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    • Best hidden gem restaurant in Sarasota-Manatee that TripAdvisor missed
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    Best hidden gem restaurant in Sarasota-Manatee that TripAdvisor missed

    Harry Posted on

    The best hidden gem restaurant in Sarasota and Manatee, this island spot serves delicious seafood entrees, steaks, grouper sandwiches, and burgers.

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    TripAdvisor recently released its Travelers’ Choice Awards for 2024, touting restaurants they named the “Best of the Best” among them. List of the country’s top 25 hidden gems – and I completely disagree with their choices.

    For starters, only three of the restaurants are from Florida and none are from Florida’s west coast, meaning not Sarasota or Manatee counties; We all know it’s home to the best restaurants in the Sunshine State, yes, including hidden gems.

    So, let me present my highly subjective pick for the best “hidden gem” restaurant on TripAdvisor!

    It’s located in a strip mall on Anna Maria Island and has impressed me many times over the years, especially on each of my multiple visits since its post-hurricane reopening on October 23.

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    The best hidden gem restaurant in Sarasota and Bradenton, Hurricane Hanks is the Florida spot TripAdvisor forgot!

    Located in the small city of Holmes Beach, where iconic restaurants like Beach Bistro remain temporarily closed as of November 6 due to flooding and wind from Helene and Milton. Hurricane Hanks It has emerged as a valuable community hub for both Anna Maria Islanders and mainlanders like me.

    Located in the worn-out S&S Plaza across from the Island Mall, Hurricane Hanks is essentially a full-service liquor bar, with a casual dining room of strategically placed tables as well as a few seating options outside where you can sit and listen to people approaching. The host stands up and takes a cooldown. (Pro tip: Get there early, even on a weeknight.)

    Upon arrival, Hurricane Hanks may seem like just another bustling island bar, perhaps even a dive. However, a bite of the grouper piccata or filet mignon—or even an appetizer like the ahi tuna stacker or bacon-wrapped scallops—will quickly reveal that you’re in a fun, casual spot serving up high-quality food.

    The service is also impeccable; owner Brian Mathae warmly greets customers and thanks them for returning. He is accompanied by his equally affable manager, Matt Bowers, who knows everyone on Anna Maria Island and about half the townspeople.

    Top 10 restaurants ‘Where should I eat in Sarasota and Bradenton?’ When asked, I recommend it.

    Hurricane Hanks is a place for locals, by locals, that welcomes everyone with open arms

    Yes, Hurricane Hanks is a hidden gem where locals welcome everyone with open arms. Now it’s also a sanctuary where people can rest after a long day of drywalling their flood-damaged homes, perhaps, or simply lamenting the loss of their homes altogether. I overheard a man talking about his place near Rod and Reel Pier, which was also destroyed. “But it is what it is,” he finally said with a shrug, a smile on his face as he downed another drink and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

    Indeed, I wouldn’t be writing about Hanks today if the food and service hadn’t been so spot-on on my recent visits. If you have been, you know; If you haven’t, there are a few dishes that I consider essential when visiting Hanks frequently these days, which does an exemplary job of representing the strength and charm of post-storm Anna Maria Island.

    What to order during Hurricane Hanks?

    Ahi Tuna Stacker ($19). When you watch the picturesque ahi tuna stacker arrive at your table, or perhaps in the cozy little corner of your bar counter, you’ll quickly realize that Hurricane Hanks isn’t serving typical pub fare. But even better than the presentation is the dynamic taste of sashimi-grade yellowfin tuna chunks stacked with fresh guacamole, sriracha aioli, ginger-soy sauce, sesame seeds and surrounded by wonton chips.

    Bacon Wrapped Scallops ($21). Many local restaurants offer bacon-wrapped scallops these days, but few do as good a job with the dish as Hanks. The scallops are consistently plump and juicy, their salty sweetness perfectly complemented by the delicious bacon cooked nice and crispy – just the way I like it.

    Potato Skins ($11). Here’s another nondescript appetizer served at countless sports bars and similar venues across the country, and one that’s made unusually good at Hank’s. The order consists of two large baked potatoes cut in half, with crispy, flavorful skins carrying a boatload of fluffy potato goodness, garnished with freshly cooked smoked bacon bits, melted cheddar cheese and scallions. These are accompanied by tangy sour cream, which you might consider for occasional dipping.

    Grouper Piccata ($38). Hurricane Hank excels at sourcing fresh grouper and doing good things with it, including serving it grilled, blackened, or fried as a main dish, sandwiches, or tacos. My favorite way to enjoy grouper at Hank’s is to prepare it in the classic Italian style of piccata (sautéed with lemon, butter, and capers).

    Scallop Risotto ($40). If bacon-wrapped scallops leave you craving more of these sweet, delicate molluscs garnished with a subtle brine from ocean origins, order the shrimp and scallop risotto. For an extra $10, it can be made with whole scallops, which are soft, fried spheres spread over a bowl of creamy, cheesy risotto made with Arborio rice, fresh mushrooms, and Parmesan. A side salad comes with the main course, and I highly recommend the Caesar salad with homemade Caesar dressing (yes, they use anchovies!)

    Hurricane Meatballs ($21). While I love Hurricane Hank’s burgers, I’m an even bigger fan of their signature patties. Made with freshly ground Angus beef chuck, it’s cooked to succulent perfection, with crispy edges and a soft interior that’s easy to eat with a spoon. It’s then topped with a gorgeous mushroom demi-glace that elevates this hearty dish to culinary heaven.

    Filet Mignon ($46 for eight ounces, $38 for six ounces)). There are few dishes I appreciate more than a medium-rare filet mignon, and the ones served recently at Hurricane Hank’s are among the tastiest I’ve eaten this year, including those I’ve had at actual steakhouses. Angus beef is expertly seasoned and cooked to medium-rare – a warm, red center that strikes a nice balance between tenderness and juiciness – complemented by an irresistible port and cremini mushroom demi-glace. The steak comes with two sides and you really should try the homemade onion rings, which might probably be the best. Mashed potatoes are also good, especially when mixed with steak broth and rich brown mushroom gravy.

    Banana and Bourbon Cheesecake ($7.75). Another hidden gem restaurant in Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Island, is The Cheesecake Cutie & Cafe at 3324 E. Bay Drive, in the shopping plaza near Publix. In addition to serving delicious cheesecakes and sandwiches, Cutie’s owner Jennifer Geils and her team also offer Hurricane Hank’s their own Banana and Bourbon Cheesecake; Despite my general disdain for all things banana, I somehow find it extremely addictive. (Oh, and if you still have a Cheesecake Cutie craving, Geils supplies a Guinness cheesecake to the nearby Freckled Fin Irish Pub at 5337 Gulf Drive, which I highly recommend even to people who don’t share my adoration for pints of Guinness.)

    Do you know?

    Open since 2000, Hurricane Hank’s is a local franchise that includes next-door neighbors Hurricane Liquors and Fifty Three Fifty The Pourhouse, as well as LBK Liquors and Chubby’s Lounge, both on Longboat Key at 6854 Gulf of Mexico Drive. is part of a family of owned businesses. .

    if you go

    Hurricane Hanks is at 5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, on Anna Maria Island. For more information, call 941-778-5788 or visit: hurricanehanks.com.

    Wade Tatangelo He is the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Tickets Editor and the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Regional Food and Entertainment Editor. follow him Facebook, instagram And X. He can be reached via email at [email protected].

    Harry
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