For decades, diners have flocked to Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub to take in the scenic waterfront views, soak up the rustic Old Florida vibes, and (of course) feast on delicious dishes. Chef Justin Kurtz joined the outstanding culinary team at Mar Vista in October of 2023 and has spent the last several months familiarizing himself with the sustainable ingredients the restaurant utilizes and creating specials to see what resonated with diners. Now, Kurtz has debuted several new menu items of his own alongside classic Mar Vista favorites.

Located on the north end of Longboat Key, Mar Vista is known for its locally-sourced Southern-inspired seafood-forward cuisine, and the new menu items reflect that sensibility. Sustainable ingredients abound, starting with the new grouper dishes which all use aquaculture grouper from a sustainable company. One is the Mar Vista Hot Fish Sandwich. The grouper is lightly breaded in seasoned flour and fried, tossed in Nashville hot oil and drizzled in Florida honey, and served on a toasted bun with housemade bread and butter pickles. Another is the Jalapeno Grouper which is a particular favorite of Kurtz. Fresh grouper is seared then roasted in the oven with a sweet-and-spicy jalapeno glaze and served on a bed of sauteed shaved Brussels sprouts, shallots, garlic, toasted almonds, dried cranberries and roasted sweet potatoes in a beurre blanc sauce.

“It’s a busy dish,” Kurtz admits. “But people love it. It’s not too spicy, it’s got a good balance of everything. It’s going over really well.”

Mar Vista designates one of its dishes as a WCK dish which stands for World Central Kitchen, an organization that provides meals on the front lines in times of humanitarian, climate, and community crises, The current WCK dish, Shrimp Fettuccine, is another Kurtz creation. That dish features sauteed shrimp and locally-sourced Petrichor mushrooms in a white wine parmesan cream sauce tossed with fettuccine.

“I recently started making the pasta in-house which I think takes the dish to the next level,” Kurtz says.

If you’re not in the mood for seafood, you’ll want to try the new Southern Fried Chicken entree. A brined buttermilk-fried chicken breast is served on a bed of cheesy Bradley Country Store grits from Tallahassee. Mar Vista often utilizes wild boar from Shogun Farms. In this dish, it’s used as a smoked ham hock in the braised collard greens and to make the sausage in the gravy.

“The fried chicken is a simple dish, but when we can use boar from Shogun or ingredients from Gamble Creek Farms, it really elevates it,” Kurtz says. “There’s a story behind it, there’s a meaning behind it.”

This is just a taste of the new menu items at Mar Vista. There are plenty of other new dishes to explore, like the tantalizingly tropical Mango Creme Brulee garnished with fresh fruit and edible flowers. Kurtz will also continue rolling out new specials. There has always been a lot to love about Mar Vista. Now there’s even more.

Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, 760 Broadway Street, Longboat Key, (941) 383-2391, marvistadining.com. 

Pictured: Shrimp Fettuccine is one of the new entrees created by Chef Justin Kurtz at Mar Vista. Photo courtesy of Mar Vista.

Daiquiri Deck, an iconic bar and casual restaurant that delivers a quality experience, great times, good vibes and the best frozen daiquiris around, is celebrating National Daiquiri Day at five of its locations on Friday, July 19 with specials and multiple giveaways, including the opportunity for five patrons to win free daiquiris for a year. From open to close on National Daiquiri Day, customers at the Bradenton Beach, Siesta Key Village, South Siesta Key, St. Armands and Venice locations can enjoy one free 10-ounce daiquiri or virgin daiquiri with any purchase. Live entertainment will also take place from 3 to 7 p.m. The iconic bar and casual restaurant will also offer a number of giveaways. Patrons can enter via an online form for the chance to win a variety of prizes, including: Five grand prize winners (1 winner per location) will win free daiquiris for a year. Five second place winners (1 winner per location) will win a gift basket that contains a t-shirt, $50 gift card, stainless steel tumbler, stickers and a frisbee. Five third place winners (1 winner per location) will win a stainless-steel tumbler or a t-shirt.

“There’s no better way to celebrate National Daiquiri Day than spending the day at Daiquiri Deck,” said Matt Grover, co-owner of Daiquiri Deck. “With it being one of our most popular days of the year, we love giving our patrons the chance to win daiquiris for a year, along with a number of other exciting prizes.” From tart and sweet to fruity and creamy, Daiquiri Deck has 12 flavors of daiquiris, with 19 signature drinks and endless custom combinations. This year, the bar is also bringing back its retired Purple Haze flavor, a blend of Welch’s Grape Juice, grape vodka, grain alcohol and a secret ingredient, for guests to enjoy on July 19 only. Daiquiri Deck will also offer a number of drink and food specials throughout the day, including: Legendary Happy Hour - From 3 to 7 p.m., receive half-price on a 16-ounce souvenir cup daiquiri, as well as $1 off well drinks, wines and drafts. Friday Weekday Special - From open to close, fish and chips will be offered for $15. Late Night Happy Hour - From 8 p.m. to close, enjoy drink specials, including all 22-ounce featured drinks for the price of a 16-ounce featured drink, $3 20-ounce Landshark draft, and various bite-sized appetizers starting at $3. 

Pictured: Deck Diesel daiquiri.

Osteria 500, an authentic Italian restaurant at Lakewood Ranch's Waterside Place has recently received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for their wine list after being open for less than one year. The restaurant will be listed in the August 31, 2024 issue of  Wine Spectator and on winespectator.com/restaurants.

Osteria 500, 1580 Lakefront Dr., Sarasota, 941- 866-8962. 

To learn more, visit.

The Green Orchid by Michael’s on East offers elevated casual dining featuring a globally inspired menu with a focus on local, regional, and sustainably sourced produce, seafood, meats, and poultry options. The menu changes seasonally, highlighting the freshest ingredients from local farms and the restaurant’s rooftop garden. There are vegetarian and vegan options available to cater to various dietary preferences.  The wine list includes many organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wines from around the world. The Green Orchid  is now serving new speciality botanical-themed cocktails, with finishing touches straight from the Drs. Andrew and Judith Economos Rooftop Edible Garden. Open Daily 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. no reservations, open to Selby Gardens' day time visitors and members, Downtown Sarasota campus. 

Think beyond peanut butter and jelly for your summertime sandwich cravings, July/August 2024. 

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