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When you think of fine dining, you probably don't picture eating inside a car dealership, but that's exactly where one new restaurant will be opening in Sarasota.
Sarasota is one of my favorite places in Florida. It's actually where I first landed when I moved to the Sunshine State back in 2019. I love the beaches, St. Armands Circle, downtown, Lakewood Ranch, Siesta Key..all of it. And in Sarasota, there are some great high-end restaurants including Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, Ophelia's on the Bay, Michael's on East and Indigenous just to name a few. Now, picture adding to the list a restaurant inside Sarasota Ford.
Fine Dining Restaurant To Open Inside Car Dealership In Sarasota
Le Mans Kitchen will open on Monday, December 11th inside Sarasota Ford at 707 South Washington Boulevard. Now, you won't feel like you're in a car dealership, but rather that you've been whisked away to the French countryside. The inspiration for the restaurant is the 24 Hours of Le Mans race that is held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. Michelin Star chef Jose Martinez will head up the restaurant which will feature dishes like pancakes, crème brûlée French toast, burgers, caprese toast, mocktails and milkshakes.
The only part that seems to be a bit confusing at this time is whether or not the restaurant will be open to the general public. According to the Herald Tribune, it sounds like the restaurant will only serve those who purchase a Ford at the dealership or service your vehicle there (which doesn't have to be a Ford).
Three Florida Restaurants Made The List Of Favorites By The New York Times
When it comes to good restaurants, we're lucky here in the Sunshine State to have plenty to choose from and three Florida restaurants just made the list of favorites by the New York Times.
We all have different reasons why a restaurant might be our favorite. Is it that every time you've gone there hasn't been a dish you haven't loved? Does it have a great ambiance? Do you get impeccable service? Do they make the drinks a little stronger than somewhere else? I love trying new restaurants, but there are also those I go back to again and again. I feel like just here in Southwest Florida I have a favorite in each city from Fort Myers to Cape Coral to Naples. And all for different reasons.
Each year the New York Times puts out their list of 50 favorites. To put together the list, the research is done by dozens of reporters, editors and critics who have the very tough job to visit hundreds of restaurants across the country. How do I get THAT gig? I may not be a critic, but I do love to eat. They're not all fine dining restaurants either, it's a very diverse list.
Three Florida restaurants made the New York Times list
Salt Shack on the Bay- Tampa
Salt Shack on the Bay is located right below the Gandy bridge at 5415 W Tyson Ave. The newspaper says of the restaurant that "“Jimmy Buffet would have liked this place, where there is no problem a platter of fresh Gulf shrimp and a drink with a pineapple slice couldn’t solve."
Maty's- Miami
Maty's is located in the heart of Midtown at 3255 NE 1st Ave. There you'll find Peruvian American food with dishes like oxtail saltado, duck salad and camarones.
Smoke & Dough- Miami
Smoke & Dough is located in the Sabina Shopping Center at 4013 SW 152nd Ave. There, you'll find dishes like ribs glossed with guava-ancho barbecue sauce, brisket with a Cuban coffee rub and housemade pastrami tequeños.
