5353 S Tamiami Trail, 941-925-4444. Open weekly 11am to 9pm.

Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar is dishing out the anti-sad-lunch-salad in the tune of Florida Cobb, Tuna Nicoise and Grilled Shrimp Chopped. Each newly added salad is a towering display of refreshing and delicious ingenuity. The traditional Cobb gets the requisite Sunshine state treatment with crispy grouper bites without skimping on the beloved usual suspects like blue cheese crumbles and applewood smoked bacon. 

The Chopped Salad gives diners an entire skewer of tender, succulent grilled shrimp on top of a medley of cucumber, tomatoes and radish and the oft forgotten, but always delicious, hearts of palm. The palm is a welcome addition that plays off the textures of seafood—at first glance it's easy to mistake the tender, plump rounds as scallops.

An impossibly tall tower of perfectly fried thin onion rings garnish the star of the salads, the Tuna Nicoise. A cheeky addition to an otherwise health-conscious choice, the onion rings complement the bright, zingy flavors of black olives, dijon vinaigrette, green beans and potatoes. The seared tuna on top is crusted in a peppery, smokey spice mix that adds a surprisingly fireside note to the French classic. 

Offering dine-in and curbside pick-up daily, trade in your tupperware and computer screensaver for the uplifting waterside view at Philippi Creek Oyster Bar and dive into some truly satisfying salad creations.

5353 S Tamiami Trail, 941-925-4444. Open weekly 11am to 9pm.

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