Sunday, May 31, 2009

Places I Eat: Mar Vista, Longboat Key

Last Sunday James and I went out to Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub on Longboat Key. Located on the Bay in a rustic former house, Mar Vista definitely gives you a taste of "Old Florida". The outside seating area is bliss. There are tables under cover with nice flans to keep you cool, and there are also tables outside under the light strung trees, feet from the shore line.
There is usually a bit of a wait. We like to put our name in and then head to the bar. While the inside does have a nice atmosphere, we like to take our drinks outside and wait out on the dock. It was quite overcast that day, but was the perfect cool down to a hot day in our pool. I had the Passion Fruit Pina Colada.
Even a 30+ minute wait is enjoyable with the massive pelicans to watch. It is probably due to the fact that you are closer to them here than at the beach, but Mar Vista's pelicans really do seem bigger than the average pelican. Or maybe it was the rum...
... either way, we could sit out for hours taking in the view, even on a cloudy day.
In addition to arriving by car, you can also arrive to Mar Vista by boat.
We were told that there would be a 45 minute wait that night, but it felt more like 15. I had the Caribbean Chicken Sandwich ($ 8.99) which was a chicken breast marinated in tropical fruit juices, blackened, and topped with Provolone cheese on a whole wheat bun. It had just the right amount of heat and was just what I was craving.
James opted for the Mar Vista Burger ($8.99) with Cheddar, Bacon, and Blue Cheese. I'm guilty of sneaking a bite, and with their thickly sliced dill pickles, think that he made a great choice.

1 comment:

Michelle said...

What great food! Oh I so could have used that fruity pina colada today. It was so hot here today!! I'm so excited you get to meet TAPS!! How exciting! Tell us how it goes...well, I'm excited to know at least. :)