Where the Chefs Eat
Mark Woodruff, executive chef and owner, MADE Restaurant
Where do you like to eat when you’re not at work?
Well, first and foremost, I like to Support Local. I put some thought into this—I have a list.
For Steak: I’m going to Alpine Steakhouse; I’ll either eat it there or take it home to put on my Weber
For Pizza: Carlos at Solarzano’s on Webber makes the Jersey-style pizza that I love. I call and tell them it’s me and they know what I’m getting. It’s a well-done bake with sausage, ricotta, roasted red peppers, and fresh garlic. I’m always getting two cannoli, even if I don’t eat them.
Breakfast: Buttermilk Handcrafted Food is great but you also can’t beat the Taylor Ham Egg and Cheese Sandwich from Lox’ n Egg.
Italian: Italian is tough. But I still love the family-style feel at Caragiulo’s
Dessert: If I’m going fancy it’s the Peanut Butter Pie at Euphemia Haye.
Seafood: Go to Steve (Chef Steve Phelps). Indigenous has the freshest, most sustainable seafood.
What’s your favorite dish currently on the menu at your restaurant?
Carbonara, no question. It’s a celebratory dish—it’s breakfast lunch and dinner all in one and it’s just so good. We render pancetta and then hit with fresh garlic. Cook the pasta al dente. The secret, I feel, is egg yolk, not whole eggs and a ton of Pecorino Romano and a ton of black pepper. Then dump your pasta in the sauce mixture and toss it like chicken wings. Plate it up with more cheese and maybe fry another egg for the top.
>MADE: 1990 Main St, Sarasota; 941-953-2900; maderestaurant.com
Kyle Harrington, executive chef, Opus SRQ
Where do you like to eat when you’re not at work?
On my day off (or any time I can get there) I’ll head to Bitia’s Taqueria on 17th Street. They have the best pupusas for $2 each; you have to try the zucchini and cheese. The menudo sells out quickly—there’s often a line out the door. Sometimes I just need a bowl of noodles and then Pho Cali on Main Street is my go-to.
What’s your favorite dish currently on the menu at your restaurant?
The Kataifi Shrimp dish on the small-plates menu is a fantastic dish. We take big 13/5 shrimp and fry them with thin strands of phyllo dough and then serve it with a Bada Bing Cherry sauce with amaretto. It pairs nicely with a Diplomatico Rum Old Fashioned.
>Opus: 6644 Gateway Ave, Sarasota; 941-925-2313; opus-srq.com
Kaytlin Dangaran, executive chef, Bistro at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College
Where do you like to eat when you’re not at work?
I love to do date night at Bavaro’s downtown and have the Wood-Roasted Gulf Oysters or any of the pizzas and an excellent Negroni. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I love Taco Jalisco inside the Texaco station in Gulf Gate—they have great gorditas and their beans are so good.
What’s your favorite dish currently on the menu at your restaurant?
The Poached Asparagus with Cedar Roasted Salmon. We salt-and-sugar-cure the salmon for at least two hours and then marinate it overnight in a mixture of maple, Dijon, honey, tamari, and whole-grain mustard before cedar roasting. The dish is served with warm fingerling potatoes, and a frisee, shaved fennel, and endive salad that’s topped with a perfect six-minute egg.
>Sarasota Art Museum: 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota; 941-309-4300; /sarasotaartmuseum.org
Erin Zolner, owner, Perq Coffee Bar
Where do you like to eat when you’re not at work?
I love the beet salad at Baker & Wife. We’ve been going there since they opened. Their specials are always good too. If I’m in the mood for a straight-up fish sandwich or some bacon-wrapped scallops I’m heading to Walt’s Fish Market. We just tried Meliora on Hillview and loved it. The beautiful flavors and presentations of the duck with the bao buns, the smoked mussels, and the panna cotta in the half coconut were all incredible.
What’s your favorite dish currently on the menu at your restaurant?
The Hash Brown Breakfast Sammy—it’s a big fat breakfast sandwich served on buttery toasted brioche. The egg is a parmesan egg bake and it’s topped with a crispy house-made pimento hash brown, thick-cut crispy bacon, house-made spicy pimento cheese, and our secret breakfast sauce. I like it with a cup of our pure black filtered Ethiopian coffee.
What’s in the secret breakfast sauce?
… It’s a secret.
>PERQ: 1821 Hillview St, Sarasota; 941-955-8101; perqcoffeebar.us
John Perkins, executive sous chef, Sarasota Yacht Club
Where do you like to eat when you’re not at work?
I work a lot—we’re very busy during season—so I consider the opportunity to go out to eat to be a rare treat. I finally made it Antoine’s Restaurant over by Ed Smith Stadium and it was a tremendous experience. The food, the service, the ambiance—it was all awesome. I’m still dreaming about the scallops. I also enjoy Pizza N’Brew downtown. They have great New York–style pizza, I particularly like the “New Yorker” pie with ricotta, mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, basil, and parmesan.
What’s your favorite dish currently on the menu at your restaurant?
The duck dish is unbelievable. We brine the duck for at least 24 hours with cranberry, orange juice, juniper berries, star anise, Chinese five-spice, garlic, onion, salt, sugar, and ginger pulp. The we sous vide the duck and serve it with orange ginger marmalade, twice-baked potatoes, and vegetables.
>Sarasota Yacht Club: 1100 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota; 941-365-4191; sarasotayachtclub.org
Andrew Thompson, chef de cuisine, Jack Dusty at The Ritz-Carlton
Where do you like to eat when you’re not at work?
My favorite local restaurant is The Granary in Lakewood Ranch. I always get the same thing: a traditional British fry up with bacon, sausage, potatoes, mushrooms, two sunny-side eggs, a side of toast, and a mug of English tea! It’s my day-off treat, normally eaten at about 11am—so it’s breakfast and lunch. Here’s the kicker: Belgian waffles for a breakfast dessert. These waffles are, quite simply, as my eldest son says, “like craic.” At once soft and crunchy, sugary, and yet not too sweet… they’re a feat of breakfast engineering.
What’s your favorite dish currently on the menu at your restaurant?
At the moment I’m loving the Short Rib Beef Stroganoff served over egg noodles with a traditional rich and tangy savory stroganoff sauce.
>The Ritz Carlton: 1111 Ritz Carlton Dr, Sarasota; 941-309-2000; ritzcarlton.com
