Sarasota, FL
As Georgians we’re so close to Florida, but we rarely spend time visiting. In October we spent 3 days in Sarasota, staying in a vacation apartment located right downtown. There’s so much we didn’t get to see but we were able to eat some amazing vegan food and enjoy a beautiful vacation. If you’re planning to visit some of the iconic white sand beaches, we recommend staying downtown. It allows you to be close to everything and participate in downtown fun. Here's where we went.
Lila SRQ
That first stop after our road trip was, Lila SRQ. We stumbled upon this restaurant while walking downtown in search of a coffee pick-me-up after our drive. Lila didn’t appear on our pre-trip searches for vegan food in Sarasota, so it really was a treat finding this spot.
It’s a small, beautifully designed space with an open kitchen. Their veggie centered organic dishes are refreshing and satisfying. While they are not complete vegan, they have plenty of vegan and gluten free options. We ended up eating almost every meal at this restaurant. You can find more detail about what we ate at the end of this post.
Turtle Beach
One of our main reasons for this trip was to visit the beach. We planned to visit Siesta Beach, hoping October would be less crowded. While it was a smaller crowd than summer, the beach was still pretty full. There were so many folks out and while the beach looked beautiful, we really wanted a quieter and more relaxing vibe. After a quick google search, we found Turtle Beach.
We stayed all day and enjoyed some of the most gorgeous sunsets we’ve ever seen. We didn’t see any turtles but there’s signs and information about the conservation efforts in the area that are a great read.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
We are garden aficionados and we try to visit a botanical garden on all our trips. This time we took a visit to Marie Selby on a rainy afternoon. The Downtown Sarasota campus is 15 acres on bayfront land and it is the only garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads, ferns and other tropical plants.
Visiting this garden truly feels like being transported to another world. It’s a beautiful reminder of how diverse the landscape is throughout our nation and how much beauty lies in Florida.
The gardens have paved walking paths and buildings that are wheelchair accessible. While most viewing can be done outdoors, there is an indoor conservatory, museum of botany and arts, and more you can visit.
Outside food and beverages are not permitted but they have a café on site that offers snacks and drinks. The vegan food options when we went were the vegan superfood salad, hummus and pita, fruit salad, and chips. They also have box lunches to take on a picnic with The Vegan Grain Salad as a delicious sounding option. It features Tri Color Quinoa, fresh parsley, Spanish onion, tomatoes, lemon juice, EVOO, chips, fruit, and a cookie.
The Ringling
Perhaps the most interesting place we visited was The Ringling. This is the former home of John Ringling, one of the Ringling brothers who ran one of the most popular circuses in the world. John and his wife Mable purchased their 20-acre property and built an absolutely massive home known as Ca’ d’Zan. They also decided to build an art museum for the people of Sarasota. Upon his death, John bequeathed the museum and estate to the state of Florida.
Today this museum boasts amazing galleries, rare exhibits, and stunning artwork. You can take a masterclass in multiple styles of art and dance. Attend an artist talk from local and global creators. And if you’re interested in live shows, performances are hosted regularly in the Asolo theater. This is truly a special place and a must visit.
Okay, back to the food. Here’s what we ate at Lila:
For Breakfast we had Hash Browns with pickled onion and cashew cream, a Breakfast Burrito, and Buckwheat Pancake served with fresh fruit and hot maple syrup. One of the most satisfying vegan breakfasts we’ve ever had at a restaurant. Unfortunately, they no longer serve breakfast. So glad we got to eat there in this glorious time.
We ate the Kale Guacamole so many times. Perfectly creamy, smooth, and season to absolute perfection. Served with tostadas. The Med Bowl featured almond falafel and it had a great crispy outside. The flavor combinations in this bowl were delightful. The Fried Seitan Sandwich was a great meal. A classic southern sandwich and served with a side salad.
For dinner we had the Burmese Noodle Bowl and Creamy Cauliflower Pasta, a special for that night. Both were phenomenal dishes. For dessert, we ate the Peach Tart with Peach Ice-cream. It was incredible and a perfect treat for us peach-staters.
Let us know if you decide to take a trip to Sarasota! It'll be wonderful.
