After two slow years, business travel is making a steady comeback. The uptick in travel came at the perfect time for me, as I’ve started working on more corporate special events for my job. Recently, this part of my job brought me to Longboat Key, Florida where I was helping execute a 3-day leadership summit that I had helped plan for several months. While this trip was a lot of work, there was also a bit of play, so here’s a recap of the trip that might persuade you to spend time there or in the area yourself!
My trip to Longboat Key was part 1 of a 3-part trip in Florida over the span of 12 days, so stay tuned for recaps from the rest of my trip!
Getting to Longboat Key (LBK)
LBK is located on a barrier island to the west of Sarasota on the gulf side of central Florida. To get there, most of my colleagues (including myself) flew into Sarasota Bradenton Int’l Airport (SRQ) while some flew into Tampa Int’l Airport (TPA). A 25 minute drive from SRQ brought me to Zota Beach Resort where I spent 5 nights.
Where to Stay
Longboat Key is home to many small and unassuming beachfront hotels and inns, as are the other keys in the area (Ana Maria Island, Lido Key, Siesta Key). There are plenty of great places to stay, but I enjoy “resort” style hotels the most and there are a few along the island and in the area, like The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Lido Beach Resort (on Lido Key), and Zota Beach Resort where I stayed.
All of these resorts are part of the Opal Collection of hotels and resorts, with locations across Florida and other regions like New England and the New York Adirondacks (does The Sagamore Resort on Lake George sound familiar?).
Zota Beach Resort is a contemporary luxury resort with stylish accommodations, an expansive outdoor pool, and direct beach access. I stayed in a Premium King Resort View room which was spacious (very helpful for all the event material I had to keep in the room!), with a private balcony and partial ocean views…but mostly overlooked the new build next door.
Eat
Aside from experiencing new places, eating is almost certainly my next favorite part of traveling and I was excited to eat A LOT of seafood on this trip. Because I was staying at the Zota Resort for a business meeting, most breakfasts, lunches and one dinner were held there. The resort offers an excellent menu at the Viento Kitchen & Bar for all meals and at Cascades Pool Bar for lunch and smaller bites.
After arriving at Zota Beach Resort, we had to wait a bit for our rooms to be ready, so a few colleagues and I ventured to St. Armands Circle for lunch. St. Armands Circle is a bustling shopping and dining area located on St. Armands Key, removed from the mainland of Sarasota.
Check out the Shore (St. Armands location) for cool vibes, unique seafood dishes, handhelds and salads. I had the Lobster, Shrimp & Cobb Salad which was AMAZING. It was flavorful, filling and was served as a stacked tower which was very interesting. Others tried the Grouper Tacos and loved them too. 10/10!
In the evening, we returned to St. Armands Circle for drinks at Venezia Italian Restaurant and dinner at Columbia Restaurant. Columbia was incredible – a traditional Spanish restaurant with an extensive menu that made it extremely difficult to pick an entrée (in a good way). The original location in Tampa is the oldest restaurant in Florida, which told me they know what they’re doing – and they definitely do. For the table, we ordered a pitcher of the Sangria Tinto and the original Columbia “1905 Salad.” Tossed tableside, the signature award winning salad combines crisp iceberg lettuce, julienned baked ham, natural Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, grated Romano cheese, Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire sauce and their famous garlic dressing.
For an entrée, I spent some time deciding between the Paella, Stuffed Shrimp, Shrimp and Yellow Rice, and the Cannelloni de Langosta. I decided on the Cannelloni de Langosta – three cannelloni pastas filled with Maine lobster meat, shrimp, pan-seared scallops and sautéed shallots blended with a lobster sherry cream reduction, smothered with a lobster sherry Mornay cheese sauce and pieces of lobster. Holy lobster! 10/10
The following day I joined some colleagues on a boat excursion around the bay where we stopped at Tide Tables Restaurant and Marina in Bradenton – a casual seafood eatery overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, with a marina & outdoor tiki bar. Most of us had the Grouper Tacos for a fresh and filling lunch. There’s nothing better than a fresh fish sandwich, chips, and coleslaw after some time on the water – 10/10!
By dinner time on this day, the entire group from my company had arrived and myself/planning group had arranged a group dinner at the Shore (Longboat Key location). Depending on where you stay, the LBK location might be closer than the St. Armands location. Either way, you have an opportunity to try their food without having to go too far.
The Shore LBK is a beautiful location with it’s own dock which is convenient for arriving by boat and for picture ops! This time, our table ordered the Kung Pao Calamari and Ale-Battered Oyster Po’ Boy Sliders for appetizers. I had the Shrimp & Scallops with lemon risotto for an entrée. Everything was fantastic!
The next offsite meal was held at Speaks Clam Bar – an Italian and seafood restaurant in St. Armands Circle. Speaks was OUTSTANDING – we had arranged a cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres which included their Spinach & Crab Dip, Meatballs, Stuffed Mushroom Caps, and Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail. For the first course, we had Drunken PEI Mussels, Calamari Fritti, Eggplant Napoleon and Steamed Middle Neck Clams served family style. We included several entrees on the dinner menu, from which I picked the Lobster Tail Scampi (this is not on their regular dinner menu, but they have tons of fabulous entrée choices).
I was too busy/excited about the food to remember to take photos so here are some mouthwatering choices we had courtesy of Speaks’ Facebook page:
The last restaurant I tried during my time in LBK the Lazy Lobster Longboat Key – a casual seafood restaurant with an excellent menu. I suggest making a reservation, because even on a Wednesday night the place was full when I arrived, so we waited about 10 minutes at the bar before being seated. Lobster Bisque and Coconut Shrimp were delicious appetizers. A whole 1.5lb steamed lobster with drawn butter made for the perfect entrée. This is a a simple, local restaurant with great food!
The last restaurant I tried during my time in LBK the Lazy Lobster Longboat Key – a casual seafood restaurant with an excellent menu. I suggest making a reservation, because even on a Wednesday night the place was full when I arrived, so we waited about 10 minutes at the bar before being seated. Lobster Bisque and Coconut Shrimp were delicious appetizers. A whole 1.5lb steamed lobster with drawn butter made for the perfect entrée. This is a a simple, local restaurant with great food!
Do
Now – what else can you do on Longboat Key besides eat? While I could be a happy clam eating delicious food all day, here are some activities I did and some I would do if I had more time.
Relax
This one is obvious – RELAX! Whether you’re poolside or hanging out on the gulf’s white sandy beaches, there’s nothing like taking the time to yourself or with your family to chill by the water.
Get out on the water
If you’re looking for something a little bit more exciting, Zota Beach Resort offers paddle boards and kayaks to rent, or check out several jet ski rental companies in the area for some fast fun on the water.
If you love being on the water like I do, consider a half or full day boat rental to get an even better gulf experience. Our group rented from Canons Marina on Longboat Key which offered fantastic service. We took the boat up the bay toward Bradenton Beach and the Cortez Bridge where we docked and had lunch at Tide Tables. After lunch, we anchored near sandbars in the bay, hung out, and listened to music for a fantastic day on the water!
Check out the nightlife in Sarasota
While St. Armands Circle is teeming with restaurants and shops, most are closed by 10pm. If you’re looking for a night out, check out Main Street in Downtown Sarasota, one of the intersecting streets that make up Sarasota’s Five Points. Here you’ll find plenty of restaurants, shops, and bars to bar-hop all night long!
For rooftop options in Sarasota, check out Perspective Rooftop Pool Bar at the Art Ovation Hotel or Jack Dusty in the Ritz Carlton.
Some other helpful tips
Don’t forget the bug spray!! Be prepared with bug spray and anti itch ream at all times. Those mosquitos are no joke!
If you plan to explore the area, it might be worth renting a car instead of relying on Ubers and taxis. We found that Ubers were sparse and it was much easier that we had a car to get around.
Danielle Elisabeth CO. 