Savor Sarasota: A sure sign of summer

Besides the rising temperatures, increasing humidity and daily threats of thunder storms, there are two additional indicators of summer in Sarasota. Although the celebration of Memorial Day may be the unofficial start to the Sarasota summer season, for me, the surest sign of summer is the kickoff of Savor Sarasota, which runs from June 1 to June 14.

Savor Sarasota, Sarasota’s two-week version of the crowd-pleasing restaurant week, is sponsored by the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau. Participating restaurants plan special Savor Sarasota menus, which include three-course lunches and dinners priced at $15 per person and $29 per person, respectively.

Now in its ninth year, the fashionable foodies’ festival showcases creative chefs, diverse, wide-ranging cuisine and some of Sarasota’s finest restaurants. With an approachable price for lunch and dinner, the Savor Sarasota menu is the perfect setup for trying out some new foods from favorite chefs or experiencing an entirely new restaurant.

An example of a Savor Sarasota dinner menu from The Table Creekside:

First Course

Portuguese Grilled Octopus Risotto

roasted pumpkin pesto, crispy pea leaves

Peruvian Roasted Duck Carpaccio

California peach slaw, tamarind gastrique, buttermilk leeks crisp

Second Course

Japanese-style Roasted Chilean Sea Bass

roasted orzo rock shrimp succotash, California radish gremolata

Veal Skirt Steak Escardini

polenta lasagna, charred broccolini spears, heirloom tomato fondue

Third Course

Gorgonzola Baked Italian Custard

Grand Marnier caramel

Peach Cobbler

French vanilla bean ice cream

With more than 50 restaurants participating in this year’s event, maximizing your culinary opportunities will take some careful research, planning, and, of course, reservations! To assist you with the process, we've created the following sections and links for your reference:

1) Savor Sarasota Restaurants: This section is a direct link to the Savor Sarasota website. Designed to give you an overview of the restaurants, their locations and menus. This list is sorted alphabetically and allows you to filter by type of cuisine and location of restaurant.

2) Select reviews of Savor Sarasota Restaurants: Designed to provide some third party background information about the restaurant. Just click on the restaurant name to see our full review.

Bijou Café / Café Amici / Café Gabbiano

Caragiulos Italian-American / Carmel Café & Wine Bar  / Darwin’s on 4th 

Duval’s New World Cafe  / eat here / Giuseppe Ristorante

Inkanto / Jalea  / Lavanda

Libby’s Café & Bar / Louies Modern / Made

Mozaic / Off the Hook Seafood Co. / Oh Mamma Mia

Pattigeorge’s / Pomona Bistro & Wine Bar / Roast

Salute!  / Savory Street / Selva

With the seasonal crowds now diminished, Savor Sarasota comes at just the right time of year. The perfect social activity, dining out is a great way to reconnect with friends and family. So why not use the above information to get some preliminary choices “on the books,” share with friends, make some summer dining reservations and Savor Sarasota?