Best of Sarasota 2018

254 reasons to love Sarasota and Manatee. 254 reasons to love Sarasota and Manatee.

In this issue:

Arts & Entertainment

Best New Arts and Entertainment

Everything we loved seeing and doing this year.

04/26/2018

Grand Illusions

Propmaster Annette Breazeale Brings WBTT Theater Sets to Life

“You shouldn’t notice anything! It should all fit in perfectly.”

04/26/2018 By Pam Daniel

On Stage

Race and Immigration Issues of Yesterday and Today Come to the Stage in Asolo Rep's Ragtime

"I wanted to do a piece about our national identity—who we are and who we want to be.”

04/23/2018 By Kay Kipling

Best of Sarasota

Best of Sarasota 2018

The Best of Sarasota 2018

254 reasons to love Sarasota and Manatee.

04/26/2018

Eat & Drink

Best of Sarasota 2018

Best New Food and Drink

Here's what we ate, drank and loved this year.

04/26/2018 Photography by Staff

One Day

A Day in the Life of Sarasota Farmers Market's Phil Pagano

Navigating downtown’s farmer’s market with executive director Phil Pagano.

04/26/2018 By Ilene Denton

Not Going Anywhere

Main Bar Sandwich Shop Turns 60 This Year

And it still serves a mean sandwich.

04/26/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Stick Pick

The Hyppo Specializes in Unorthodox Popsicles

Think flavors like avocado cream, horchata and dark roast espresso.

04/26/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Egg Toppers

How Do You Make a Great Dish Even Better? Put an Egg On It.

Try these tasty egg-topped dishes.

04/26/2018 By Marsha Fottler

Review

Restaurant Review: Michael John's

A little bit French, a little bit steakhouse at Bradenton's Michael John’s.

04/26/2018 By Marsha Fottler

Fashion & Shopping

Woman Up

Buy These Ultra-Motivating, Confidence-Boosting Finds for the Women in Your Life

Girl power.

04/26/2018 By Heather Dunhill

Only in Sarasota

Only in Sarasota: Canned Ham Vintage, Rosemary District

Illustrator John Pirman goes retro with Canned Ham Vintage.

04/26/2018 Illustrations by John Pirman

Health & Fitness

Cold Play

We Tried It: Whole-Body Cryotherapy

Resident lab rat Isaac Eger tries a new trend.

04/26/2018 By Isaac Eger

Home & Real Estate

Memory Lane

Home Tour: A Hollywood Casting Director Replicates Her Family's 100-Year-Old Cottage

Lora Kennedy—whose hits include Wonder Woman and Argo—has fond memories of her grandparents' Bradenton Beach vacation home.

04/26/2018 By Ilene Denton

News & City Life

Mr. Chatterbox

'My Weekend as a Tourist in Pinecraft'

What's a Sarasota vacation like for the Amish and Mennonites? Our humor columnist aims to find out.

06/05/2023 By Robert Plunket

Stats

Essential Info About the Giving Challenge

The 2018 Giving Challenge kicks off May 1. Here's everything you need to know—plus all the numbers from the last Giving Challenge, which took place in 2016.

04/27/2018 By Ashley Cooper

Best of Sarasota 2018

Best of Sarasota 2018: The Readers' Poll

Presenting the winners of our Best of 2018 readers’ poll.

04/26/2018

Clocking In

The Pros and Cons of Daylight Savings Time

Could more daylight make us happier?

04/26/2018 By David Hackett

Do The Math

How Much Has the Opioid Epidemic Cost Sarasota?

Sarasota is joining more than 400 cities, counties, states and Native American tribes that are pursuing legal action against companies like Purdue Pharma, the creator of OxyContin, and Endo Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Percocet.

04/26/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker