After spending the morning visiting thrift stores for a treasure hunting “morning date”, Jason and I both were hungry and started hunting for breakfast options on Venice Ave.
After a recent social media contest looking for opinions on whether the delicious breakfast meat sandwich combination is called Taylor Ham or Pork Roll, I won a free sandwich to try it out for myself!
#TeamTaylorHam all the way and they are doing it right. Cooked just the way I like it and served on a Kaiser roll, it was comfort food treat. Jason went for his usual biscuits and gravy and his remark was that it was surprisingly good for a yankee.
We were able to chat with the owner and discovered he’s from the same town as my mother in New Jersey. Like my father used to say, “It’s a small world, but I sure wouldn’t want to paint it.”
As we sat inside, (this was one of the very cold mornings) a couple who appeared to be homeless sat outside and enjoyed a cup of coffee. It was heartwarming to observe two other tables offer to pay for a hot meal for them. Venice, you never cease to amaze me.
Shark Bites Deli is brand new to Venice and they are off to an awesome start! Every part of the shop has a shark theme and it’s fabulous. The owners are new to Venice, moving here from Washington state and started to build a new life for their young family. That drive is what brought them to opening this deli. Extremely family friendly with play areas and plans to have family events and activities for kids, I think this is exactly what Venice needs!
But I know what you really want to know… How’s the food? All of their meats and cheeses come from Boar’s Head. I’m a huge fan of Boar’s Head products and anyone who has tasted them can understand why. Pair that with fresh bread baked from a local vendor in Sarasota and it’s a match made in Sandwich heaven.
I ordered The Megalodon, which has pastrami, corned beef, salami and pepperoni with lettuce, pepperocinis, tomato and provolone cheese. I added mayo and horseradish sauce for a delicious bite. There was so much packed on to that sandwich, it was *almost* too big to bite! I went for the regular size and it was fantastic.
Jason went for the Mako Shark which is their take on an Italian style sub. Salami, capicola, ham, provolone and mozzarella (he skipped the veggies because… well, he’s Jason.) He went for the large sandwich and completely devoured it.
As for Elena, she got a great kids meal of The Shark Tooth which is their homemade meatballs with marinara sauce and provolone cheese. Her meal came with a GoGo Squeeze applesauce, a shark head lollipop, a little shark toy and a shark temporary tattoo! Check out the video on the Venice Foodies – Businesses and Promotions page to see her whole reaction. She declared it “The Best Sandwich ever!” (and yes, I know at almost 7, everything is the best ever, but in this instance, I have to say these sandwiches are pretty awesome.)
They sent us off with key lime pie to take home with us, which had just the right flavor and a buttery graham cracker crust. The perfect sweet treat to take to the movies with us that night.
We can’t wait to go back. Let me know what you get when you go!! Shark Bites is located on East Venice Ave, closer to the roundabout in the same plaza as Word of Mouth and Allegro Bistro.
Friday morning, we had a busy day of errands to run that took us out to East Venice Ave and finally got over to Le Petit Jardin Cafe. It’s a cozy cafe tucked into the Galleria on East Venice Avenue. If you blink, you’ll miss it, so keep your eyes peeled! Indoor and outdoor seating available, with fast and friendly service. (They are even doing Breakfast with Santa next Saturday morning!)
Coffee for me, but Jason couldn’t resist grabbing a peach bellini, which he said was sweet, refreshing and delicious!
For breakfast, I had the Le Crepe Delacroix… ham, eggs and melted swiss cheese inside a perfectly made crepe drizzled in a champagne mustard sauce that quite honestly was the most delicious part of the whole plate.
On their special for the day was a delicious plate of biscuits and sausage gravy, which Jason jumped for, ordering it as a platter with eggs and sausage.
The best part is that the prices are low and feel like you are indulging in richness. Absolutely give them a try!
After a busy morning with my daughter at the pediatrician’s office, we need a quick breakfast on Venice Island before I drove her back to school.
*Side Note: If you are looking for a pediatrician in Venice, I highly recommend Sunshine Pediatrics on the island across from Venice Elementary School. The office is extremely friendly and Dr. Khan is wonderful!
Elena was really hungry by the time we left the doctor’s office and asked for a bagel. I remembered hearing about Cormicks and knew that it was close by and we drove right over. One key point to remember is that it is cash only, you will want to stop at an ATM before heading over!
As a Jersey native, my idea of bagels are much different than the ones being served at Cormicks. Instead of a harder exterior with a light fluffy inside, these bagels are more reminiscent of a croissant. Buttery, flakey and light, Elena loved it! With crazy low prices, it’s definitely a spot to check out.
Cormicks is located in the little shopping center at the corner of Tampa Ave and 41 (the building with the beautiful mural painting)
Nestled in at the end of the Miami Avenue shops, sits Cafe Longet. A delightful French restaurant in Venice.
Upon walking in, the restaurant was bright and welcoming. We were seated and given menus which had a number of delicious descriptions of dishes. We decided to start with the naughty french fries and for entrees, I went with the CAB (chicken, apple and brie on a baguette, my husband and sister went for the Marseille Crepe and our friend went for the BCB (Angus burger with swiss and bacon).
The fries were unlike any I have had in the area. They are cut like thin steak fries so that they are crazy crispy and served with melted raclette cheese and thinly sliced prosciutto.
The CAB was a deliciously seasoned grilled chicken breast with thinly sliced apples, bites of brie and sweet honey mustard with lettuce and tomato on the best baguette I’ve had in the area. The bread is all made in-house. For those that understand the difference between northern bread and bread here, the crust was spot on and the interior was light and fluffy. I chose the house salad on the side; mixed greens with their house dressing and a delicious seed mixture.
The Marseille Crepe is a buckwheat crepe stuffed with a scrumptious creamed leek and topped with perfectly pan-seared scallops. I almost regretted not ordering it myself.
Our friend ate in silence, just in awe of his burger. He said that it was cooked well with caramelized onions and a secret sauce.
I don’t know why we waited so long to try this place. It may have been our first visit, but it will not be our last. Add this to our hometown favorites!
We had a fabulous lunch today at Côté France, French Bistro, Venice, FL. If you are looking for a French restaurant on Venice Island, this is one to try.
It took us forever to find parking, but it was absolutely worth it. I ordered the lobster bisque, Jason ordered the escargot and we split the croque monsieur.
The lobster bisque was creamy and delicious, with real lobster shredded through the entire bowl. I would have liked larger bites of lobster, but the flavor is definitely top notch.
My husband raved about the escargot, I wasn’t brave enough to try it to be honest. He says they were cooked perfectly and just melted in his mouth. It was served with a few slices of a fresh French baguette that has a nice crust on the outside, which is rare to find in Florida.
The croque monsieur was delicious. Perfectly cooked bechamel sauce and gooey melted cheese made this a fantastic sandwich. It was served with a small salad of mixed green dressed lightly in a tasty balsamic vinegarette.
