Ticket Editor: 3 exciting new restaurant and bar openings in downtown Sarasota
Downtown Sarasota is home to many of the best restaurants in the region, and the list continues to grow. Palm Avenue Deli recently started serving lunch, in addition to breakfast, and during a recent walk through downtown, I noticed three more exciting restaurant and bar openings.
The first specializes in gourmet toast, while the second serves authentic Japanese food. Finally, for those of you who enjoy a fine cigar paired with a first-class whisky or perhaps a premium beer, I've found the perfect place for decompressing after a stressful day at the office — or just when you wish to enjoy a nice smoke in an upscale setting.
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Toastique restaurant opens in downtown Sarasota
I'm not a huge fan of national chains opening restaurants in downtown Sarasota, but I must admit I am curious to try Toastique, the gourmet toast franchise that recently started welcoming guests to its location in The Mark condo complex with an entrance on Lemon Avenue, right by the recently opened tapas eatery Beso.
Toastique emphasizes "healthy, fast-casual food" with a menu featuring toast-focused dishes, all-natural smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and açaí bowls that appear to be gaining popularity across the country. According to a recent press release, the brand has opened five new locations in 2023, as well as signing franchise agreements for 27 additional units across the country.
“We’re really hitting our stride with new openings this year,” said Toastique CFO Kyle Izett, in a statement. “Our four newest grand openings were all our largest to date, which is a testament to the strength of our business model and the growing reputation of our concept.”
Toastique is at 10 S. Lemon Ave. Suite C in The Mark. For more information, call 941-312-4099 or visit toastique.com.
Namo Izakaya opens in downtown Sarasota
Located at 1439 Main St., in the former home of South Philly Cheesesteaks and then Famous Philly Cheesesteaks, the newly opened Namo Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant specializing in ramen and yakitori, which is a Japanese style of skewered chicken.
During a visit on July 21, the menu consisted of two ramen options, each priced at $18. Their version of the classic tonkotsu contains sun noodles in a hearty broth with chashu (braised pork belly), egg, scallions, corn, fried nori and bamboo shoots. Namo's other ramen dish, dubbed "tomyummen," is sun noodles in a spicy lemongrass broth with ground pork, egg, fish balls, fried wonton, scallions and cilantro.
I look forward to returning to Namo to try their ramen. During our recent visit, which took place following a large meal nearby, I whetted my appetite with the spicy edamame ($6), pork dumplings ($8), and refreshing cucumber salad ($6) that proved perfect for a sizzling hot Friday afternoon. I'm also excited about trying Namo's chicken teriyaki ($19) as well as their crispy chicken wings with "homestyle spicy sauce" — because everybody knows how much I love a tasty chicken wing!
Namo Izakaya is at 1439 Main St. For more information, call 941-362-3332 or visit namoizakaya.com or their Facebook page.
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Corona Cigar Company opens in downtown Sarasota with impressive liquor bar
I'm no cigar connoisseur; however, I do appreciate a quality stogie, especially at a place such as Cork's Cigar Bar in downtown Bradenton. Now, those who enjoy a good smoke also have a destination in downtown Sarasota.
The Orlando-based Corona Cigar Company recently opened a location at 22 N. Lemon Ave., across from Bevardi's Salute. It's a cigar supermarket filled with row after row of high-quality stogies, with an informative staff that will help you find exactly what you're craving, such as the Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Natural ($8.75) that I recently enjoyed while seated at their impressive, full-liquor bar.
Yeah, that's the great thing about Corona. You pay for your cigar and then have the option of smoking it right there on the first floor of the shop (the second floor is VIP) at one of the comfy chairs or right at the bar, which features a most impressive collection of Scotch whisky as well as other spirits. I also enjoyed their global beer list, which consisted of macro and craft brew favorites, as well as a robust selection of import classics such as Chimay and Guinness.
The Guinness ($6.95 for a 14.9-ounce can) paired perfectly with my mild and smooth cigar, which I puffed on while admiring the wall of whiskey, the high ceilings, and excellent air-conditioning and circulation in the room, which did not at all have the smoky and stuffy feel of your typical, old-school cigar bar. Perhaps after visiting Toastique, I'll balance all that healthy eating out with a return visit to Corona Cigar for a stogie and Scotch!
Corona Cigar Company is at 22 N. Lemon Ave. For more information, call 941-240-9711 or visit coronacigar.com.
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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.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Exciting new restaurant and bar openings in downtown Sarasota
