A guide: Downtown Bradenton hangouts for out-of-towners

The Herald has put together a guide for those Bradenton Blues Festival-goers visiting the downtown area for the first time.

Check out our favorite spots:

Arts & Eats, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton. One of the Village of the Arts gems with great food and a colorful environment.

Central Cafe, 906 Manatee Ave. E. A cool destination for lunch or dinner in downtown Old Manatee. Try the cream of tomato blue soup with a swirl of blue cheese.

Cork's, 424 Old Main St. Cold beer, cigars, good wines and great music.

Loaded Barrel Tavern, 450 12th W. The former Distillery on Old Main Street offers good music and good times and pizza.

Favs Italian Cucina, 419 Old Main St. A favorite familiar face on Old Main Street with great pasta, and hefty baked subs on homemade bread.

Ferraro's Italian Grille, 817B 14th St. W., Bradenton. The LoGrande family makes linguini and clam sauce just the way we like it and the pizza is some the best around, too. You can also try their locations in Parrish and Lakewood Ranch.

The Lost Kangaroo Pub, 406 Old Main St. Longtime downtown favorite with many fancy beers on tap. Don't try to order a Budweiser.

McCabe's, 302 Old Main St. A genuine Irish pub with its own distinctive flair on Old Main Street. Their Sunday Bloody Mary bar is a sight to behold.

O'Bricks Irish Pub & Martini Bar,427 Old Main St. A great place to stop after work and the place is always humming. They serve a wonderful lobster BLT.

Old Main Pub, 313 Old Main St. The granddaddy of the Old Main Street public houses.

Ortygia, 1418 13th St. W. Yet another Village of the Arts gem, where the Sicilian cuisine is supreme.

Pier 22, 1200 First Ave. W. For dining on the waterfront, you can't beat the convenient location. The restaurant is known for its beautiful riverfront view and made-to-order sushi. Try the Hawaiian roll -- tempura fried with tuna, cream cheese, pineapple and spicy sweet chili sauce. Their happy hour menu is one of the best around.

Tarpon Pointe, 801 Riverside Drive. The tiki bar and outdoor ambiance make this Manatee River hideaway a destination. It's the perfect place to kick off your flip-flops and play a game of volleyball or cornhole. Grab a bucket of beer and a giant hot dog off the grill and enjoy the live entertainment and unbeatable views.

YachtSea Grille, 101 Riverfront Blvd., Suite 120. The restaurant in downtown Bradenton has a view of the Riverwalk's skate park. According to its website, YachtSea Grille can be described as Midwest meets the Gulf Coast with fresh seafood and fresh cuts of beef. Try their award-winning Polynesian pork shanks and their Reuben sandwich is a staff favorite.

Jana Morreale, Features editor, contributed to this report.

This story was originally published December 4, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "A guide: Downtown Bradenton hangouts for out-of-towners."