Bradenton + Florida's Native American Heritage Trail

Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau

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Why Is Sarasota So Restaurant Savvy? Moving to Sarasota from Chicago gave me pause to think: Was I leaving a great dining sc...ene to come to the land of early bird specials and less than cutting edge cuisine? I soon learned that Chicago had nothing on Sarasota (and that's not even considering the weather!) Our dining scene ranged from the casual, drop-in in denim like The Broadway with its fabulous burgers and pizza to the simply sublime gourmet like Michael's On East, which still has its award-winning bowtie pasta on the menu. That was twenty years ago. Today, Sarasota has the highest concentration of Zagat rated restaurants in Florida. And, the restaurant scene continues to improve. "Visitors, new residents, natives – everyone is restaurant savvy in this town, " says Michael Klauber, proprietor of Michael's On East who was raised here on Longboat Key and has been in the biz for over 40 years. "People bring their expectations here and Sarasota exceed them time and time again." Experience it all during Savor Sarasota, June 1-14. - Kristine Nickel www.savorsarasota.com

May 21, 2012