Columbia Restaurant on St. Armand’s circle, Sarasota

 The Columbia restaurant is mainstay in Sarasota as well as Tampa.  If you are looking for fine dining with some shopping before or after the Columbia on St. Armand’s circle is a great choice.  They serve elegant dinners and lunches all year around.  Located on St. Armand’s circle the restaurant makes for a great day trip from Anna Maria Island.  Grab a lunch at the Columbia, walk around and go Shopping on St. Armand’s circle and pick up an ice cream as a mid afternoon snack.

The Columbia restaurantoriginally started in the Tampa area and you can find the Columbia in Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater and several other Florida locations.  As soon as you walk up to the restaurant you feel a positive vibe.  There is limited seating outside of about 25-30 seats with at least 100 inside.  The elegant restaurant has a large interior bar and the exterior is made to feel like an extension of the interior.

Slim’s Place has great atmosphere & food in Anna Maria City

 Slim’s place is the latest bar, pub and restaurant in Anna Maria City.  It is a locals hang out for just about every night of the week.  Located just off Gulf Drive it is easy to get to and a convenient walk from many Anna Maria City Vacation Rentals.

Slims place serves plenty of COLD drink choices and serves food that borders on restaurant variety.  (This is a compliment, the food is good!)  The pub has plenty of televisions to watch your favorite sporting event or world cup soccer game with a huge copper top bar for an impromptu cold beverage of your favorite choice.  There is limited outdoor seating however the two billiard tables inside are a sure bet for extra entertainment.  Slim’s has a great atmosphere that throws off a strong local vibe of positive “stuff.”  It’s not uncommon to go into Slim’s alone and walk out with several new found friends from sitting at the bar talking about the latest in Anna Maria City politics or just sharing good conversation with a friendly face.

Slim’s place has several choices of dinners like hamburger, fish and salad.  They have a home made hummus that is fabulous and my wife loves when the soup of the day is black bean.  She says it is the best she has ever tasted.   At last check Slim’s had pizza, mahi mahi sandwiches, a few desserts and appetizers.

Check in ahead of time as Slim’s often has live entertainment on Wednesday’s and Thursday’s but nights can change so be sure to call if you are making big danci’n plans.  Not much room for dancing but you sure can try.

If you are looking for some local flair then stop in at Slims place in Anna Maria City.    They serve lunches and dinners and accept Visa and Mastercard.  Be sure to check out their local specials, you won’t be sorry you visited Slim’s Place.

 Slim’s Place Bar and Restaurant
9701 Gulf Drive
Anna Maria City, Anna Maria Island
Florida, 34216
(941) 567-4056

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anna Maria Island celebrates Geckofest 2010 with a display at Duffy’s Tavern!

Anyone driving around the past few months always asks me the same questions – what’s with the big creatures on all the buildings? No, they are not bugs, no they are not dinosaurs… they are part of Gecko Fest 2010! I have LOVED spotting all the Geckos and searching for new ones! Local artists and sponsors have gotten together to design and display the adorable 6 foot Geckos which have adorned businesses and county buildings since December 2009. My husband and I are definitely headed to the preview party is this Friday, April 16th at downtown riverfront Rossi Park. The Geckos will then enjoy a float ride down Manatee Ave during the Heritage Festival Parade April 24th. Each Gecko is unique and aptly named so, such as “Van Gecko” by artist Mindy Colton which sports a VanGough Starry Night motif, and “Legends of Duffy’s” by artist Annemarie Nicholas that proudly rests on our island’s beloved Duffy’s Tavern. There are over 60 Geckos offered for auction at the Gala scheduled for May 1st. Not sure what they are going for, yet I’m still going to bid on my favorite, “Freedom” by artist January Eldred – this little guy is all red white and blue!

Anna Maria Island restaurants and shops open Easter holiday

Anna Maria Island is a great place to visit all year around.  If you happen to be visiting during a holiday, finding a spot to have breakfast, lunch or dinner could be a frustrating process if you don’t know before hand what restaurants are open.  Hopefully this information will help during Easter and there is a fairly good chance that if these restaurants and stores are open for Easter, they will be open for other Anna Maria Island holidays as well.  Have a happy holiday and

here is to doing no dishes this year!

ANNA MARIA ISLAND RESTAURANT’S OPEN EASTER HOLIDAY

Beach Bistro – Dinner – Holmes Beach, Florida
Gulf Front elegant dining with casual dining available

Beach House – Lunch & Dinner – Bradenton Beach, FL
Gulf Front casual dining – you can eat right on the beach

Da Giorgio – Dinner – Holmes Beach, Florida
Italian business casual dining with live entertainment

Euphemia Haye – Dinner – Longboat Key, Florida
Elegant dining, huge assortment of desserts

Moveable Feast – Lunch and Dinner – Holmes Beach, Fl
Casual dining with plenty of holiday seating

Paradise Cafe – Lunch – Holmes Beach, East Bay Plaza
Order take out or small availability for dining in

Rod  and Reel Restaurant – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Anna Maria City
Bay front dining – casual – live sea-life daily

Sandbar – Lunch & Dinner – Anna Maria City, Florida
Gulf Front dining – walk right in from the beach!

Sign of the Mermaid – Three meals – Anna Maria city, Florida
Business Casual dining.  National award winning key lime pie.

Sunhouse restaurant- Late Lunches, Dinner – Bradenton Beach, Fl
Floribean cuisine with Gulf Views and plenty of window shopping nearby

Waterfront restaurant – Lunch and Dinner – Anna Maria City, Florida
Bay View business casual dining.  Reservations strongly suggested

OTHER BRADENTON STORES OPEN HOLIDAY’S

Albertson’s Supermarket – Bradenton, Fl

Sweetbay Supermarket – Bradenton, Fl

Walgreens – Bradenton, Fl – Open 24 hours

Cold Stone Creamery – gourmet ice cream just of Anna Maria Island

Looking for gourmet ice cream?  Try Cold Stone Creameryjust off Anna Maria Island.  It is on the corner of Cortez

and 75th Street West in Bradenton, Florida.  It shares the same building as Starbuck’s.  Cold Stone’s claim to fame is there great creamy ice cream as well as creating special mixes within their ice cream.  They use an ice cold slab to mix up ice cream with your favorite mixings.  Berries, peanut butter cups, cookie pieces, M & M’s, you name it.  The staff takes their great ice cream and with two scoops manually mixes in the extra’s.  Our family loves the Birthday cake mix special which you guessed it, tastes just like birthday cake.  It is fantastic.

So if you are looking for a special treat and can wait a few minutes for the staff to delicately prepare your custom order of ice cream with mixins, try a quick drive off Anna Maria Island to Cold Stone.  Cold Stone sells ice cream cakes pre-made as well as a few other ice cream treats including ice cream cookies and drinks.   Of course you can purchase larger servings of your custom order ice cream.

Cold Stone Creamery
7476 Cortez Road West
Bradenton, Fl, 34210
(941) 761-3252

The Sunhouse restaurant offers waterfront dining with tropical flair

Located on Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach, Florida, The Sunhouse is a wonderful Anna Maria Island restaurant.

The Sunhouse is  known for its tropical Floribbean cuisine.  With fantastic views of the Gulf of Mexico from the outside third floor deck, this Bradenton Beach restaurant and bar serves Floribbean food and that is just what it sounds like.  Floribbean dining is a mixture of Caribbean and Floridian cuisine, tastes and style.  The Sunhouse restaurant cuisine combines the distinct tastes of coconut, mango, bananas, peppers, plantains, various fruits and nuts into a dining cuisine that puts an emphasis on freshness.  The chef staff of the Sunhouse Bradenton Beach restaurant  creates fantastic Floribbean specials that makes dinner feel like more of an art.

The Anna Maria Island restaurant is open 7 days a week  and starts the day with their daily Happy Hour  from 3pm – 5pm.  During Happy Hour, visitors can enjoy  2 for 1 wines and $5 appetizers.  The excellent food, great service and unique dining environment of the Sunhouse will create an enjoyable restaurant experience on the Anna Maria Island waterfront.

If you are looking for an informal dining environment and high quality cuisine then the Sunhouse restaurant is a good choice.  Eat inside or out on the patio deck overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.  Please note, the restaurant is not directly on the Gulf of Mexico and looks over a building for the building’s Gulf Views.  The proximity to the beach does allow the Sunhouse Restaurant to host Weddings and other Special events.

This location makes The Sunhouse also an ideal location to host gatherings  from beach weddings and other special events. The Sunhouse offers several packages with their signature events.

The Sunhouse hours:
Open daily at 3:00pm
Preferred seating available  (call or online).

The Sunhouse
111 Gulf Drive South
Bradenton Beach, Fl 34217
Phone (941) 782-1122

All information as of December 2009. Please call to verify times and prices.

Ps….if you are in the mood to try other restaurants with exotic flair visit our Anna Maria Island Informational blog and browse through the restaurant page.

Banana Cabana Caribbean Seafood and Grill

The Banana Cabana is a Caribbean Seafood and Grill Restaurant in Bradenton Beach, the most southern city of Anna Maria Island. Open every night at 4pm you can choose between evening sandwiches, Caribbean night time specials or seafood entrees all served with a Caribbean island flair. All entrees come with your choice of Caribbean rice or fries and vegetables. The special Bahamian Bread will be served on request.
You can listen to live entertainment on Friday and Saturday while dining at the Banana Cabana. By the way, you will be in good company. Actor Denzel Washington enjoyed their Caribbean food while shooting a movie in neighboring Cortez. The Banana Cabana also serves a large selection of Caribbean beer and reasonably priced wine.

Gifts are imported from the Caribbean Islands and are for sale. Also all artwork in the restaurant is for sale. The artwork is made out of 55 gallon steel drums from the Caribbean.

Check the Banana Cabana website for coupons and save a couple of bucks….

Catering Service for parties or weddings available.

Banana Cabana hours:
Weekdays 4:00p.m. – 9:30p.m.
Friday – Saturday 4:00pm – 10:30pm (with live entertainment)
Sundays 4:00pm – 9:00pm
Closed on Tuesday for the month of October

Banana Cabana Caribbean Seafood and Grill
103 Gulf Drive N.
Bradenton Beach, FL 34217
Phone (941) 779-1930

All information as of December 2009. Please call restaurant directly to verify times and prices.

Ps.. if you are looking for a vacation rental close to the Banana Cabanna then look no further.  Gulf View 101 is just across the street!  Click here for more choices of Anna Maria Island Vacation Rentals.

Sharky’s Seagrill offers fine dining with casual flair

If you like fine dining in a casual atmosphere, visit Sharky’s Seagrill in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island where award winning, European-trained Chef Anton and his wife Marie serve up great food and good times at reasonable prices.

Sharky’s features a wide selection of Fresh Florida Seafood, Black Angus Prime Rib, Steaks and Pastas. Specialties include Seafood Gasparilla, Michigan Pork Chop, Key West Grouper and Lobster Tails. Each day Sharky’s Market Fresh Seagrill features five different varieties of fresh fish grilled to perfection. Sharky’s Pasta selections feature authentic Italian flavors in dishes such as Tortellini Gorgonzola, Rigatoni Ala Toscana, Penne Pollo Portabello, Linguini with Mussels and Fettuccine con Fruta di Mare.

Sharky’s has a full bar with Cocktails, Domestic and Imported Beers, and a selection of fine wines. Happy hour prices are in effect from 4 till 7. Sandwiches and appetizers are available at the bar until midnight daily. The restaurant is open 7 days a week, from 4pm to midnight.

Sharky’s also features live entertainment. Check the entertainment page for upcoming entertainment schedule. Friday is usually Karaoke night.

Sharky’s Seagrill hours:
Open 7 days a week
4pm to midnight

Sharky’s Seagrill
2195 Gulf Dr
Bradenton Beach, Florida 34217
Phone (941) 779-9151

All information as of December 2009. Please call to verify times and prices.

Ps… if you are looking for more live entertainment on the Anna Maria Island please visit the Island Real Estate informational blog and find more suggestions at the bottom of the restaurant page.

BeachHouse Restaurant – Outdoor dining and great Florida seafood

The BeachHouse restaurant is located in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island  just past the light at the Cortez Bridge heading south.

Experience great waterfront dining on the Gulf of Mexico with breathtaking views and fresh Florida seafood. It is the perfect place for family dining with plenty of room for all the kids to play on the beach while you can sip on a tropical drink and enjoy great food and listen to live entertainment by local artists. You can choose if you like to have your meal inside the dining room or on the waterfront deck. There is even a covered Gulf front area, which makes it perfect rain or shine.

Besides the regular menu there are several specials like the VALUE BEACH MENU from 3pm until 6 pm every Monday thru Friday that offers 12 Signature BeachHouse Items. Or enjoy the HAPPY HOUR on the BEACH featuring drink specials and appetizer specials in the Bar with Quesadillas, Sliders, Coconut Shrimp and Sweet & Sour Shrimp.

There is also the Sun Tasting Events at The BeachHouse every Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 with sampling of tempting summer wines from all over the globe, local and seasonal beers as well as tantalizing cocktails.

Talking about Sunsets. If you like to take a look at some spectacular sunset pictures visit our Anna Maria Island Sunset blog and get in the mood for a nice dinner at The BeachHouse.

It is also a great place to have a wedding. The BeachHouse is an award-winning location for beach weddings, receptions or any special event.  So maybe you are in luck and witness one of the happy couples exchange their vows.

You can even do a little shopping in their gift and souvenir shop located at the entrance area of  the restaurant.

The BeachHouse hours:
Open 7 days a week
11:30AM-10:00PM

The BeachHouse Restaurant
200 Gulf Dr
Bradenton Beach, Fl 34217
Phone (941) 779-2222

All information as of December 2009. Please call to verify times and prizes.

P.S….staying more then a few days? Find other fine waterfront dining establishments on our Island Real Estate restaurant blog….

Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus offers German authentic cuisine

The Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus is a German family restaurant located in the Holmes Beach Shopping Plaza on East Bay Dr. It was voted “Best German Restaurant 2007″ in the Reader’s Choice Award Contest in the Anna Maria Sun newspaper.

The Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus is owned by husband and wife duo, Brigitte and Wolfgang Jahn. They serve their traditional German entrees with all fresh ingredients. Everything is homemade. You can enjoy the finest Wiener Schnitzel and Beef Goulash in town or taste German delicacies like Hühnerleber (chicken liver in a cream sauce with sauerkraut and potatoes) and Rahmschnitzel (veal in a cognac cream sauce). Friday’s special is usually Haxen with Knoedel (pork knuckle „Bavarian style“, oven fresh with bread dumplings and sauerkraut).
Try a piece of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cake) or Tiroler Apfelstrudel (Tyrolean apple strudel) for dessert.
If you like a change from the Florida seafood give the Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus on Anna Maria Island a try.  If you are visiting the island and looking for some great things to do, visit our Anna Maria Island Informational blog.

Imported beer, wine and coffee available. Dinner hours only. Reservations recommended.

Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus hours:
Open Monday – Saturday 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Closed Sundays.

Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus
3246 E  Bay Dr
Holmes Beach, Fl 34217
Phone (941) 778 – 1320

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