When visiting Sarasota, not to be missed is dining at Crab & Fin Restaurant, located on historic St. Armands Circle. Trust me, it’s an experience worth writing about. However, I strongly suggest that you make reservations in advance as the restaurant is always busy.
On our last visit to Sarasota, we arrived late and were unable to get reservations. We walked in on a Friday night and were lucky to score two seats at the bar in the main downstairs dining room. This is something we enjoy doing especially when traveling as you get to meet new people. Come early as they have a great Happy Hour menu, and the bar seats are some of the most coveted seats especially at the upstairs bar and dining room where they have nightly entertainment.
The menu at Crab & Fin is extensive, and includes seafood sourced from local waters as well as the Northeast the West Coast and Europe. The center piece of the restaurant is their fresh seafood display showcasing all of the wonderful selections.
We liked the restaurant so much we came back the second night. Favorites for me include The Grand Oyster Tasting along with their Gazpacho Soup. My wife Linda and I also love the Maine Lobster & Crab Bisque – Sambuca infused, Peekytoe rock crabs, truffle crema & fresh chives; and the Baked Louisiana Oysters- with garlic, shallot, smoked gouda, and finished with Turkish baquerone butter & lemon parsley gremolata. The local Grouper Ceviche is also delicious.
The menu offers something for everyone. The first night I choose the Braised Beef Short Rib- Korean style – five spices marinade, jasmine rice & sriracha kimchee drizzle. The second night I choose the Bouillabaisse from the bar menu- absolutely delicious. My wife Linda had the Mediterranean Bronzini- with Japanese ramen in an unami dashi broth. The portions were generous, and the presentation was also amazing.
There are so many other entrees to select from, which will keep us …”Coming Back for More!”
The service at Crab & Fin is top notch and professional, with the staff going out of their way to make you feel welcome. Our bartender was knowledgeable about the menu and recommended excellent wine pairings. He was also entertaining as I got him and 2 other guests to play –“The Get-it-Up” Wine Cork Drop game as the restaurant has 2 oversize wine goblets where they save wine corks. This is great fun and people when they see it always want to try it and play. I’m still the champ. FYI- I always challenge my good friend “The Bubba” Steve Bacardi one of our Inbound Destinations contributors to a game when visiting Naples. When we left that evening the other guests at the bar were still having fun dropping corks! LOL.
I commend Owner Scott Macdonald along with Bob Parelhoff, Operations Manager and Executive Chef Troy Torman for the great job they do of running this ship. I recommend Crab & Fin to anyone looking for a wonderful dining/seafood experience in Sarasota. When visiting be sure to let them know you found them on… InboundDestinations.Com
By: Randy Perini – Publisher-Executive Producer – T- 786-344-4413; Publisher@InboundDestinations.Com
