Inside: The Beach Bistro

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Beach Bistro

Rated among Zagat's Top Restaurants in the country and...

Beach Bistro Photo Gallery

Located on the lovely Anna Maria Island, with a water view...

There's only one thing to do when arriving at the Beach Bistro early, waiting for your dinner date to make his way from Sarasota to Anna Maria Island...Take a seat in one of the bistro's outdoor beach chairs, and accept that glass of Alexander Valley Cabernet that the server offers. If you are lucky, the weather will be beautiful, the Gulf waves on the water calm and you'll get to witness the world's most breathtaking sunset.

The Ambiance: Entrance to the bistro means walking through Murphy's Bar, a slightly more casual setting than the main dining area, though you'll still find cloth-covered tables and long stem roses as centerpieces. Wrapping the walls are rows and rows of wines from Italy, Spain, France and California. Follow the narrow hallway that opens up into an intimate room with draped chairs, art decorated, mirrored walls and a backdrop of the Gulf of Mexico and white-sand beach. The colorful and energetic oil on canvas paintings that align the walls were created by resident artist Jeff Tarr. The space is intimate, no question.  But you'll overlook the lack of elbow room once your dinner arrives.

The Food:  We started with fresh bread and a warm roasted pepper and basil pesto and a sample of the One Helluva Soup with plum tomatoes and Maytag blue cheese while perusing the menu. My dinner companion and I were equally undecided, as everything on the menu was enticing.  We came to an agreement, each ordering a small plate with varied foods to share, with the option of ordering additional small plates if we were still hungry. That didn't happen, as my Food Heaven entree ($53) was served with healthy portions of three of my favorite things on the planet: lamb chops, lobster tail and Hudson Valley Foie Gras. The lamb was served medium-rare, by request, and the spiny lobster tail over a drizzled butter sauce. The foie gras was perfect, tender on the inside with a very lightly browned exterior. Our server brought over a thimble full glass of a white Rioja Muga Reserva (2004), to pair with the foie gras. Very crisp with a citrus current, it eliminated any lingering aftertaste from the foie gras, giving the entreé a clean finish.  The Pretty Big But Not Diver Scallops small plate ($21) came with four porcini dusted scallops, seared and topped with a truffle sauce.  Half the fun of ordering is reading the cheeky names of the dishes served, often coupled with a clever quote or one-liner. For dessert, we shared the Chocolate Truffle Terrine ($14) served with an edible candied sugar ornament and a side of whipped cream and praline encrusted vanilla ice cream. Add in a few assorted berries and life is pretty complete.

Navigating the Menu: It can be a little daunting as one restaurant's "small plate" is another restaurant's entreé. Scrolling through the selections at the Beach Bistro, it's easy to get lost. Some general guidelines:

Clever Asides: All Classic Entreés and Carpe Diem items come with two sides.However, if you are opting to order a small plate, it will arrive with one side. Smaller Plates are found on a separate menu for the bistro and the adjacent Murphy's Bar area of the restaurant, and portions are about half of what you'd find in a full entreé. This is a good option when coupled with an item from the Soup or Salad list. Classic Entreés are self-explanatory, including items that the Beach Bistro is known for,such as their bouillabaise and foie gras.  The Carpe Diem menu lists house specials and seasonal additions. Happy Endings features dessertsand the Murphy's Bar Menu include variations from the "Small Plate" menu. If you're not sure what you want (or you just want it all), the Stroll on the Beach tasting menu (with wine pairing options) include selections from each of the other menus. Got it?

The Low-down: One of the most exquisite restaurants in Florida (with an equally impressive location), it should be no surprise that you can expect to average a minimum of $50-$75 per person for dinner and dessert.  

Overall: It's difficult being a fine dining establishment without being subject to scrutiny. If your servers are overly attentive, and the menu exclusive, you might be dubbed as too high brow. Add a few jokes with lines like, "No one dives for scallops. New Yorkers will believe anything," and foie gras topped sliders to the bar menu, and suddenly you are not up to par. Personally? I think the Beach Bistro maintains a graceful balance between being gourmet and being approachable. There's a certain confidence level necessary for that.