Grillsmith - Sarasota

I went here for my birthday dinner & I was very pleased. Staff were very nice & our server Michelle was great and gave us some recommendations & also helped with any questions we had. Our steaks were cooked perfectly, I got the chocolate Marshmallow martini & I also got complimentary dessert and decided on the key lime pie which was delicious :) The pictures don’t do enough justice! We definitely will be returning!

The food was amazing! And very nice service. Our server was Donna Was so warm and kind. My family loved her. Very nice environment. I recommend the wild caught salmon and the specialty scarlet letter dink! Yum :)

The food was amazing, each dish was better than the one before it! The pork chop was the best pork I've ever eaten!

I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to stop at this restaurant. I have passed it more times than I can count, always on the way to or from somewhere else, each time making a mental note to stop in the future.
Tonight I planned on visiting another nice restaurant (I won't name) for an appetizer and a craft cocktail at the bar, and when I inquired about a seat, I was rudely dismissed by the hostess. Feeling slightly disappointed by the treatment, I headed toward another restaurant owned by a family friend, where I knew I could find an empty seat and delicious food and drinks. On my way I changed my mind and decided to finally stop at Grillsmith. I'm so happy I did!
That prelude is only to demonstrate the counterpoint I experienced at this marvelous restaurant. I walked in, was greeted, seated, and my server introduced himself within minutes. He helped me choose a craft cocktail, a gingerbread Moscow mule, that was amazing. I then ordered the Spicy Thai Shrimp appetizer and the Chicken Gorgonzola flatbread. The shrimp was exactly what I expected, spicy, sweet, easy. Just to be clear, it was delicious, but not as exciting as everything else. The flatbread, for example, was inspired. The flatbread crust had a sweet and savory thing going on that I liked, but on top the sweet caramelized onions played off the salty gorgonzola cheese and strips of chicken, taking it to a whole other level.
I saved half for lunch later, leaving room for dessert, a Toasted Marshmallow martini and creme brulee. My server warned me early on that the martini was wonderful, but sweet, best saved for dessert. He was absolutely right, it was fantastic! The top of the creme brulee looked like stained glass, almost completely transparent and thick, the center was not as "custardy" as I'm used to. I attribute this to the Grand Marnier which added this subtle hint of orange, giving this ubiquitous dish a level of depth I'm not used to.
If that were the end of my experience, I would happily recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves great food and drinks; however, two more things happened. First, a woman stopped by the table, wearing what I took to be a chef's shirt, and asked how everything was. We talked about each part, and she shared some background details, it was lovely! I don't think I have ever had someone from the kitchen come to the table and converse. I felt special, and got to see her enthusiasm for the restaurant first hand. A few minutes later, the young man who makes the infused simple syrups for the signature cocktails stopped by the check on me. We had a great conversation, even to the point of him breaking down ingredient lists and answering my questions about what I'd had.
So my night went from being rudely dismissed at one restaurant, to feeling like a fat and happy VIP at another. Not only will I be going back, I'll be bringing family and friends who come to town.
Do yourself a favor, don't wait!
P.S. If you enjoy filet mignon, they age theirs for 40 days. For comparison, Ruth's Chris ages their steaks 24-28 days. So I know what I'll be having next time!