While many outstanding restaurants on St. Armands Circle remain temporarily closed due to wind and flood damage from Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene, we’re happy to report that one of our favorites has reopened. In fact, just last month, I included the restaurant’s signature burger in the fifth and final installment of my list of 50 best restaurants in the Sarasota area and what to order.
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, Shore announced that they were reopening their original, second-floor St. Armands Circle location at 4 p.m. I spoke with a Shore manager on Wednesday morning (Oct. 16) and confirmed that the restaurant was indeed open for lunch and dinner. I also confirmed the signature burger is being served along with many other favorite Shore dishes. Alas, Shore’s downstairs clothing store of the same name remains temporarily closed due to flooding from Hurricane Helene.
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Shore restaurant reopens St. Armands Circle location after Hurricane Milton closure
Tom and Susan Leonard first opened Shore as a retail clothing store on St. Armands Circle in 2008. Four years later, with the help of their business partner, local restaurateur Mark Caragiulo, they opened a restaurant of the same name above the shop. My first rave review of Shore was published not too long after I joined the Herald-Tribune as a staff writer in 2013. This week, I was overjoyed to see they were back in business.
“We are safe!” Shore St. Armands Circle posted to its Facebook page. “After weathering Hurricane Milton, we’re thankful to share that Shore at St. Armands will be opening today (Oct. 15) at 4 p.m.. Your continued encouragement means the world to us as we rebuild together. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the storm.”
The post continues to mention that while their elevators are still down, their team “has worked hard to get everything back in place for you. We look forward to seeing you tonight and sharing brighter days ahead. Stay safe, and see you soon!” the post reads.
Shore on Longboat Key remains temporarily closed
As much as I like the original Shore on St. Armands Circle, I’m an even bigger fan of their Manatee County location on Longboat Key overlooking Sarasota Bay. Opened about five years ago, the restaurant sits on 400 feet of waterfront with a 300-foot dock offering bayside access to boaters. On a scorching Saturday this past July, I visited Shore and its soothing views of the water, where I’ve seen plenty of dolphins over the years dating back to when the property housed Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant.
There are few foods I love more than a good burger, and perhaps the best one I tasted this summer was at the air-conditioned bar of Shore’s Longboat Key location. I’ve enjoyed Shore’s signature burger many times before, dating back to when the original location opened on St. Armands Circle, and, if memory serves, it has not changed one iota, which is a wonderful thing. This Shore Burger in July, though, was extra special to me, despite the fact that when I ordered it, I was honestly more interested in cooling off while enjoying the view of north Sarasota Bay and sipping an ice-cold beer.
The grass-fed beef, which is ground daily, as the affable bartender enthusiastically offered, was cooked to a perfect medium, brimming with natural beefy flavor and smart salt and pepper seasoning. The bun, buttered and toasted, holds the thick, juicy patty and a melty blanket of Tillamook white cheddar, concealing a judicious spread of slightly sweet and savory bacon jam. Fresh lettuce, tomato, and white onion are offered on the side, along with truffle fries to complete the meal. Yeah, a superior burger and cold beer while gazing at Sarasota Bay sure make for a fine afternoon.
Shore Longboat Key remains temporarily closed, but it sounds like not for long.
“We continue to keep all of you in our thoughts as we are once again in recovery mode,” Shore Longboat Key posted to social media on Sunday, Oct. 13. “We will bounce back better than ever, and look forward to being open soon!”
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Tide Tables in historic Cortez fishing village reopens
In related news, Tide Tables restaurant in the historic commercial fishing village of Cortez recently reopened. Like Shore on Longboat Key, Tide Tables, which is known for its fresh seafood, is among the most popular waterfront restaurants in Manatee County.
More: Popular Sarasota, Bradenton waterfront restaurant Tide Tables reopens after Hurricane Milton closure
If you go
Shore is at 465 John Ringling Blvd., #200, Sarasota; 941-296-0301; and 800 Broadway St., Longboat Key; 941-259-4600; dineshore.com. The St. Armands Circle location is now open, while the Longboat Key location should be reopening soon. Tide Tables Restaurant and Marina, which is now open, is at 12507 Cortez Road W., Bradenton. For more information, call 941-567-6206 or visit tidetablescortez.com.
Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Popular St. Armands Circle restaurant reopens after hurricane closure
