Boca Kitchen brings more happy hour fun to downtown

Welcome to my new weekly column. 

You might recall the Bar Tab column I wrote before my promotion to editor of Ticket. 

Now that I’ve settled into my new position, it’s time again to start spotlighting my favorite places to eat and drink, but not always from a bar stool.

I'll also being using this column to praise my favorite places to play and stay in Southwest Florida.

My wife Kristin and I are big fans of staycations — who isn’t? — and already have our eyes on the Tortuga Inn Beach Resort on Anna Maria Island after spending time there this past weekend with my parents. The nearby Fish Hole is where Kristin and I enjoy engaging in epic mini-golf battles. And one of our favorite walks is under the Australian pines of close-by Coquina Beach.  

On occasion, I'll use this column to praise local musicians and comedians. For this week, check out our page 8 feature on Cuban-born musician Renesito Avich.   

I’ll riff on national entertainment news and trends, too. I got into Bob Dylan at a young age and his songs probably inspired me to be a writer more than anyone else’s works, at least until I discovered Hunter S. Thompson. It’s cool to see Dylan win the Nobel Prize for Literature. But I could make an even stronger argument for another singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen, receiving the honor.

Some weeks, I’ll use this space to try and get you excited about an upcoming event. So many great ones coming up. 

Now, though, I want to revisit Bar Tab territory. 

Downtown Sarasota is filled with great happy hour destinations. Add Boca Kitchen Bar & Market (19 S. Lemon Ave.) to the list. 

The restaurant, which recently opened with plenty of buzz thanks to its successful Tampa location, offers happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday to patrons at the bar and nearby communal table. 

Seated at the smartly designed, rustic yet chic bar, among a crowd ranging from millennials to seniors, we were immediately impressed with the setting, and prices. Five bucks for “premium well liquor drinks,” house wine, domestic bottles and cans, and craft beers on draft.

Kristin found she was a new fan of Big Top Ringmaster Raspberry Berliner made in Sarasota. I tried the Fat Point Big Boca Ale from Punta Gorda, and will definitely being seeking it out again.

The bartender recommended the zucchini fries, which cost a mere three bucks and arrived in a big, tall sprawling pile with a delicious “goddess dip” that recalled tzatziki with more dill flavor. 

Our favorite dish, though, was the “Heritage and Swine” flatbread ($5) featuring Boca’s brilliantly prepared bacon, white barbecue sauce, caramelized onions, heritage tomatoes, manchego and arugula.

Yeah, it’s nice to be back sharing my thoughts with you. Have a suggestion for a place to eat, drink, play or stay in Southwest Florida? Curious about my reaction to a current pop culture event? Email me at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter.  

— Wade Tatangelo is the editor of Ticket.