Best of Sarasota

Best of Sarasota 2026 Top Vote-Getter: Lakewood Ranch Med Spa

Owner Tina Pilz has been making people feel good about their wellness and appearance for 36 years.

11/01/2026 By Staff

Market Days

Two Local Farmers Markets Named No. 1 and No. 2 in America

Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch just claimed the top two spots in a national farmers market ranking, giving us yet another reason to feel pretty good about ourselves.

10/05/2026 By Kendall Southworth

R.I.P.

Tommy John, Baseball’s ‘Bionic Man' and Lakewood Ranch Resident, Dies at 83

John, who underwent a groundbreaking surgery that changed sports medicine and whose 26-year career made him a baseball icon, died Saturday.

08/17/2026 By Kendall Southworth

Master Class

Lakewood Ranch Holds No. 2 Spot for New Home Sales as Wellen Park Jumps to No. 3 Nationally

Lakewood Ranch and Wellen Park landed among the nation’s top three master-planned communities, while Bradenton’s new SeaFlower earned an honorable mention.

07/31/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Big Dip

Saucy! By KFC Is Bringing Its Sauce-Obsessed Chicken Concept to Lakewood Ranch

The new Manatee County restaurant opens today, Monday, May 4, in a former PDQ space on Lena Road.

05/04/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Sushi Empire

Kurō Sushi Is the Latest Addition to Lakewood Ranch’s Bustling Main Street

You'll find small plates, grilled skewers, sushi and even a multi-course omakase experience.

04/01/2026 By Lauren Jackson

Best Restaurants 2026

Giuseppe Del Sole Leads Osteria 500 With a Smile, a Lot of Pasta and Inspiration From His Mother’s Home Cooking

“My mother is 87 and still cooking. She gave me a gift, this love for food.”

02/03/2026 By Lauren Jackson

Simply the Best

The Best Restaurants in Sarasota

Our list of the 33 most fabulous restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee.

02/03/2026 By Lauren Jackson

Sprawl Surge

Sarasota County’s Master-Planned Giants Keep Dominating National Rankings

RLCO's 2025 list again places Lakewood Ranch and Wellen Park in the top 10, with more than 3,000 combined new-home sales and a regional growth footprint that now rivals small cities.

01/11/2026 By Kim Doleatto

The Other Downtowns

Looking for New Downtown Districts to Explore? Try These Five Nearby City Centers

Within an hour of Sarasota’s Main Street, we found five downtowns, each with its own rhythm and its own kind of welcome.

01/04/2026 By Lauren Jackson, Susan Burns, and Kim Doleatto

Merry and Bright

Nine Stunning Local Christmas Trees to Go See This Holiday Season

Need a break from the blue light of your computer or phone screen as we head into the holidays? Try these lights instead.

12/19/2025 By Megan McDonald Photography by Damon Powers

Soccer

Sarasota Paradise Soccer Club Announces 2026 Schedule

The season includes a 34-game season as the club prepares for its USL League One season.

12/16/2025 By Staff

Eat Your Veggies

The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch Was Just Recognized as the Best Farmers Market in the U.S.

American Farmland Trust's annual Farmers Market Celebration honors markets across the country. This year, Lakewood Ranch took the top spot.

10/03/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Raw Ambition

Kurō Sushi Will Open on Lakewood Ranch's Main Street on Saturday, Nov. 1

The new restaurant will be the fourth in owner Daniel Dokko’s portfolio.

10/03/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Well Done!

Allswell, a New Gastropub, Has Opened at Waterside Place

It's run by Darren Shore and Tory Delaney, who also own Malt House, which has two locations in NYC.

07/31/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Flower Child, a New Fast Casual Restaurant, Raises the Bar on Healthy, Fast-Casual Cuisine

The Arizona-based chain is owned by 11-time James Beard Award-nominee Sam Fox. It opened in Lakewood Ranch this week.

05/15/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Paradise City

Sarasota’s Pro Soccer Team Is Leveling Up

“My dream,” says Sarasota Paradise founder Marcus Walfridson, “is that the community all hangs out at the games, throwing scarves up in the air and chanting, ‘We are Paradise!’”

05/05/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Power Up

The 25 Most Powerful People in Sarasota

From business leaders to activists, elected officials and philanthropists, these are the people shaping Sarasota’s future.

04/02/2025 By Kim Doleatto, Lauren Jackson, Cooper Levey-Baker, and Megan McDonald

Jump!

Sarasota Native Michael Tucci Has Opened an Adrenaline-Fueled Playground in Lakewood Ranch

Tucci—a drummer, tennis pro, EMT and serial entrepreneur—opened the nation’s largest Urban Air Adventure Park this weekend.

03/13/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Flower Power

Flower Child, a Healthy Restaurant Concept, Is Coming to Lakewood Ranch

Flower Child is opening its first Florida restaurant on University Parkway.

03/05/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Sarasota Magazine

Lakewood Ranch