Michael's on East, 1212 SE Ave, Sarasota, FL 34239, (941) 366-0007

When someone corners me and forces me to split hairs on food genres, my fallback response is usually Cajun. I love that bread and rice serve as pallets for heavily spiced etouffees and bold proteins, and I love the poignantly cultural pairings of pidgin French-style food with the likes of gator and crawfish. I heard Michael’s on East was rolling out their N’Orleans  menu as an “epicurean adventure,” which pretty much left me no choice on my first lunch spot this week, and taking my post up at the bar to watch the World Cup, I figure a nice po’boy would complement the occasion perfectly.

Chef Jamil Piñeda utilizes the currently in-season soft shell crab as the base protein for the sandwich, and he fries it light with buttermilk to give an almost tempura feel to the batter while maintaining softness inside. He couples that with Cuban bread baked crispy on the exterior but moist inside. The po’boy is layered with shredded letteuce, pickled onions and okra and chef’s remoulade. He starts the sauce with his homemade mayo mixed from olive oil, eggs and garlic and pairs it with more eggs, ketchup, caramelized onions for a touch of sweet flavor and his mix of spices that include paprika, cumin, nutmeg, oregano and a few extra Creole staples. I can’t help but ask for a side dish of the stuff for extra dipping. Piñeda finishes off the plate with a pile of micro pomme frites (fries) to send you on your way happy.

Michael's on East, 1212 SE Ave, Sarasota, FL 34239, (941) 366-0007