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Siesta Key

gnipgnop

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We are spending a week at Siesta Key; this is our first visit here. Can you recommend a few good restaurants in the area. I know this is a broad question but being unfamiliar with the area any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
 

rapmarks

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We went down to the south end and really enjoyed the turtle club. In siesta village had nice breakfast at the village cafe
 

gnipgnop

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Thank you. Still looking for a good Italian Restaurant. We are staying at Crescent Beach not at the Hyatt, cut close to it.
 

rapmarks

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Have you skimmed the tug reviews. I always mention a restaurant if it was good, and others do too. I remember a good Italian south on 41. It was on restaurant.com or entertainment book and it was good. I don’t remember name, sorry but it was near Costco. We also ate at a pub near the Publix down a small street. Pretty good food
 
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itd1sah

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Do a search for Gulf Gate Sarasota. There are a lot of great little restaurants in that area. Located near Stickney after you cross 41 heading east from Siesta. Actually, it is
behind a Publix that is in the shopping center at the corner of Stickney and 41.
 

jwalk03

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Love the Lobster Pot in Siesta Key!
 

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Not Italian, but Clayton's is great. La Dolce Vita on Clark Road, off the key, is good. Gabiano's in the village is good italian. Our favorite Italian is Napule, which is also off the key on 41.
 

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A friend just told us about La Violetta on Swift Road. She said it was great Italian food. We haven't tried it yet.
 

gnipgnop

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Thanks everyone for the excellent ideas. I have made a list from your recommendations.
 

sandkastle4966

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I second Claytons.....my favorite on the key.....
 

silentg

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Trip Advisor will lead you to best places. We owned a timeshare in Siesta Key, very nice place .
Especially the beach. We enjoyed the Beach Bistro On Anna Maria Island. Also the Ringling museum. We owned a week at Calini Beach Club in October. We gifted to another TUgger, as we bought it from a TUgger at a bargain so we did the same. We hope they enjoy it as much as we did.
 

rapmarks

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Trip Advisor will lead you to best places. We owned a timeshare in Siesta Key, very nice place .
Especially the beach. We enjoyed the Beach Bistro On Anna Maria Island. Also the Ringling museum. We owned a week at Calini Beach Club in October. We gifted to another TUgger, as we bought it from a TUgger at a bargain so we did the same. We hope they enjoy it as much as we did.
Like Calini , wish I had seen it when you gifted.
 

silentg

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Like Calini , wish I had seen it when you gifted.
It was posted just a short time. A family bought it because parents owned the same week, so they spend time together but in own unit. Just for closing cost s and maintenance fee. Not sure if the could go last year?
 

rapmarks

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It was posted just a short time. A family bought it because parents owned the same week, so they spend time together but in own unit. Just for closing cost s and maintenance fee. Not sure if the could go last year?
We went to sanibel in December but that was the year my husband fell and we could not travel and I was pretty concerned about us traveling again
 

sfwilshire

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Ringling museum of art free on Monday and grounds are free that day too.

We loved the Ringling Museum, especially the miniature circus. A smaller version was displayed at the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville. It had expanded a lot by the time we saw it at the museum. Truly amazing work!

Sheila
 

rapmarks

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We loved the Ringling Museum, especially the miniature circus. A smaller version was displayed at the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville. It had expanded a lot by the time we saw it at the museum. Truly amazing work!

Sheila
Circus world museum baraboo Wisconsin has a big miniature circus display plus at least fifty restored wagons and all kinds of memorabilia from the Ringling brothers. They also do a big top performance all summer. Truly was a family operation with aunts making costumes and an uncle who was a blacksmith, Etc. I don’t remember exact details but there were four or five years that all four ringling brothers were on the top ten richest men in America list.
 
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ilene13

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I don’t know if you have come to Siesta Key yet, but here are our favorite restaurants. We live in Sarasota. Cafe Barbossa, Ophelias, Alpine Steak House, Selva, Schnitzel Kitchen, The Clam House, Tripletail, Taste of Hong Kong
These are all over the area, only Ophelia s is on the Key.
 

gnipgnop

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We just returned from Siesta Key on Saturday, July 19. I'm not bad mouthing Siesta Key because we had a great time but just a warning to others planning to go there. We were not in a time share - we had rented cottages that provided enough room for our family. BUT the beach was unbelievable. Tropical storm Elsa hit the coast just before we arrived. The ocean was full of red tide and dead fish were swept up onto the beach by the hundreds. The smell was awful. Stayed there for about a half hour then we left. Fortunately our cottages had a private pool that we were able to enjoy. Siesta Key was a lot of fun but we had to stay away from the beach. :bawl:
 

JudyH

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I live near there. There was a chemical spill situation up near Tampa that fed into the red tide. Pollutants from Lake Okeechobee don’t help either. Red tide seems to come every summer now. 2018 was worse than this. None seems to change to prevent this. So sad.
 

silentg

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Sorry to hear this, the beach was beautiful when we stayed. Hope it will return to that soon.
 
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