Louie's Modern

Sarasota's newest dining hotspot is Louie's Modern, located at 1289 North Palm Avenue downtown. This is definitely the place to be seen! I'm blown away by how metropolitan Louie's is, while still maintaining a very comfortable atmosphere and appealing to diners of all ages. It's the perfect addition to our town! 

We started off with a few appetizers: Lamb Meatballs, Salmon Hushpuppies, and Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs. You will have to imagine them since we were so hungry we forgot to take the photos! Portions were relatively small but the quality was excellent.

Carrie ordered the Virginia Beach Sea Scallops from the Gluten Free menu. They were perfectly grilled in the wood-burning oven and served with some delicate asparagus on the side. A truly guilt-free dish, but totally delicious! 

Trying to maintain our healthy choices, I ordered the Kale Ceasar with a piece of grilled Scottish Salmon. The salad was beautifully done and the dressing matched perfectly. I finally felt like I was getting some real nutrition from my Ceasar! The Salmon was lightly grilled and it balanced the kale just right. 

Our friend Peter ordered the Half Chicken which looked like the most perfect chicken you had ever seen. He claimed it was a little on the dry side and the sauce was rather bland. I guess looks can be deceiving! (This was featured on the Gluten-Free menu). 

 Our friend Susan ordered the Curry Roasted Cauliflower. She enjoyed the meal and creative flavor combinations.

How could I forget? The wood-grilled Wild Mushrooms as seen here:





The space is really innovative and it's worth pointing out that there are several areas within Louie's, including the main dining room, outdoor seating, the coffee lounge, and the very popular cocktail bar, in addition to a separate event space for parties and corporate gatherings. Carrie has been here a few additional times and would like to add this it's a great place to go out with the girls! 

Louie's Modern
1289 N. Palm Ave Sarasota 
941-552-9688 
www.louiesmodern.com


Br: 7AM Full Coffee Bar and breakfast snacks
L: 11:30AM-3PM
D: 4PM-Close

-Tom

Maison Blanche - Longboat Key, FL

We feel extremely lucky to live in close proximity to destination restaurant, Maison Blanche, on Longboat Key.  Not only has acclaimed Chef/Owner Jose Martinez received a very coveted Michelin star, his progressive French restaurant is also very highly ranked on the Zagat survey, and Martinez has received nominations from the James Beard Foundation too. We generally reserve Maison Blanche for special occasions because the venue is incredibly chic and sophisticated, and the menu warrants a celebration. One thing we love most is how welcoming and comfortable the restaurant is, but most of all, we go here for the divine French cuisine! Here is our report from a recent visit:

Amuse Bouche

Amuse Bouche: Corn and potato creme, served chilled with leeks and olive oil. 
TOM: "I don't usually like anything chilled, but overall it was really nice."

CARRIE: "I absolutely loved the mix of olive oil and potato flavors, I could start every meal this way. Delicious!"

Blue Crab Salad

Evening's Appetizer: Blue Crab Salad, featuring hints of apple in a savory curry sauce. 

TOM:  "The perfect balance of flavors and textures created a wonderful medley between the sweet and salty crab."  

CARRIE: "I've never tried anything close to this combination of flavors, and it was beyond amazing."

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Soup:

TOM: "Luscious, smooth, and velvety green."

CARRIE: "I thoroughly enjoyed this warm and satisfying complex soup. I love how our waiter served it too--from a pitcher poured over the vegetables. So pretty!"

Red Snapper

Entree: Pan-seared Red Snapper over lemon potatoes with thyme.

TOM: "Delicate and moist--the way I think Snapper should always be served. It's done just right."

CARRIE: "Tom ordered this dish and I liked it so much that when I tried a bite, I asked if we could please trade. I've never done that before!"

TOM: "I wanted Carrie's Seabass anyway, so it was the perfect situation....we tried to be inconspicuous when switching plates, which is not easy in a sophisticated French restaurant. Our Parisian waiter Jerome was excellent and found it entertaining when he caught on." 

CARRIE: "It's also hard to take photos in some of the nicer restaurants like this, but I called ahead and they were exceptionally gracious." 

Mediterranean Seabass 

Entree: Pan seared Mediterranean Seabass over Baby Spinach and capers. 

TOM: "This is my all time favorite dish in the entire Southwest Florida region. It is simply amazing. You must order it 'crispy' though, with the skin on, which totally melts in your mouth and adds tremendous flavor."

CARRIE: "I originally ordered this dish but Tom really wanted it, and I wanted his too, so win-win! We were both ecstatic and marveled at each and every bite of our entrees." 

Interior View 

Overall the setting is a very comfortable, beautiful, billowy white atmosphere with gorgeous orchids and candles. The tables are spaced nicely with embracing leather chairs and room to have a comfortable conversation. Tom also loves the napkins, as they are very luxurious. And the mini French baguettes of course! It's those little things--and the big things too--like the incredible staff and flawless French fare, that makes Maison Blanche one of our all-time favorites!

Le Pain

 Love the inviting tented white entrance

Bon Appetit! 

Welcome to Maison Blanche: 

Location:

2605 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Longboat Key, Florida 34228

Reservations: 

941.383.8088

Visit:

http://maisonblancherestaurants.com

-Tom & Carrie 

The Table Creekside: Sarasota, FL

When most people think of Phillipi Creek, they think of sitting outside eating peel-and-eat shrimp and enjoying some good old fried seafood. This blog post will change the way you think about Phillipi Creek. The Table Creekside offers up some of the finest seafood in town in a very upscale chic atmosphere. We met our friends Ashley and Peter Burroughs here for dinner and enjoyed listening to some relaxing "chill" music in the super swanky lounge area before moving to our seats in the beautiful dining room.

The Table is run by the supremely talented Chef Pedro Flores who pushes it to the limit with his daily creations known as "Chef Selections". After speaking with him briefly, Chef Flores informed me that this is his very favorite thing about being a chef! Our group raved over every single dish. Hats off to Chef and his talented team who took amazing care of us. We were blown away by The Table experience!

Tonight's amazing soup special was the Key West Chowder. It ended up being more of a stew in my opinion but boy was it tasty. Loaded with seafood and just enough kick!

Peter and I decided to share the grilled Beef Tenderloin Skewer served with Argentinian chimichurri sauce. Lightly grilled to a delicious medium rare and extremely tender.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if I see fried oysters on the menu I just HAVE to order them. Here is The Table's version, called Crispy Oyster Flamenco. These oysters are very lightly battered and served with a key lime aioli and banana pepper mignonette. "A total explosion of flavor!" - Tom. "Impossibly soft and crispy at the same time" - Peter.

Tonight's entree winner goes to Ashley. She ordered the Shrimp Surinam: sweet jumbo shrimp sofrito with Jerusalem artichoke, served atop English Cheddar Gruyere mac and cheese with truffle essence. These shrimp were the best Gulf shrimp I have ever tasted and I am definitely ordering this dish next time!

I persuaded Carrie into ordering the Lobster Cabonara. Fresh 1-1/4 lb Maine lobster removed from shell served atop fresh pappardelle in a decadent cheese sauce with peas, homemade pancetta, and a soft poached egg. What's not to like here? She absolutely loved it!

Peter order Chef Pedro's special creation of "The Trio". It included fresh American Red Snapper on top of yucca risotto with two large New England diver scallops served over braised veal confit. This dish really had it all!

I ordered a more traditional option with the Grilled Organic Grass Fed Veal Chop. What a chop it was, served with truffled mash potatoes and roasted asparagus!

As stuffed as we were, we still managed to order one dessert. The tarte tatin!

In one word, everything was "flawless". We will be back! Thank you Chef Flores and thanks to Ashley and Peter. What a great night we had at The Table!

The Table Creekside

5365 S. Tamiami Trail

Sarasota, FL

941-921-9465

www.tablesrq.com

Sun-Thurs 4-10pm

Fri, Sat 4-10:30pm

-Tom

Indigenous: Sarasota, FL

If you have yet to experience this new Sarasota favorite, it's definitely time to try Indigenous for yourself. Chef Steve Phelps is incredibly passionate about using only responsibly harvested ingredients. Being a fishermen himself, Phelps has a distinct nose for freshness!We had an amazing experience here recently with friends Jill and Joe Creevy.

Jill started out with the Butternut Squash Soup. She described it as "simply divine" and said that it was "unexpectedly served chilled with a tantalizing swirl of fresh cashew pesto. This soup had me thinking about it for days!"

Carrie went wild over the Wild Mushroom Bisque with Truffled Rye Croutons and can't wait to go back for this complex yet comforting soup!

Joe ordered the Beet Salad, which was a special addition to the evening's menu. What an incredible combination of flavors including celery root, blue cheese, strawberry citrus vinagrette, daikon radish, and cucumber. He let me try a taste and I am going out on a limb here to say the yellow beets are far superior to the bright red ones! Joe said, "The dressing blended nicely with the sweetness of the beets and the tang of the radishes." We hope this dish will be a regular addition.

I ordered the Arugula salad, and very confidently I will say it was the best one I have ever had! The arugula was grown less than 100 miles away. Topped with roasted mushrooms, shaved fennel, apples, dijon tarragon dressing, and a few slices of tomme cheese, the flavors could not have been any more spot on. I order Arugula salad every time I see it on a menu and this one was the dream for me!

Now for the entrees. Carrie's Red Snapper was harvested from the deep waters of the Middle Grounds, only 120 miles due west from Sarasota Bay. This dish was my favorite of the evening. Perfectly cooked, lightly seasoned, and fresh as can be served over cheesy grits and green beans.

Joe and I both ordered the Arctic Char which was a close runner up to the Snapper. Char is very similar to salmon but much more delicate and milder in flavor. It was pan-seared and served with a parsnip and potato mash. Delicious!

Here is Jill showcasing her entree of Jumbo Gulf Shrimp and Red Peas. These Sea Island Red Peas are from Charleston, South Carolina. They are an heirloom legume famous for their very bold sweet flavor and creamy texture. The dish is finished off with poblanos, smoked onion, corn bread croutons, and tomato veloute. This dish is a menu staple!

And how could we forget dessert? As a table, we shared the pot de creme and the apple raisin brioche pudding. Both were excellent, but the bread pudding took the prize for me. It was served with maple caramel sauce, rum brown sugar ice cream, and pecan powder!

Overall, this was a fantastic experience. Great friends, delicious food, and a fun night out in a beautiful and comfortable setting in downtown Sarasota. We hope your visit to Indigenous will be just as wonderful as ours. Thank you so much to the flawless team at Indigenous and to our friends Jill and Joe for sharing in the fun!

Indigenous

239 S. Links Avenue Sarasota

Dinner is served Monday through Saturday, starting at 5:30PM

941-706-4740

www.indigenoussarasota.com

-Tom

The Temptation: Boca Grande, FL

For this notorious Gasparilla Island dining institution, the name says it all: "The Temptation!"

This place has been a local favorite in the charming historic town of Boca Grande for many years. It specializes in serving fresh local seafood with a New Orleans twist. You definitely get that "old Florida" feeling that transports you to a warm weather place where time stands still and dining out here with friends is beyond enjoyable. We had the opportunity to visit The Temptation with our friends Fran and Keith and a great time was had by all! Here is Fran in our cozy booth:

I started with the gumbo special and was not disappointed. Loaded with shellfish, chicken, andouille sausage, and just the right amount of kick! We also tried the Lobster Corn Chowder and a Waldorf Salad. Everything tasted great.

Keith ordered a delicious dish loaded with crab in a creamy cheese sauce. Decadent!

I had the mixed fried seafood dinner which I renamed the "Captain's Platter." I thought it was very fitting since I drove the boat all day. It was loaded with fresh shrimp, oysters, softshell crab, and Grouper. Then everything was lightly dusted with cornmeal and fried to perfection. One of my all-time favorite meals!

Carrie had the scallop special which was served lightly blackened and she thoroughly enjoyed.

Fran decided to go with the soft shell crab dinner. She said it was one of the freshest she had ever tasted.

For dessert we couldn't decide between the Candy Cake or the Coconut Cake. So we decided to go for both!

If you ever have the chance to visit Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island, this restaurant will not disappoint! Yes, our choices were definitely on the heavier side, but we were on vacation and had a long day at sea, so this was the perfectly satisfying ending to a totally amazing day. 

The Temptation

350 Park Ave

Boca Grande, Fl 

941-964-2610

-Tom 

Third Street Cafe: Boca Grande, FL

We had the entire patio to ourselves!

What an amazing place. This is the perfect kind of venue where you could sit and read the paper all morning while sipping freshly ground coffee. I think I managed to have three cups at breakfast it was so good. Everything was freshly prepared with the highest quality ingredients. They even have their own herb garden onsite! You can tell the staff takes incredible pride in what they do. Here is my omelet with ham, onion, and Gruyere cheese.

I ordered a side of bacon to go with it. Unfortunately, it's not pictured here. They also make their own Belgian waffles, which we shared as a group. 

 Keith ordered the corned beef hash which was incredibly tender. Not your typical run of the mill corned beef!

Carrie had her old standby with over easy eggs, bacon, and grits. And yes that is Fran going for the hot sauce!

I know it's just breakfast, but the charming setting, the quaint town, great company, fresh air, and delicious food was divine. Definitely a fantastic trip! 


Third Street Cafe
310 E. Railroad Ave
Boca Grande, FL 33921
Phone: 941-964-0155

Breakfast & Lunch served 7AM-2PM
Dinner from 5-9PM

- Tom