Sarasota’s only Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant has remained packed even during the area’s typically slow summer season — and after returning to Lucky 8 this month, it’s easy for me to understand why.
Chef and co-owner Mark Majorie (read our interview) draws on his New Orleans upbringing while applying fine-dining technique to an accessible menu of po-boys, burgers and other comfort-food favorites. The results earned Lucky 8 a coveted place in the Michelin Guide this year and have made the Southside Village restaurant one of Sarasota’s most exciting dining destinations.
From an inventive Vietnamese-inspired dish to a muffuletta that rivals a New Orleans icon, here are five essential Lucky 8 dishes you should try. Really, though, everything I’ve
eaten there during the past 18 months has impressed me.
Cochon de lait
The chef’s bold twist on the classic Louisiana dish cochon de lait (“suckling pig”) reimagines it with Vietnamese flavors, pairing crisp-edged, golden pork with nuoc cham, sesame crunch, Thai basil and coriander in a vibrant, herb-packed salad that’s sweet, spicy, crunchy and fresh in every bite. Majorie recently replaced the cashews with locally made Pa’s Peanuts, which somehow make this dish — probably my favorite in all of Sarasota — even better. I’m convinced this is the dish that won over the Michelin inspectors.
Muffuletta
For decades, I thought the only place I could enjoy an awesomely authentic muffuletta was at New Orleans icon Central Grocery, where the sandwich is said to have been created by Sicilian immigrants in the early 1900s. Chef Majorie’s version might be even better.
Credit the judicious medley of ham, Genoa salami, mortadella and provolone, capped by a generous layer of olive spread. But the main reason Lucky 8’s muffuletta rivals Central Grocery’s is the Sicilian sesame bread, baked from Majorie’s recipe at Mama G’s German Bakery right here in Sarasota.
Smash burger with hand-cut fries
The most popular item on Lucky 8’s menu, the smash burger delivers crisp, salty edges and a juicy center. The beef patty is blanketed with melted American cheese and topped with white onion, pickle slices and Lucky sauce on a freshly baked sesame bun. Hungry for more beef? Lucky 8 also offers double and triple smash burgers. Be sure to pair yours with the hand-cut fries, served with hot sauce aioli and ketchup for dipping. You can also add a decadent helping of gravy.
Chicken and sausage gumbo
Chef Majorie’s gumbo features tender chunks of roasted chicken alongside bold, smoky slices of andouille sausage, served with jasmine rice and pickled banana peppers. Of course, the star of any good gumbo is the roux, and Majorie’s dark, chocolate-brown version is a masterpiece.
Bread pudding
Do your best to save room for the New Orleans bread pudding, topped with brown butter whiskey sauce and vanilla ice cream — the kind of dessert that makes the inevitable post-meal nap in an easy chair feel not just justified, but mandatory.
Wade Tatangelo is the executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: My 5 favorite dishes at Sarasota’s Michelin-honored spot | Exclusive
