El Melvin sets the bar for elevated Tex-Mex cuisine in Sarasota, and it’s a high one.

The three-year-old downtown hotspot has been on my list of restaurants to write about for quite some time, so I met my friend, Sal Piccolo, a local content creator and marketing ace for a lazy Sunday lunch. We sat at the beautifully fashioned, 100-foot bar, NFL pregame on the TV in the background, and feasted as we caught up.

The bellwether for any great Tex-Mex spot is the queso. It’s an appetizer staple, and the El Melvin version is straight up delightful. It’s rich and smoky, bringing just the right ping of heat that pairs perfectly with the fresh-and-crispy chips.

For more than 25 years, Two Señoritas occupied the location where El Melvin is now delighting downtown diners, and it’s clearly in great hands. Owners Mitch Good and Matt Hess opened El Melvin in November 2019, naming it after Good’s grandfather. The restaurant survived through the worst of the pandemic, and El Melvin now boasts a steady, loyal following.

The interior is festive, the bar is well stocked with one of Sarasota’s largest tequila selections, and the outdoor seating area puts you in the middle of the high-foot-traffic heart of downtown. It’s all part of a recipe that El Melvin loyalists love, but the star of the show — and what you’ll likely remember most — is the traditional Tex-Mex cuisine that’s created with just enough signature takes to set it apart.

Where some Tex-Mex spots create a chimichanga that is so given over to the deep fry that it turns out heavy and filling after a few bites, El Melvin’s is light and manageable, creating a flaky-yet-robust outside stuffed with a variety of flavorful ingredients (there’s a chicken or birria option). The savory and dreamy poblano sauce that binds it all together hits just right, too.

The Mexican street corn was a delightful surprise as well. They eat like ribs, and they’re doused in a chipotle mayo and sprinkled with with queso fresco and cilantro. We didn’t finish all the corn riblets, and I found myself obsessing over the leftovers in my fridge at home. They did not make it to the morning after.

With Día de Muertos around the corner and Sarasota’s downtown Halloween celebration kicking off this weekend, now is the perfect time for the uninitiated to give El Melvin a try. They’ll be out front serving up some grab-and-go tacos during the block party.

And if you can’t make it for the block party, don’t sweat it. Rest assured at El Melvin, it’s always a party.

El Melvin, 1355 Main St, Sarasota, (941) 366-1618, elmelvin.com. 

Pictured: El Melvin offers a bevy of traditional Tex-Mex options with a host of sauces and signature modifications. Photo by Sal Piccolo.

Mattison’s Restaurants and Catering offers multiple options for Thanksgiving this year and Holiday Feasts to make all your holidays merry and bright. All three Mattison’s Restaurants will be open on Thanksgiving Day offering traditional Thanksgiving meals plus regular menus and chef specials. Mattison’s Forty-One, in South Sarasota will, once again, offer their fabulous Thanksgiving Day Buffet complete with multiple stations featuring a chef carving station with oven turkey and slow roasted prime rib plus a variety of delicious, house made starters, sides, specialty salads, fresh seafood, and pastries and desserts. Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille, Downtown Bradenton and City Grille, Downtown Sarasota will offer a la carte menus with traditional Thanksgiving dishes plus chef specials. If you opt to stay home but don’t want to spend your day cooking, Mattison’s offers complete family style feasts to go available for pick-up on Thanksgiving Day! The feasts include a Fresh All-Natural Antibiotic and Hormone Free 18lb Whole Oven Roasted Turkey, Apple Walnut Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Maple Ginger Roasted Vegetable Medley (green beans, baby carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts), Giblet Gravy, Fresh Cranberries, and Rolls with Boursin Butter. Apple, Pecan or Pumpkin pies can be added. The turkey, side dishes and desserts can also be ordered a la carte. The Feasts are $195 and feed up to 6 people. For dining reservations call the individual restaurant where you wish to dine. All feast orders must be made by Friday, November 18 th. Pick up locations are Mattison’s Forty-One and Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille. For more info call 941-921-3400. For Dine-In Reservations: Mattison’s Forty-One, 7275 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-921-3400. Open Thanksgiving 11:00 am–8:00 pm. 

Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar Open For Waterfront Dining On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, 2022, 11a.m.-8:00 p.m. Phillippi Creek is the perfect waterfront destination for gathering with family and friends. The award-winning Phillippi Creek restaurant will feature the regular menu with additional specials like fresh Stone Crabs, baked stuffed seafood, fresh steamed oysters, and oysters on the half shell and Seafood boats for two along with a traditional Turkey Dinner for those craving the flavors of the holiday. For over 37 years, the “Creek” as locals like to call it, has been a favorite to gather for the freshest seafood, cocktails and daily specials for lunch and dinner. Large parties without reservations are welcome for al fresco dining or can enjoy one of the larger tables indoors. Whether early lunch, late afternoon family meal, or a cozy dinner for two, Phillippi Creek is your destination to enjoy the holiday. Prefer to dine at home? The Creek also offers Family-style packages available for 4, 8 or 12 people. Pick up is Weds. Nov. 23 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Pre-order minimum of 48 hours in advance.

Phillippi Creek Village Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 5353 Tamiami Trail South, Sarasota, 941-925-4444 www.creekseafood.com. 

Lindsey Leech Strickland along with many team members from Duncan Real Estate worked together to make over 1350 sandwiches for our neighbors in Arcadia. Hurricane Ian devastated many friends near and far and Lindsey gave of her time to help prepare lunches for those in need. We have a beautiful community and she is proud to be a part of it! What a blessing to have so many willing to help! Thank you to the Anna Maria Oyster Bar for organizing this day! 

Van Wezel Foundation and the City of Sarasota are pleased to announce the community members who will serve on the architect selection task force for the Sarasota Performing Arts Center. The five distinguished members of the task force bring a breadth of experience, passion, and a commitment to realizing the promise of this transformative project for Sarasota and the region. The task force will be chaired by Dr. Jenne K. Britell, Vice Chair Van Wezel Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Britell has been an acclaimed director and trustee of public companies and private organizations for over 20 years, following an international career as a senior officer of several financial institutions, including GE Capital, and Chairman of United Rentals. The task force includes Mary Bensel, Executive Director of The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and member of the Broadway League and Florida Presenters; Mark Famiglio, co-founder of Sarasota Film Festival, a 50-year Sarasotan, and investor in the development and growth of many of Sarasota’s neighborhoods; Michele Hooper, CEO of the Directors Council and highly regarded governance expert and business leader recently named to Forbes 50/50 Women Making an Impact; and Dr. Larry R. Thompson, long-time President of Ringling College of Art and Design who successfully led the creation of the Sarasota Art Museum and served as the founding executive director of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. The RFP will be issued by the City through their BidSync public system to attract national interest from a broad and diverse number of respondents. The architect selection process is estimated to take six months and will be funded through an appropriation from the State of Florida. The meetings of the task force will be open to the public and the selection process will culminate in a short list of finalists who will come to Sarasota to present their qualifications.  The orientation meeting of the architect selection task force will take place on October 31, 2022. 

Founded in 1958, Financial Access Federal Credit Union is a Treasury Certified Community Development Financial Institution and the only Credit Union chartered in Manatee County. This month, the Credit Union has been awarded a second grant to support their newly launched Employee Financial Empowerment platform. In September, the Credit Union received a $50,000 grant and this week it was announced the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund awarded the credit union a $125,000 Technical Assistance grant. The funding from these grants will support the launching of an Employee Empowerment Platform providing credit challenged employees access to low cost loans along with credit building and financial improvement resources. The grant will also allow the credit union to provide loan below market interest rate loans for financially stable employees as well. The program will be an incentive for local businesses to use for recruitment and retention and the outcome of this work will broaden the economic capabilities of our local residents. 

Homeowners looking for a new construction home and a convenient commute will find all that and more at Marwood by Pulte Homes, the homebuilder’s first boutique community in Manatee County. Pre-sale appointments for this 70-homesite community are now available, with the first homeowners expected to begin moving into their new homes in early 2023. Marwood by Pulte is ideally located in Ellenton, just one mile from U.S. Highway 301 and Interstate 75, making for quick access to employment centers, medical facilities, and other entertainment centers in Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Petersburg, not to mention the Gulf Coast’s award-winning beaches, waterfront dining, and outstanding recreational sites. Many popular shopping and dining options are nearby, some within walking distance, including Ellenton Premium Outlets, located just a ½ mile from the site. Prospective homeowners can choose from five versatile, brand-new construction home designs featuring one- and two-story single-family homes with three to five bedrooms, two to three-and-a-half baths, covered lanais, and two-car garages. There are no CDD fees at Marwood by Pulte, and homeowners will enjoy a high-speed TV and internet package included in their cost-effective homeowner’s association (HOA) fee. Pre-sale appointments are available by calling (941) 265-2192. A model home and sales center will soon open at 6102 29th Street East, Ellenton. Homes at Marwood by Pulte will be priced starting in the upper $300s. For more information, visit www.pulte.comand check us out on Facebook. 

THE SECRET MARRIAGE OPENS THE SEASON | Dominico Cimarosa’s The Secret Marriage (Il Matrimonio Segreto) kicks off the Sarasota Opera Season.

Learn more about how you can kick off your time at the Opera this season through this link, on our social media, or in the October edition of SRQ Magazine! 

Read Here!

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY | The Nutcracker commands the winter stage.

Check out The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School’s The Nutcracker through this link, on our social media, or in the October edition of SRQ Magazine! 

Read Here!