Business briefs: Maison Blanche, Seasons 52 named OpenTable best restaurants
Two local restaurants make best in U.S. list
Two Bradenton-Sarasota area restaurants made the Top 100 Best Restaurants in America list by OpenTable for 2014.
Longboat Key's Maison Blanche and the new Seasons 52 at The Mall at University Town Center made the ranking as part of the 2014 Diners' Choice Awards.
These restaurants use OpenTable to book reservations and had favorable reviews by diners on OpenTable. San Francisco-based OpenTable combined opinions of more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 20,000 restaurants in the United States.
Florida had eight restaurants make the list including Ulele in Tampa.
Maison Blanche, 2605 Gulf of Mexico Drive, is led by chef Jose Martinez, a Michelin Star winner and 2010 James Beard Nominee for Best Chef in the South.
Seasons 52, 170 University Town Center Drive, is a Darden Restaurants property that focuses on rotating menus for the seasons with small portions and low-calorie offerings as well as a piano bar and extensive wine offerings. The restaurant opened Oct. 16.
Beverage company offers safe holiday rides home
Anheuser-Busch and Gold Coast Eagle Distributing want to keep the roads safe during the Christmas and New Year's holiday period by providing their Tow to Go program.
Adults are encouraged to take advantage of this free program which is aimed at keeping the streets of Sarasota and Manatee Counties safe. Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, along with Anheuser-Busch and AAA, sponsor Tow to Go, a collaborative initiative that helps prevent drunk driving by providing a free tow service and a ride home to those who may have had too much to drink.
"We want all adults who choose to drink during the Christmas and New Year's Holiday period to act responsibly when driving." said John Saputo, president/owner of Gold Coast Eagle Distributing. "Our offer to pay the transportation costs associated with transporting impaired individuals to their destinations leaves no excuse to drink and drive when leaving Christmas and New Year's holiday celebrations."
Practice Works MD opens facility on Cattleman Road
SARASOTA -- Practice Works MD, a medical practice management consulting firm, has opened a Sarasota office.
The Practice Works MD team, 2601 Cattlemen Road, Suite 406, specializes in providing cost-effective solutions for physicians and office managers.
Karen Vale, an industry professional with more than 30 years of experience in healthcare services, runs the office. In 2000, she formed Partners in Practice, which expanded to include 260 providers and 54 physician practices in 10 years. After the acquisition of Partners in Practice by Origin Healthcare Solutions, Vale was the senior vice president and general manager for the organization's Florida location.
Herald staff and wire reports
This story was originally published December 18, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Business briefs: Maison Blanche, Seasons 52 named OpenTable best restaurants ."