» FAVORITE LGBTQ OR LGBTQFRIENDLY
BAR:
I live downtown, so I really enjoy being able
to walk to many places. Two of my favorites
are Sage SRQ and Smokin’ Joe’s.
Sage SRQ
1216 1st St., 941-445-5660, SageSRQ.com;
Smokin’ Joe’s
1448 Main St., 941-921-5890,
Facebook.com/SmokinJoes
» FAVORITE DRAG SHOW: Purple
Rhino has great shows. They have a cast of
talent from Sarasota, St. Pete and Tampa that
performs and the show lasts up to two hours.
Get there early to make sure you get a table.
2920 Beneva Rd., 941-735-6553,
Facebook.com/PurpleRhinoLodge
» FAVORITE PLACE TO DANCE THE
NIGHT AWAY: I’m not a dancer, but
when I do partake in dancing it’s normally
at Clasico Sarasota. The restaurant turns
into a club on certain nights. Weekends
are wild and the DJ’s are always really
good. It’s a great place to go, get bottle
service and to see and be seen.
1341 Main St., 941-957-0700, BarClasico.com
» FAVORITE DATE NIGHT: My
favorite date this year was watching the
sunset from the Ringling Bridge/Sarasota
Pier. There’s a really adorable shop by
the pier called Hart’s Landing where
you can grab snacks, a beer or wine.
920 John Ringling Causeway,
941-330-0650, HartsLanding.net
» FAVORITE PLACE FOR LIVE MUSIC:
The Gator Club, hands down. They always
have great live music and support a lot of
LGBTQ artists. Ringling Underground is
another DO NOT MISS!
The Gator Club
1490 Main St., 941-366-5969,
TheGatorClub.com;
Ringling Underground
5401 Bay Shore Rd., 941-359-5700, Ringling.
org/Events/Ringling-Underground-0
» FAVORITE FANCY COCKTAIL BAR:
Pangea Alchemy La b or Made Restaurant
both have interesting craft cocktails. I really
enjoy a drink that is outside of the box. Made
offers “non-traditional glassware.” You can
enjoy a beverage from a mini bathtub or out
of a totem pole, just to name a few.
Pangea Alchemy Lab
1564 Main St., 941-870-5555,
PangeaLounge.com
Made Restaurant
1990 Main St., 941-953-2900,
MadeRestaurant.com
» FAVORITE DIVE BAR: Smokin’
Joe’s seems to be where everyone ends
up at the end of the night. I enjoy running
into a very friendly mixed crowd at Joe’s.
1448 Main St., 941-921-5890,
Facebook.com/SmokinJoes
» FAVORITE PLACE TO GRAB A
BEER: 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottle
Shop! 99 Bottles is located downtown.
They are very LGBTQ-friendly and support
the community. It’s a great place to try
different beers and champagne. They
also have a great weekend brunch with
bagels shipped in from New York City.
1445 2nd St., 941-487-7874, 99Bottles.net
» FAVORITE PLACE FOR A STRONG
DRINK: Some might find this silly, but
Escape Reality VR Bar is a hidden gem
that has great wine-based drinks. The
spicy margarita is strong, spicy and gets
you in the mood to kill some VR zombies!
1900 Main St., #104, 941-444-6766,
EscapeSarasotaVR.com
» FAVORITE PLACE FOR DINNER
AND A SHOW: Florida Studio Theater
has a huge campus downtown. They also
have the Greenroom Lounge attached
to their theatre so it makes it very
convenient to catch dinner and a show.
1241 N. Palm Ave., 941-366-9000,
FloridaStudioTheatre.org
» FAVORITE LIVE SHOW VENUE:
One of my dreams is to become a
standup comedian. To assist me with
my dream, my friends and I attend
McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre for Open
Mic Night and I take notes.
1923 Ringling Blvd., 941-925-3869,
McCurdysComedy.com
» FAVORITE BAR WITH A VIEW:
Jack Dusty, located inside the Ritz Carlton.
It has a spectacular view of the water.
1111 Ritz Carlton Dr., 941-309-2266,
RitzCarlton.com/En/Hotels/Florida/
Sarasota/Dining/Jack-Dusty
ABOVE
CREATIVE CULTURE:
Jack Dusty offers
dazzling dining and
fabulous views with your
creative cocktails.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE
RITZ CARLTON'S WEBSITE
» FAVORITE PLACE TO SIT BACK AND
BE ENTERTAINED: One of my favorite
things to do is people watch and two of the
best places to do that are Clasico Sarasota
or Cafe Epicure. Make sure to get an outside
table and you’ll be entertained.
Clasico Sarasota
1341 Main St., 941-957-0700, BarClasico.com;
Café Epicure
1298 N. Palm Ave., 941-366-5648,
CafeEpicure.com
» FAVORITE COCKTAIL: The Siren
at Jack Dusty. It comes in an oversized
wine glass. You can choose either gin or
vodka and it’s filled with large ice cubes
made from different juices. As the ice
melts your drink changes flavors.
1111 Ritz Carlton Dr., 941-309-2266,
RitzCarlton.com/En/Hotels/Florida/
Sarasota/Dining/Jack-Dusty
» FAVORITE PLACE TO MEET LOCALS:
The rooftop bar at Art Ovation Hotel is a
great place to meet locals and tourists. It
has a great view and is always packed.
1255 N. Palm Ave., 941-316-0808,
Facebook.com/ArtOvationHotel
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/SageSRQ.com
/SmokinJoes
/SmokinJoes
/PurpleRhinoLodge
/BarClasico.com
/BarClasico.com
/HartsLanding.net
/TheGatorClub.com
/PangeaLounge.com
/MadeRestaurant.com
/99Bottles.net
/EscapeSarasotaVR.com
/FloridaStudioTheatre.org
/McCurdysComedy.com
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/CafeEpicure.com
/ArtOvationHotel