State Street Eating House & Cocktails, Sarasota, FL

Ghost Score 9.1

Downtown Sarasota — I was able to secure a bar seat and immediately felt welcome; the entire staff was top notch.

Cotja Cheese Gnocchi: guajillo sugo, aged manchego, vegetable escabeche — pillowy gnocchi with a smoky, mildly spicy sauce and a bright, tangy escabeche that cuts through the richness of the manchego.

Smoked Caesar: gem romaine, Parmigiano Reggiano, herb bread crumbs, trout roe, balsamic pearls — a smoky take on the classic Caesar. Crisp romaine and crunchy herb crumbs provide texture, while the trout roe adds a saline pop and the balsamic pearls a gentle sweetness.

Butcher’s Cut Special — Butter-Basted Beef Tenderloin: roasted cauliflower purée, grilled zucchini, asparagus, English peas, herb salsa verde — a tender, perfectly seared tenderloin finished in butter. The cauliflower purée is silky and savory; the spring vegetables add freshness and snap, and the herb salsa verde brightens each bite.

Paired with a Yakisugi Fashioned: Suntory Toki Black, Rocky’s Botanical, lemon, honey syrup, chocolate bitters, clarified — a refined, smoky Old Fashioned riff. The Suntory base and smoky notes are balanced by citrus and honey, with a subtle chocolate bitterness and a remarkably clear, velvety texture.