4 new restaurants, brewery will be a welcome addition to Sarasota Bradenton Airport

Airports across the country offer travelers a taste of some of their most popular local dining and drinking options . Just up the road at Tampa International Airport, for instance, you can order a world-famous Cuban sandwich from Columbia Cafe or enjoy a pre-flight pint (or two) of the award-winning Jai Alai from Cigar City Brewing , another Tampa-founded establishment.

Here at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, however, your best bet is probably Jimmy John's. Fortunately, that is about to change. SRQ Airport has announced that it will soon unveil new dining and drinking options — ones with deep local ties to complement the customary array of fast-casual national chains, which are OK, I guess, if you're in a hurry or simply content with eating a very average sandwich.

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Sarasota Bradenton restaurants with decades of history to open locations at SRQ Airport

By January 2025, Sarasota Bradenton Airport should be home to new locations of the popular area restaurants Mattison’s, Patrick’s 1481, and Anna Maria Oyster Bar, as well as Motorworks Brewery and Rise Up Cafe (formerly Rise & Nye's), a coffee and ice cream shop.

Rick Piccolo, the longtime president and CEO of SRQ Airport, announced this development in a Herald-Tribune guest column , noting that "the airport is pleased that several local well-regarded restaurants will be part of the choices going forward."

Each of these restaurants has a long, rich history in the Sarasota-Manatee area.

Mattison's to open at Sarasota Bradenton Airport

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Paul Mattison relocated to the Sarasota area in the early 1990s and quickly rose to local stardom as executive chef at the original Summerhouse, which was tucked away on Siesta Key off Midnight Pass Road and occupied the Carl Abbott-designed building described as a “ glass pavilion set in a tropical jungle ” (now it’s the clubhouse for the residents of the Summer Cove condos).

Mattison, whose business acumen matches his culinary skills, parlayed his Summerhouse success into three namesake restaurants and a catering company spread across Sarasota and Bradenton. It’s an impressive dining empire, one that I have been visiting regularly for most of its two-decade existence.

Mattison’s excels at many dishes, such as the meatloaf made with Niman Ranch beef and wrapped in bacon, and the tender, crunchy, and ridiculously flavorful "firecracker" fried chicken sandwich. I also love the crispy fried artichoke hearts from the appetizer menu and Mattison’s signature house salad, consisting of fresh greens topped with cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, gorgonzola, and the best balsamic vinaigrette in town. My current favorite dish at Mattison's, though, which I enjoyed again on Sept. 10, is their "herb-buttered" filet mignon, which just might be the finest steak you can find in Sarasota-Manatee for under $40.

The $39 dish features a six-ounce filet, cooked to a perfect medium-rare just as I ordered, and seasoned deftly with just the right amount of salt. The juicy hunk of beef with its inviting char marks sits in a dark pool of port wine demi-glace next to a mound of truffle mashed potatoes, adorned with stalks of grilled asparagus. The steak needs no assistance, but the plate arrives with ramekins of herb butter and horseradish cream. I smear the brilliantly seasoned butter on the warm steak and can’t resist dipping the occasional bite in the rich, slightly spicy cream.

Yeah, I would happily visit SRQ Airport just for this filet and perhaps a nice glass of cabernet or two.

Mattison's has locations in south Sarasota, downtown Sarasota, and in downtown Bardenton on the Riverwalk. For more information, visit mattisons.com .

Patricks 1481 to open at Sarasota Bradenton Airport

Patricks 1481 , named after its 1481 Main St. address, has been a fixture of downtown Sarasota since 1985, when owner Jim Sullivan opened his original bar and grill location in the Kress building at Main and Pineapple streets. The 1400 Main St. address is now occupied by Fit2Run , while Patricks has been operating at its current location since 2011 , with an extensive remodel unveiled about a year ago .

Patricks also has the distinction of being the first Sarasota restaurant I ever visited, more than 20 years ago. It remains one of my favorite spots in Sarasota for a burger and a beer. Typically, I order the thick, juicy burger topped with a slice of American cheese and a side of their seasoned fries.

Occasionally, though, when I feel like going big, I order the Kress Burger. It’s a bacon cheeseburger topped with crispy onion straws and served with a side of Patricks' homemade chili. Admittedly, this might not be the best option before boarding an international flight — but it's an excellent way to celebrate your arrival in Sarasota or Bradenton.

Patricks 1481 is at 1481 Main St., Sarasota. For more information, call 941-955-1481 or visit patricks1481.com .

Anna Maria Oyster Bar to open at Sarasota Bradenton Airport

John Horne opened the original Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the Anna Maria City Pier in 1995. While that location is no longer in operation, Horne now operates six locations in Sarasota and Manatee counties, including one on the Bridge Street Pier on Anna Maria Island and the North Port restaurant his company opened earlier this year .

Anna Maria Oyster Bar offers plenty of seafood options and other crowd-pleasing choices, such as their burger. However, with oyster season in Florida running now through April, I can’t think of anywhere locally I’d prefer to eat oysters more than at their Bridge Street Pier location: seated outside in the shade, overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, with a cold bottle of beer and a dozen of their delicious roasted oysters.

I'm a fan of their signature Oysters Rock and Tequila Lime oysters and often get those as part of my "build your own" dozen option. But my favorite roasted oyster selection at AMOB is Grandma Georgie’s Chipotle, which features a spicy sauce smartly balanced by Parmesan cheese and garlic butter. Every time I take a bite, I think of that great Jimmy Buffett song, "Tin Cup Chalice," and the line, "Give me oysters and beer, for dinner every day of the year."

People arriving at SRQ Airport, perhaps even entering Florida for the first time, will be able to begin their vacation with some Gulf oysters or perhaps a locally sourced grouper sandwich — and maybe with a tropical Buffett tune playing in the background. For us locals, it will just be nice to have another seafood option near the Sarasota-Manatee County line.

Anna Maria Oyster Bar has six locations throughout Sarasota and Manatee. For more information, visit oysterbar.net .

Motorworks Brewing to open at Sarasota Bradenton Airport

Motorworks Brewing became the first production brewery in Manatee County when it opened in Bradenton, near the Village of the Arts and LECOM Park. In the decade since then, Motorworks has opened a second location in Orlando, won numerous awards for its beer, and even had some of those beers featured on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

I love a pint before or after flying (and perhaps something stronger mid-flight!), and it’s nice to know that Motorworks Brewing will have a presence at the airport, where craft beer lovers like myself can enjoy one of their tasty brews, such as the Adoptable Lager, Pulp Friction — Grapefruit IPA, and my personal favorite, the V Twin — Vienna Lager, which offers a delightful balance of rich Vienna malt and a bit of hoppy bitterness.

Here’s hoping travelers discover Motorworks at the airport and then drive about 10 miles north to visit the brewery itself, especially the huge beer garden, where you can enjoy a beer while seated under a sprawling live oak tree, listening to live music.

Motorworks Brewing is at 1014 Ninth St. W., Bradenton. For more information, call 941-567-6218 or visit motorworksbrewing.com .

Rise Up Cafe (formerly Rise & Nye's) to open at Sarasota Bradenton Airport

In his Herald-Tribune guest column, SRQ Airport CEO Rick Piccolo notes that "all the major coffee brands will be at the airport with Dunkin', Peet's, Starbucks, and the local Rise & Nye's, in various locations."

Rise & Nye's, later renamed Rise Up Cafe, operated in downtown Sarasota, serving coffee and Nye's Cream Sandwiches, and was known for employing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I loved visiting Rise Up Cafe, which is currently only open for catering, and ordering my favorite ice cream sandwich: chocolate cookie with chocolate chips and peanut butter fluff ice cream.

For more information on Rise Up Cafe, visit riseupcafes.com .

Sarasota Bradenton Airport to be a dining destination when new restaurants open in January

I currently have zero reasons to visit Sarasota Bradenton International Airport that don’t involve air travel. However, when all the new restaurants open, as Piccolo said they should in January, that should change.

Airports are among my favorite places to people-watch and are great fun to visit if there’s a quality restaurant and bar, which is why I love visiting the airport in Tampa and other major cities. Mattison's, Patricks 1481, Anna Maria Oyster Bar, Motorworks Brewing, and Rise Up Cafe should all greatly enhance the experience at Sarasota Airport.

In fact, I can easily envision myself visiting our airport for a pleasant evening of food, drinks, and people-watching, with the only traveling taking place being the short drive home.

Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 4 new restaurants, brewery will be a welcome addition to Sarasota Bradenton Airport