Be a critic: Savor Sarasota with a twist

SARASOTA — The annual Savor Sarasota, which connects foodies with local restaurant specialties, is being held the first two weeks in June, but this year there’s a twist.

More than 33 restaurants in Sarasota, Venice, Lido Beach, Siesta Key, Longboat Key and Lakewood Ranch are participating by creating multi-course menus at a fixed price of $15 for lunch and $25 for dinner from June 1-14.

But restaurant goers this year are being asked to do more than enjoy the cuisine. They are being asked to put on their critic hat and write reviews of their dining experience.

Billed as the “You vs. Food Restaurant Critic Contest,” consumers are expected to pen reviews that will be judged by a panel of restaurant critics. The winner will receive a three-day, two-night stay for two at The Colony Beach and Tennis Club and dine at several participating restaurants.

Modeled after the consumer reviews for Zagat — a publication that rates restaurants — diners who write reviews will be judged on their accurate portrayal of their dining experience along with their writing style and the overall tone of the review, said Kristine Nickel, a former Zagat Restaurant Guide editor and a judge.

“We (judges) know the restaurants, so it gives us a good opportunity to see if the review reflects what we know about restaurant,” she said.

The winning review will be posted on the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau website.

“It is good exposure for someone who wants to write; the website gets lots of traffic,” Nickel said.

Guidelines are posted on the site at savorsarasota.com, and reviewers have until July 1 to submit their entry.

Virginia Haley, president of the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the event has “elevated the interest in dining overall” in Sarasota.

Several years ago, Sarasota was not perceived as an area that had great dining, Haley said, despite its high quality restaurants. So setting up a week to sample the offerings of a variety of restaurants — from Buffalo Wild Wings and the Crow’s Nest in Sarasota to Euphemia Haye on Longboat Key and the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota — has raised the awareness, she said.

The event has grown from a dozen participating restaurants to 33 this year. “Our challenge now is how can we continue to expand the growth and interest in it” Haley said.