New restaurants 2023: 39 that opened this year in Sarasota and Bradenton area
Everybody gets excited about a new restaurant opening, and we had plenty to write about — 39, to be precise — this year in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
My colleague, Jimmy Geurts, and I reported on new destinations for everything from locally sourced seafood to authentic Japanese cuisine. We covered brand new restaurant concepts by local entrepreneurs and new locations by national and local chains.
We're presenting the lengthy list roughly in chronological order, beginning with a place that opened in January and concluding with a couple of spots that began welcoming guests last month. Of course, we expect to report on new restaurant openings in the near future, so continue checking back with us at ticketsarasota.com.
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Food + Beer
1525 Fourth St., Sarasota; 941-444-1101; eatfooddrinkbeer.com
The locally owned Food + Beer chain opened its first downtown Sarasota area location in the Rosemary District, taking over the former Blue Rooster spot, in January. The restaurant serves assorted comfort foods including burgers and wings, along with various craft beers and cocktails.
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Slim Chickens
4096 Jenkins Place, Sarasota; 941-957-2456; 14675 State Road 70 E., Bradenton; 941-541-7546; slimchickens.com
The Fayetteville, Arkansas-based fast-casual chain known for its chicken-centric dishes, Southern-inspired sides and house-made dipping sauces opened two Sarasota-Manatee locations this year: one on State Road 70 East in the Lakewood Ranch area in January, then another in October off Clark Road in Sarasota.
The Chateau Sarasota
2001 Siesta Drive, Sarasota; 941-706-4093; thechateauonthelake.com/sarasota
After opening The Chateau on the Lake in Bolton Landing, New York — seen on the Food Network series "Summer Rush" — and The Chateau Anna Maria on Holmes Beach in late 2020, Buddy Foy Jr. and Jennifer Silano Foy opened this third location in February, offering grilled chateaubriand, chicken francese, pan-seared red snapper and more.
The Toasted Yolk Cafe
3750 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-444-0049; thetoastedyolk.com
The Houston-based brunch restaurant serving dishes such as its namesake item — two sourdough slices grilled with an egg in the middle, with choice of breakfast meats — opened its first Florida location in Sarasota in February, with a Lakewood Ranch location also planned. Toasted Yolk co-founder/CEO Chris Milton is from Bradenton.
Meshugana Deli
4001 Clark Road, Sarasota; 941-933-0244; meshuganasrq.com
Initially opened as a to-go-only business, Meshuganah Deli expanded with a restaurant location on Clark Road in Sarasota in February, offering New York-style Jewish deli favorites such as brisket, pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, piled high, as well as noodle kugel, latkes, chicken matzoh ball soup, cheese blitzes and potato knish.
Tzeva
1255 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941-413-7425; tzevasarasota.com
Downtown Sarasota's Art Ovation Hotel replaced its previous Overture Restaurant with this new modern Mediterranean concept in February, with a menu offering a variety of hummuses, kebabs, small plates and entrees such as Wagyu short rib or skirt steak.
The Breakfast Company
4832 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-706-4225; 8491 Cooper Creek Blvd. Unit 107, Bradenton; 941-210-4760; thebreakfastcompanyfl.com
The Bradenton restaurant offering breakfast and lunch, incorporating Greek and Mediterranean cuisine (its owners come from the same family as the late El Greco Cafe founder George Soublis), opened two more locations this year: one in Sarasota's The Landings plaza in February, and another in University Town Center in October.
Malmosto Wine Shop and Kitchen
2085 Siesta Drive, Suite #3, Sarasota; 941-706-1460; wineshopandkitchen.com
Sarasota Italian restaurant Andrea's was joined in late February by this new food and drink concept, attached to Andrea's through a courtyard, sharing the same owner Andrea Bozzolo and offering a variety of wood-fired pizzas and other hot or cold plates that can be accompanied by its selection of wines.
Vernona Gourmet
711 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; 941-284-0416; vernonagourmet.com
Hungarian native Nikoletta Pongo opened Vernona Gourmet in late 2020 on St. Armands Circle and, this year, relocated to her new spot along the east extension of the Bradenton Riverwalk, welcoming guests around March. Named after the old El Vernona Hotel-John Ringling Hotel, the establishment specializing in Hungarian cuisine took over the location of Theresa's Restaurant.
Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar
243 N. Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; 941-477-8226; roccostacos.com
New York native Rocco Mangel opened his first Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar in West Palm Beach in 2007, and after multiple openings around Florida, Rocco's made its Sarasota debut at University Town Center in March. The largely open-air restaurant and bar boast a vibrant, South of the Border vibe to complement its Mexican cuisine.
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Villani & Co. Steaks Seafood Raw Bar
19790 Wellen Park Blvd. Suite 101, North Port; 941-584-4434; villaniandcowellenpark.com
Sarasota County master-planned community Wellen Park's downtown got its first full-service restaurant when Villani & Co. Steaks Seafood Raw Bar opened in March, offering its namesake dishes as well as an extensive bourbon, whiskey and scotch selection and featuring the same owners as Irma's Tacos, Craft Beer & Tequila Bar and Lucarelli's.
Royal Peacock Indian Kitchen
5445 Fruitville Road, Sarasota; 941-310-9500; royalpeacocksarasota.com
When the Honolulu-based franchise L&L Hawaiian Barbecue closed its location in the Sarasota Crossings shopping plaza, this Indian restaurant opened in its former space in March, with an owner who'd previously worked at Tampa Indian restaurants such as Godavari and Raaga Indian Kitchen & Bar.
Yard House
115 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota; 941-536-0778; yardhouse.com
The national sports bar chain operated by the Orlando-based Darden Restaurants opened its first Sarasota-Manatee location at the start of April in University Town Center, offering an extensive menu of modern American dishes and more than 100 beers on tap in a variety of sizes including half yard glasses.
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Bar Hana
1289 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941-536-9717; barhana.com
Chef Natalia Levey and her Hi Hospitality Group, which operates Speaks Clam Bar on St. Armands Circle and in Lakewood Ranch, opened their newest concept, Bar Hana, on April 7. Serving elevated bar food with various Asian influences, Bar Hana is located on Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota between Levey's two other restaurants: Kojo, which made Yelp's 2023 list of Top 100 Florida Restaurants, and her Palm Avenue Deli that opened in June.
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Osteria Southside
1812 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota; 941-361-3200; facebook.com
After his previous restaurant Pazzo Southside closed, Michael Calore began overseeing the kitchen and back-of-house operations at this new Italian restaurant that opened in April in the same Southside Village neighborhood in Sarasota, with Rami Nehme of fellow Southside Village business Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Cafe serving as owner.
The Banyan House
19725 Wellen Park Blvd., Venice; 941-584-5300; banyanhouserestaurant.com
This restaurant opened in Wellen Park in late April, offering modern American cuisine, a view of Downtown Wellen's 80-acre Grand Lake and an interior with lifelike banyan tree sculptures. It features the same owners as several area restaurants including Bocca Lupo Coal Fired Pizza and the upcoming Acqua Pazza Coastal Italian, in Wellen Park too.
The Greyson
5045 96th St. E., Palmetto; 941-845-4195; greysonbar.com
Located in a modern strip mall along with Corporate Ladder Brewing Company in north Palmetto by Interstate 75 and Moccasin Wallow Road, The Greyson opened in May. It's semi-upscale, family-friendly sports-themed restaurant with a full-liquor bar, indoor dining, and a covered patio.
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Boo's Ice House & Dog Bar
1314 10th St., Sarasota; 941-960-2669; boosdogbar.com
Equal parts indoor/outdoor dog park, full bar, and a pizzeria, Boo's opened in May in downtown Sarasota's Rosemary District. It features wood-fired pizza by Chef David Grammer, who gained recognition in the area as the owner and operator of the Goodfellas Cafe & Winery on Clark Road for 13 years before it closed in 2022.
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Owen's Fish Camp
6516 University Parkway, Lakewood Ranch; 941-951-5052; facebook.com/OwensFishCamp
Owen's Fish Camp, which debuted in the Burns Court district of downtown Sarasota in 2010, opened its second location in the Casto's Center Point development of Lakewood Ranch in May. The Southern seafood restaurant is owned by the local Caragiulo family, who are also proprietors of the downtown Sarasota Italian restaurant Caragiulos and Veronica Fish and Oyster in Southside Village.
Beso
30 S. Lemon Ave., Sarasota; 941-279-2999; besosrq.com
State Street Eating House + Cocktails owners Chris and Kirk Voelker opened this new tapas restaurant in June, just a few hundred feet away from their other business, in downtown Sarasota's The Mark, with a menu featuring a variety of small plates as well as paella.
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Palm Avenue Deli
1297 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941-263-3742; palmavenuedeli.com
In June, Chef Natalia Levey and her local Hi Hospitality Group opened Palm Avenue Deli, which shares real estate in the downtown Sarasota theater district with their other restaurants, Kojo and Bar Hana. Palm Avenue Deli lovingly reflects Levey's Eastern European heritage. Additionally, it pays homage to the Jewish delis that thrived in New York City during the mid-20th century, complete with a jukebox playing beloved songs from that era.
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Namo Izakaya
1439 Main St., Sarasota; 941-362-3332; namoizakaya.com
Located at 1439 Main St., in the former home of South Philly Cheesesteaks and then Famous Philly Cheesesteaks, Namo Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant specializing in ramen, and yakitori, which is a Japanese style of skewered chicken.
Toastique
10 S. Lemon Ave. Suite C, Sarasota; 941-312-4099; toastique.com/sarasota
The Washington D.C.-based restaurant offering gourmet toasts, bowls, juices and smoothies opened in late July in Sarasota — where director of operations and training Sean Keefe said he and his sister, Toastique's founder Brianna Keefe, used to vacation when they were younger — in downtown's The Mark.
Fat Point Brewing
257 N. Cattlemen Road #90, Sarasota; 941-491-2827; fatpoint.com
Founded in Punta Gorda (which is Spanish for "Fat Point"), this brewery opened a new location in University Town Center in July, with a "coastal" and "fish house-inspired" menu with offerings such as gator bites and an Umami Burger with savory mushrooms, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and a tangy umami sauce.
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Osteria 500
1580 Lakefront Drive, Sarasota; 941-866-8962; osteria500.com
Giuseppe Del Sole, who previously was an owner of Napule in Sarasota and Made in Italy in Venice, is among the proprietors of this Italian restaurant that opened at the end of July. Featuring a wood-burning oven built atop a Fiat 500 car and an outdoor bar fashioned out of a vintage truck, it's located in Lakewood Ranch's Waterside Place development.
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Nancy's Bar-B-Q
1525 Fourth St., Sarasota; 941-999-2390; nancysbarbq.com
After opening her first brick-and-mortar space in downtown Sarasota, then adding another location in Lakewood Ranch that closed earlier this year, local barbecue purveyor Nancy Krohngold returned downtown in August with a new location in Sarasota's Rosemary District, in a space that has housed several other restaurants over the years.
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Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza
14629 State Road 70 E., Bradenton; 941-216-7980; piesanostogo.com
Established in 2009 by five restaurant owners in Gainesville, this restaurant specializing in its namesake dish and other Italian cuisine opened its first Sarasota-Manatee location in August at the northeast corner of Lorraine Road and State Road 70 East on the border of East Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch.
Kolucan Mexican Bar & Grill
6644 Gateway Ave., Sarasota; 941-921-3133; kolucan.com
Reyna’s Taqueria proprietor Gino Calleja and Jose Rojas, former chef of downtown Sarasota’s since-closed Louies Modern, opened this Mexican restaurant in the previous space of Opus in Sarasota’s Gulf Gate neighborhood in early September, with its name paying tribute to Calleja’s hometown San Lucas Colucán in Mexico.
Mitaka Ramen
5943 Factory Shops Blvd., Ellenton; 941-212-4048; mitakaramenhouse.com
Mitaka Japanese Ramen House, in West Bradenton, opened a second location near Ellenton Premium Outlets in September. Both locations specialize in ramen and other authentic Japanese cuisine with popular dishes including the Miso Ramen, TanTanMen, Pork Belly Bun.
3 Bridges Brewing
1765 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice; 941-445-4067; facebook.com/3bridgesbrewing
After years brewing out of the since-closed Off the Wagon Brewery & Kitchen in Venice, 3 Bridges Brewing opened its own location in late September, also featuring a menu of flatbread-style pizzas, smash burgers and other handhelds such as a Crunchwrap Supreme-style Cuban sandwich.
The Original Rainbow Cone
4414 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton; rainbowcone.com
The ice cream shop operating for nearly a century in Chicago — best known for its namesake item featuring five slices of orange sherbet, pistachio, Palmer House (New York vanilla with cherries and walnuts), strawberry and chocolate ice cream — opened its first location outside its native Illinois in late September in Bradenton.
Ruth's Chris Steak House
6490 University Parkway, Sarasota; 941-315-6669; ruthschris.com/lakewood-ranch
Famous for serving steaks on 500-degree sizzling plates in an upscale setting, Ruth's Chris opened in Lakewood Ranch's Center Point development in October. The national chain's new, 7,016-square-foot location includes one main dining room, one casual dining room, a bar and lounge, a patio with seating, and two private dining rooms that can be reserved for special occasions.
Oak & Stone
19795 Wellen Park Blvd., Venice; 941-258-3606; oakandstone.com
Founded in Manatee County in 2016, Oak & Stone opened its Wellen Park location in early October. Best known for its thin-crust artisan pizza, slow-roasted oven wings, and self-serve beer wall, Oak & Stone now has six locations, including ones in Sarasota, Bradenton, St. Petersburg, and Naples, with a seventh restaurant in Estero scheduled to open on December 12.
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Twin Peaks
3060 Fruitville Commons Blvd., Sarasota; 941-867-3766; twinpeaksrestaurant.com
Billed as the "ultimate sports lodge" and known for its "scantily-clad female wait staff," Twin Peaks opened its doors in the new Fruitville Commons development by Interstate 75 and Fruitville Road, which is located about seven miles east of downtown Sarasota, on Oct. 9. The Texas-based chain had announced hiring plans for their Sarasota location in August, with the opening initially scheduled for September.
The Original Wolfie’s & Rascal House
1420 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota; 941-312-4072; originalwolfies.com
Owned by wealthy entrepreneur Jonathan Mitchell, who has a home in Sarasota, and featuring renowned local chef Sol Shenker, Wolfie's opened in November. The Rosemary District restaurant serves New York-style Jewish deli foods such as corned beef or pastrami sandwiches and matzo ball soup, as well as Shenker's famed cheesecakes.
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PigFish
5377 McIntosh Road, Sarasota; 941-777-5220; pig.fish
Steve Phelps, owner/chef of Sarasota restaurant Indigenous and two-time James Beard Awards semi-finalist, teamed up with local entrepreneur Anand Pallegar to open PigFish in early November inside the new taproom of Sarasota brewery Calusa. The casual dining concept focuses on sustainable seafood, including fish sandwiches.
Miller's Ale House
7175 State Road 64, Bradenton; 941-210-0661; millersalehouse.com
Miller's Ale House opened its doors to guests at its new location in the Heritage Harbour master-planned community of East Bradenton on Nov. 13. The sports-themed casual dining restaurant, perhaps best known for its chicken tenders called Zingers, made its debut in Palm Beach County in 1988. With its headquarters now in Orlando, the chain has expanded to over 100 locations across 10 states.
Samurai Japanese Fusion
1936 Hillview St., Sarasota; 941-777-7707; samurai-fl.com
Samurai Japanese Fusion opened in November in Southside Village, taking over the former space of Pazzo Southside, serving sushi and other Japanese cuisine and featuring the same owners as fellow Japanese restaurants Fin Sushi in Port Charlotte and Ninja Japanese Steak House in Naples.
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Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing. Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best new restaurants that opened in Sarasota, Bradenton in 2023
