# Longboat Key



## Gracey (May 4, 2011)

Heading to Longboat Bay Club this weekend (Sunday) :whoopie:  Just read the post about the love bugs, Ughh.  Since we have a cottage in Northern Michigan I cant imagine anything worse than those black flies in the spring and the mosquitoes all summer long so we will survive.  My husband was watching the cooking channel awhile back and they hilighted a restaurant in Sarasota called Yoders for chicken but what really caught his eye was the homemade PIES.  Has anyone ever ate there before?  Found the website and it sounds more like his type of cooking than mine.  They do have baked chicken for me though.  Also I remember someone on this forum someone mentioning a place called "red barn" more like a flea market type of place and we thought we would give this place a visit also.  Oh well just looking for info on "Yoders"
Thanks, Laurie


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## Art (May 4, 2011)

Some friends are just back from a week at Longboat Bay Club

Nary a word about love bugs, just major sightings of manatees.  As many as a dozen  at time in  the bay behind the resort.

The fun lunch place  to eat  just down the  road near the Mote  Aquarium is the New Pass Bait Shop and  Grill.  Try the night crawler and chips basket, nah, just kidding, stick with the worms on  a stick.

Art


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## Gracey (May 4, 2011)

I always look forward to catching a glimpse of the manatee's!  I'll pass on those :ignore: worms though  LOL


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## rapmarks (May 4, 2011)

the love bugs are terrible in the fort Myers to naples area righ now. 
Yoders? Is this possibly an Amish Restaurant? We stopped at one with friends to pick up bakery items, and the lunch and dinner menu looked excellent. there are several Amish restaurants in sarasota.

the Art Museum at the Ringling complex is very good and free on Mondays.  We also went to see the house, and the other museums on the grounds on a second day.


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## SherryS (May 4, 2011)

Our favorite Amish restaurant in Sarasota area is Dutch Heritage on Bahia Vista near Beneva.  Pies are EXCELLENT!
Yoders Restaurant is also on Bahia Vista and has wonderful pies.

As an added note, we have seen many manatees on the intra-coastal recently.  They seem to be quite active right now.

Also, the Love Bugs seem to have diminished a lot today!


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## Jim Bryan (May 4, 2011)

Several Amish Restaurants in the Sarasota Bradenton area. Yoders is good as well as Troyers. Sugar and Spice, Millers, all good.

When its windy you won't see as many Love Bugs. I remember when they first started.


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## Riverwild (May 4, 2011)

Another good place to eat is the Old Salty Dog,just to the East of the Bait Shop Grill. As parking is often a problem I will usually go to the pub where I can squeeze my car in,or you can arrive by boat.


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## Wonka (May 4, 2011)

Loops said:


> Heading to Longboat Bay Club this weekend (Sunday) :whoopie:  Just read the post about the love bugs, Ughh.  Since we have a cottage in Northern Michigan I cant imagine anything worse than those black flies in the spring and the mosquitoes all summer long so we will survive.  My husband was watching the cooking channel awhile back and they hilighted a restaurant in Sarasota called Yoders for chicken but what really caught his eye was the homemade PIES.  Has anyone ever ate there before?  Found the website and it sounds more like his type of cooking than mine.  They do have baked chicken for me though.  Also I remember someone on this forum someone mentioning a place called "red barn" more like a flea market type of place and we thought we would give this place a visit also.  Oh well just looking for info on "Yoders"
> Thanks, Laurie



I live about a 1/2hr. from the Longboat Bay Club and would love to get an exchange there.  I've never seen it.  There will be love bugs...lots of em', they appear to be the worse at high noon until dusk.  Get out to the beach early.

I've never eaten at Yoder's, or heard much about them.  They do a lot of advertising in the "freebee" rags which generally isn't the best sign of a good restaurant, but it might actually be very good.  Please let me know if you go there.   There was just a review in the food section of the Sarasota Herald today.  They said there's a taco stand in the Red Barn flea market that has the best Tacos in the area.  I've only been to the Red Barn once...it's not my kind of flea market.  The vendors there have permanent locations and stores.  We had a flea market in Saylorsburg, PA that was more my cup of tea.  No permanent vendors just folks setting up for the day.  Interestingly, you could find almost anything there.  I walked around it almost every Saturday in the summer.  If you haven't been here before, make a trip to Anna Maria Island, I'd suggest eating at the Rod & Reel pier at the north end of the island.  The food is good, and the place is very "colorful".  People fish all around the two-story restaurant structure (it's a pleasantry calling it that..maybe shack is better) and the bar on the lower deck has about 5 bar stools.  But, it's an "experience" and attracts a lot of business.  There are many good restaurants in St Armans Circle and Sarasota.


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## Happytravels (May 5, 2011)

*headed there*

We are going to Longboat Key also check in 5/7 at Little Gull...tell me more about the area.....


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## Sullco2 (May 5, 2011)

*bike heaven*

The bike trails on LK are great--they go for miles and miles.

If you want to experience a great cross-section of Florida life, go up to the northern tip of the barrier island early on a weekend morning.  In Holmes Beach, there is a famous beachfront pancake breakfast that is home to the snowbird crowd who might still be there.

Then head back down south and you will probably be in a parade of pick up trucks filled with the Hispanic working families who flock to the public beaches on weekends.  This is the real Florida of today--the gardeners, etc. who keep the place looking good enjoying the only affordable amenity around:free beach.

I have been stuck on the mainland side of the causeway in Bradenton in this parade, so don't go back to the mainland on weekends.


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## Jim Bryan (May 5, 2011)

Check out the Blue Dolphin Cafe, walking distance from Little Gull in the Center Shops. Breakfast and Lunch. The Old Salty Dog had raised its prices pretty much last time we were there. It's a shame since we often go there. For casual Floribean try Cha Cha Coconuts on Saint Armand's. First watch on Cortez Road is a good Breakfast and Lunch place.


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## Happytravels (May 5, 2011)

Sullco2 said:


> The bike trails on LK are great--they go for miles and miles.



We are really looking forward to this....:whoopie:


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## Gracey (May 5, 2011)

Thanks for all the great input everyone  Am printing out this thread so I can hit all these places.


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## erm (May 6, 2011)

Just a tip on getting fresh produce during your stay.  The Red Barn Flea Market has tons of fresh produce for sale.  I'd make a trip there to stock up for my produce for the week ... great selection and prices.  Ladies might want to take a peek inside to look at the fun watches and jewelry.  The flea market is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 4 PM.


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## Jim Bryan (May 8, 2011)

Forgot to mention Ginny's and Jane E's.

http://www.annamariacafe.com/


And Peach's. So many places.


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## Jim Bryan (May 11, 2011)

Happytravels said:


> We are going to Longboat Key also check in 5/7 at Little Gull...tell me more about the area.....




What unit did you get? Hope your stay is enjoyable.


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## Happytravels (May 11, 2011)

Jim Bryan said:


> What unit did you get? Hope your stay is enjoyable.



We are in unit 4 on the gulf side.


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## Jim Bryan (May 12, 2011)

We went for an extra week and stayed in #4. Hope you have had a nice time!


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## Gracey (May 13, 2011)

Went to red barn to pick up our produce, thanks for the tip on that.  My husband enjoyed the chicken at yoders and the pie.  Hit all the usual suspects that were recommended for dinner all were delish. Thank you.
We also tried the Sandbar on Anna Maria and I ordered a grouper stuffed with crab and shrimp and so far that has been my favorite meal.  Love bugs have not been too bad here at all but drove down and spendt the day on Sanibel Island yesterday and they were pinging off the car like hail when we were driving on I75. Well last day here then over to disneys boardwalk for a couple of days


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## erm (May 16, 2011)

Having dinner at the Sandbar on Anna Maria Island with your feet in the sand AND great food ....it doesn't get better than that.


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