply prepared, and the fish is always fresh.
— Bob and Beverly Bartner












I rely on Sarasota’s own Old Salty Dog. Both locations are consistently patronized by seasonal guests and treasured by locals like myself. Sometimes you just want to cast off all posturing, linen napkins and fancy dress, escaping to a ‘Honah Lee’-like atmosphere, where you are greeted by an amiable staff serving ice cold beer, generously poured tropical drinks and fish sandwiches the size of lamp shades.
— Travis Garner












I would be totally heartbroken without Café Epicure. My friends and I who frequent it joke that it’s our dining room, because we eat there four out of seven days a week at least. The menu is filled with all the basics and Italian favorites with the freshest ingredients. You can add-on or make your own dish without any fuss. You feel like everyone is family … it’s a gem to downtown and certainly the go-to place when you need to have some good nosh.
— Tatyana Sharoubim

HEARTBREAKERS

Bangkok
4791 Swift Road, Sarasota
922-0703

Beach Bistro
6600 Gulf Drive,
Holmes Beach
778-6444

Café Epicure
1298 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota
366-5648

Chipotle Grill
1707 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
957-6406

Hyde Park Steak House
35 S. Lemon Ave., Sarasota
366-7788

Michael’s On East
1212 S. East Ave., Sarasota
365-0543

Old Salty Dog
1601 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota
388-4311

5023 Ocean Blvd.,
Siesta Key
349-0158

Shakespeare’s English Pub
3550 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota
364-5938