A taste of Maine, a touch of Portugal and a whole lot of Sarasota spirit
By Jennifer Amato
What started as a fisherman’s dream 85 years ago is now a celebration of a quarter-century of family traditions.
In 1940, the Medeiros family opened the first Lobster Pot in Cape Cod. The son of a Portuguese fisherman, Ralph Medeiros and his wife, Adeline, created dishes from their family recipes using freshly caught fish and lobster.
“My mother, Adeline, had a passion for cooking and always wanted to open a restaurant,” said their son, Glen Medeiros, who owns The Lobster Pot in Siesta Key. “That’s why they opened and started the family business in Provincetown, Massachusetts.”
Glen brought his father’s recipes, as well as his own, to Siesta Key Village, where he runs the restaurant with his wife, Kathy, his son, Anthony, and Anthony’s wife, Francine.
“I came down to Florida to visit my brother and decided, after culinary school in Connecticut, to move down to Florida. I wanted to have my own business like my mother and father did, and carry on the family tradition,” Glen said.
The menu is a mix of Portuguese staples, New England favorites and Floridian influences. All seafood is purchased fresh daily from fishermen in both Florida and New England. All live lobsters come from Bar Harbor and Boothbay, Maine.
“We source lobsters from Maine because that’s what makes us original from the start,” Glen said. “We were inspired 25 years ago to combine our New England traditional recipes with some of our Florida ones as well.”
Some of the most popular dishes include Portuguese kale soup, Maine lobster tail, Gulf shrimp and assorted fish from Florida.
Other menu items include LoPo tacos, chicken tortilla wraps, the Siesta Key Village Burger, New England sea rolls, steamed clams or a kettle of mussels, New England Clam Chowdah, jambalaya, pasta dishes, watermelon salad, quesadillas and mac and cheese.
To celebrate the restaurant’s anniversary, The Lobster Pot will offer 25% off the entire menu on Saturday, Nov. 8. Samples of Lobster Pot favorites will be available, too. There will be music, prizes and giveaways to add to the party atmosphere.
The community is welcome to attend, since community is what makes the business thrive.
“My wife, Kathy, and I have really enjoyed not only Siesta Key Beach but the camaraderie that other businesses and owners have shown us throughout the years,” Glen said. “One of our biggest memories is the day we finally opened our doors 25 years ago. To be able to carry on my mother’s and father’s legacy is something that I am really proud of.”
And another way he honors his parents is by keeping their Portuguese traditions alive.
“We have some Portuguese recipes on our menu, but I think my favorite tradition is how we treat everyone like familia. That’s something that has been a big part of our life: family. We also have guests from all over the world who come to visit us, and this is one of the first places they like to come when they visit Siesta Key,” Glen said.
That is a key point of success for The Lobster Pot over the past 25 years. “I believe our success has been due to our family recipes that have provided great food over the years. Our personalized service has been really important to us, and we treat our staff and customers like family,” Glen said proudly.
The Lobster Pot is located at 5157 Ocean Blvd. in Siesta Key Village, Sarasota. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday. For more information, visit sarasotalobsterpot.com or call 941-349-2323.
