Buttermilk Handcrafted Food — Restaurant in Sarasota

A Beautifully Wrapped Empty Package

My husband and I went to check out Buttermilk Handcrafted Foods the other day. I had seen it when we drove past and it looked very hip and modern from the outside so it peeked my curiosity.

We visited the place around 3:00 pm. The building is architecturally designed contemporary. Very nice. More like something one would see in downtown Sarasota and not in this industrial blighted area. It was almost completely empty inside. Even the display case. Seems like the last pickings of the day were the only things on display! Where are these peoples imaginations and business sense? No customer wants to walk in at any hour to an empty display case! Not a good first impression. Take it from the Viennese, the display case is your calling card for a dessert/coffee shop and should be a feast for the eyes and stomach at any time of day.

The service was friendly but seemed a bit confused. Confused as in why were we here and what products they sell. The wait girl was friendly enough but a bit dazed by our visit. I asked if they had any gluten free products. Her response “Yes, but we sold out hours ago.”. If they sold out hours ago why were they not replenishing the case? I told her you might want to think about making some more gluten free products then. Obvious, but not to her it seemed. We picked out some marginal looking pastry items. Ordered a hot tea and found a table.

The interior is the standout. Large and minimal. Although here again I wondered if they are making the best use of all this potential marketing and sales space. A sad looking small wall of chocolate bars was on the side. They could do so much more filling this place with tasty delights to please the eye! Where is the imagination and good business sense???

We got our pastries and tea. The tea was very good. Although not worth the price! We spent over $14.75 on 2 hot teas, a slice of oatmeal cake and a dry tiny cookie. My husband commented “This isn’t even as good as Starbucks”! He was right. The entire experience was pleasing enough but we will not be running back here to be disappointed a second time, even for the modern decor.

I realize we are a bit spoiled by our trips to the great coffee and pastry shops of Europe but certainly they can do better here? An amazing looking building and interior does not make up for an inferior product or...

This is the kind of unique, original eatery you find all over the city of Portland, Oregon and I was surprised to find something so hipster in beach bum Sarasota. From the community tables to the modern wood accents this inspiringly feels out of place in the land of sandals and backwater blues covers. "Pine State Biscuits" is a staple eatery in Portland and many try to copy it, but this place creates its own identity with a very flavorful breakfast angle. The biscuits are perfectly prepared and the ingredients are top notch. Their high quality specialized baked eggs are delicate and very flavorful and one should and will appreciate why they laser focus on this specific preparation after one taste. They even let you mix and match the ingredients to create your own work of art. Make sure to try their bacon infused jam on your biscuit to make your mouth orgasm. The coffee they serve, Heart Coffee Roasters, coincidentally is out of Portland, Oregon and is a great roast, but I find this place brewing it way too strong. A tad weaker and you would have a smoother, more flavorful cup. I poured bottled water into mine to take the edge off. I was surprised to not see an espresso machine on the counter and the owner assured me a high end handmade machine is on the way which will complete the look and coffee offerings. A really surprising and progressive addition to Sarasota and the neighborhood it's in. One can only hope this trend continues in Sarasota which is generally a chain restaurant "me too"...

On my last day of my business trip in Sarasota I decided to search for a local breakfast spot. Buttermilk was highly rated so I decided to mosey on down to the place.

When you first arrive I initially thought this place is in the middle of a neighborhood. How strange…..

Walked in and was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere. Buttermilk is cozy with seating for I’d guesstimate 50 people. It’s modern and inviting. I was impressed with the simplicity of the menu and the options available for tea, bakery items, and coffee.

I decided to try something unique on the menu called the “Nasty” Fried Chicken biscuit with bacon, sausage gravy, and pimento cheese. I picked a nice half table/both and waited for my breakfast. The wait was about ten minutes so not bad.

Once the food arrived it smelled great and I couldn’t wait to dig in. First bite was divine. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and fried. The biscuit tasted fresh. The pimento cheese had a perfect tang that paired wonderfully with the dish. The bacon was perfectly cooked. The sausage gravy was great! The combination may turn some folks off as you can imagine it’s definitely not healthy but you only live once. Honestly I’m glad you aren’t closer to where I live as this would be one of my go to spots for breakfast most definitely!

If you haven’t stopped by buttermilk what are you...