PHOTOS BY TOM NEWTON
Beach Road Wine Bar and Bistro (1350
Beach Road), with plenty of indoor and
outdoor seating that overlooks the bay. The
boutique next door is one of the few places
you can pick up a souvenir or gift late into the
evening.
The White Elephant Pub (1855 Gulf Blvd.)
features a varied menu, plenty of outdoor
seating, entertainment and dock access.
New on the beach is the SandBar Tiki and
Grille (1975 Beach Road). They’ve developed
a sprawling outdoor seating area complete
with bar, games, and live music. Open for
lunch, dinner and after dinner drinks, this is a
fun place to relax and unwind.
Mango Bistro (301 W. Dearborn Street)
offers an eclectic variety of local and
international music including jazz, salsa and
even Flamenco, outside on the cozy porch.
The food is fun, healthy, colorful and made to
order from the freshest ingredients.
For a glass of wine, food and conversation,
head to Vino Loco (420 W. Dearborn
Street) or Englewood’s on Dearborn (362 W.
Dearborn Street). Blues nights have become
very popular.
The Placida Grill (8501 Placida Road in
Cape Haze Plaza) brings you local flavors
with some interesting twists. They have
premium wines and craft beers.
The Englewood Event Center at 3069 S.
McCall Road, brings rock concerts, tribute
shows, country music and comedy to town.
No matter where you decide to go, it’s
always a good idea to call or visit a location’s
Facebook page first, especially on the rare
occasion that the weather is less than perfect.
Englewood is just an hour or so drive to
Sarasota or Fort Myers. You can head north
or south along U.S. 41 for movies, malls,
entertainment, nightclubs, comedy, Broadway
touring companies and water parks.
Drive inland to Arcadia for a nationally
renowned rodeo and antique shopping. Take
a day trip to Boca Grande or Punta Gorda.
On the Gulf Coast, there is year-round fun.
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