We arrive at Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub thinking the place might actually not be crowded — it is — and thinking the chances of running into someone we know are pretty slim considering it is 2 p.m. on a weekday. But as soon as we walk up to the Old Florida gem overlooking Sarasota Bay in Longboat Village we spot some friends who fully restored an Aquasport 222 used for catching mullet. It’s a sturdy, great looking boat with bean bags in the back for relaxing with beers from the cooler on days like these. I jump aboard and think how boating to Mar Vista would have been a lot more fun than Ubering.
It’s time for our friends to be seated at their table outside and we go to the inside bar and order a couple 16-ounce Bud Light drafts ($3.95 each). The indoor bar is ridiculously cozy, with a low ceiling, signed dollar bills on the wood beams, a copper counter and, yes, views of Sarasota Bay. We could sit here all day but now our outside table is ready and sitting outside at Mar Vista is something to experience. We’re in our favorite spot, on the edge of the deck. More tables extend into the sand with shade from the trees and there are wonderful views of the water everywhere. Being at Mar Vista, a local treasure that dates back to 1912, brings an instant sense of calm and wellbeing and a connection to everything that makes living in Southwest Florida so special.
Kristin sips on the Pub Margarita ($10.25) made with Patron Citronge Silver Tequila, margarita mix and a splash of orange juice. I have myself a 9-ounce glass of Lola’s dry riesling variety ($14.25). I have written about Lola before, but allow me to repeat, it’s one of my favorites. It makes the only riesling I really like — and I love it — and Lola also excels at pinot noir and chardonnay. A Napa Valley-based boutique winery, Lola is the creation of Bradenton’s Seth Cripe.
Relaxing with our drinks, Kristin spots a dolphin playing just off Mar Vista’s docks, as if showing off for us and the rest of the pub patrons and boaters. We continue to gaze out across the waters in search of more dolphins while eating the highly recommended “Bud & Old Bay Shrimp Bowl” ($16), which is a dozen or so shell-on shrimp cooked in a winning mix of Budweiser, Old Bay Seasoning, garlic and butter. We also have the totally decadent and totally delicious Mar Vista Tater Tots ($8), which are crisp and crunch on the outside and like mashed potatoes on the inside with onion and pepper jack cheese and a side of chipotle honey mustard sauce for dipping.
We get our check and return to the docks. The dolphin has returned and we watch the handsome marine mammal swim by us, swim by passing boats, and give us all a thrill. Yes, there are many reasons to visit Mar Vista, one of the last bastions of Old Florida on Longboat Key.
