The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota will unveil Rufa, a new outdoor dining outlet, this Thursday, Oct. 3. The new eatery will join the hotel’s Jack Dusty restaurant at the downtown location. Guests will enter through Jack Dusty then be escorted across the hotel’s backyard green space and up into a 64-seat al fresco restaurant decorated in sage, yellow and pink tones.

Rufa is named for a bird called the rufa red knot—a shorebird that winters in the Sarasota area—and the restaurant celebrates the Sarasota community and our many out-of-state visitors during our pleasant winters. The menu is focused on small bites, with items like guacamole made with smoked avocados and fried garlic ($17); beef tenderloin tacos accompanied by roasted corn salsa, Chihuahua cheese and flour tortillas ($26); and grilled octopus enhanced with a bright tomato base, savory Mexican chorizo and a lightly spiced chipotle sauce ($25).

Al pastor chicken skewers ($21), meanwhile, are a runaway hit. They come served in a playful presentation in which the marinated chicken is served on metal skewers that fan out above the dish, overlooking mango salsa, cilantro cream and flour tortillas. The skewered chicken pays homage to al pastor’s origins, when Lebanese immigrants adapted kebab-style cooking with the Mexican ingredients that were available to them.

Lobster tostadas ($35) celebrate American ingredients and Mexican preparations. Three crispy tostadas are topped with a sweet corn purée and morsels of Maine lobster (a classic New England pairing). Flakes of black lava salt deliver a burst of salinity, while fresh grapefruit chunks tamper the richness.

Designed by the property’s culinary team and overseen by executive sous chef Andrew Thompson, Rufa’s menu is designed to encourage sharing in a leisurely environment that overlooks the adjoining marina. Guests can also linger over craft cocktails and rare tequilas like Patrón El Cielo, El Alto and Burdeos. Rufa’s drinks menu is curated by the Ritz-Carlton's lead bartender, Heidi Finley, who recently won Marriott’s “Master of the Craft” competition, beating out other American and Canadian Marriott chefs.

Finley's creations, like the “Golden Eagle” ($28), mix high-end spirits, like the hotel’s private select barrel Angel’s Envy bourbon, with mad scientist-esque ingredients like banana oleo (sugar macerated fruit syrup), a coconut wash and tiki bitters. The cocktail is poured over a large ice cube that has a thin layer of gold leaf in the center, indicating the indulgence to follow, then smoked.

If you’re looking for a fruitier experience, try the “Red Knot” ($22), made with Hendrick’s gin, strawberry liqueur and purée, and limoncello and topped with an egg white foam adorned with edible flowers and a transfer image of the restaurant’s avian mascot.

“The Scarlet” breathes new life into large-scale cocktails meant to be shared between two or four guests. Its tropical flavors, courtesy of orange, lemon, lime and prickly pear, are paired with tea-infused tequila and botanical liqueurs poured from a clear teapot over a pomegranate-flavored ice cube. Finley says she was inspired by Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter tea party when designing the drink.

“We're thrilled to welcome both our hotel guests and locals to indulge at Rufa this fall, “ Ritz-Carlton general manager Mark Sherwin said a press release. “With impeccable design exuding luxury, a Baja California-inspired menu perfectly prepared with fresh, local ingredients and outdoor seating boasting the best sunset views in Sarasota, it is the ideal addition to our current dining concepts.”

Rufa will open on Thursday, Oct. 3. Its hours will be 4-10 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 4-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, located at 1111 Ritz Carlton Drive in downtown Sarasota. Rufa will not be accepting reservations. For more information, click here.