The Ringling Grillroom, ​5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, 941-360-7390.

When it comes to restaurants inside cultural attractions, a lot can go wrong. Think of amusement park grease pits, salt-laden stadium selections or tourist trap diners in historic districts. In these contexts, menu architects must infuse broad appeal into their selections to ensure that tourists find something recognizable. But at venues like The Ringling, chock full of priceless art and exquisitely manicured landscaping, too broad of an appeal can cheapen the experience. The trick is to marry a menu to a venue, and The Ringling Grillroom, the new food program from Metz Culinary Management, strikes that balance between broad appeal and gourmet with an all-purpose selection of seafood, salads and Mediterranean-inspired dishes that elevate the overall program into something befitting the legacy of the Ringling family.

While the menu features more full-bodied entrees like seared Florida snapper or a grilled center-cut filet with which it hopes to bill itself as a destination for lunch and dinner, the Sarasota-bay fish tacos also make for a nice meal overlooking the grounds from the McKay Visitor’s Pavilion. Starting with Caribbean-spiced chunks of Mahi, the tacos also feature a tangy red cabbage, Key lime and jicama slaw to go along with a black bean corn salsa and a smoked chili cream. Folded inside two corn tortillas, the tacos are light and flavorful with a distinctly Floridian vibe—bright and tropical. If they were to be improved, the Mahi can be diced a little smaller and a touch more of the delicious accompaniments might be added, with perhaps a lime wedge or two served on the side to perk it up even more. But it was an otherwise wonderful meal after a stroll through the rose gardens and a brief repose by the bay.

The restaurant is open daily from 10am to 7pm.

The Ringling Grillroom, ​5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, 941-360-7390.

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