Restaurant news and reviews plus things to do for Sarasota-Manatee: Dec. 3-9

Welcome to the first weekend of December! So much for us to do here in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties as well as Tampa Bay. We recently updated our annual holiday guide, which includes information on your favorite events such as the Sarasota Holiday Parade, Venice Christmas Boat Parade and North Port’s Poinsettia Parade, all taking place on Saturday. Looking for some non-holiday-related fun? You'll find five of those in the latest edition of Top Things to do This Weekend, including a free music and food festival on Siesta Beach.

But what about dining out? Yes, that's our favorite topic, too. In this week's Best Things to Eat column, you'll find recommendations and lots of photos from an authentic Italian trattoria in downtown Sarasota as well as a beloved breakfast and lunch spot on the island of Venice. Plus, I included the impressive brunch burger I discovered at John's Pass while vacationing on St. Pete Beach and in need of a hangover helper.

We also reported lots of exciting restaurant news this past week including a popular place reopening with extensive renovations, a chic eatery coming to Sarasota's Southside Village, and a Sarasota bar and grill closing its "X-Press" concept to open a third full location. This week also found us offering a list of Sarasota-Manatee's best and worst restaurant inspections.

Have a great weekend! And please consider sharing this link with folks who might also be interested in enjoying our weekly newsletter spotlighting the most popular recent dining and entertainment stories from TicketSarasota.com, which is part of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and USA Today Network.

Wade Tatangelo is the Herald-Tribune’s dining and entertainment editor, and author of the Best Things to Eat and Top Things to Do columns. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He may also be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.​​​​​​

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Restaurant news and reviews, things to do, Sarasota-Bradenton Dec. 3-9