Maison Blanche: Elegant Parisian Fine Dining, Now a Golden Palate® Partner, Longboat Key (Sarasota), Florida

Maison Blanche, a hidden gem in the middle of Longboat Key, minutes to Sarasota (located in the Four Winds Resort on the beach) has been awarded the Fred Bollaci Enterprises Golden Palate Certificate of Excellence® and named a Golden Palate Partner®, recognizing the very best in cuisine, and warm, passionate, dedicated, hands-on owners.

Chef José Martinez began his culinary career by seizing an opportunity to apprentice with the legendary French chef and restaurateur, Joël Robuchon at Restaurant Jamin in Paris. Chef Martinez continued his career working at Lucas Carlton, in Paris with Alain Senderens, a founder of New French cuisine; and then with Chef Michel Guerard at Eugénie les Bains, which earned three Michelin stars. Chef Martinez was awarded his own Michelin star for Maison Blanche, Paris. In 2010, after opening his restaurant on Longboat Key, Chef Martinez was a James Beard semifinalists for Best Chef South. Martinez’s vision is: “Satisfaction. Every meal must satisfy or it is a failure.”

Dining at Maison Blanche is a party–it is elegant like the finest restaurants in Paris and New York, but without any pretense. Service is spot on, and every dish is prepared to perfection and presented beautifully. This is one of the most elegant fine dining restaurants on Florida’s Gulf Coast, a place you will want to dress up, and also a pleasure to truly dine without having to compete with high decibel levels or cramped spaces–Maison Blanche is fit for royalty in an elegant, contemporary setting. Enjoy an excellent selection of wines and champagne, with an emphasis on France, at an approachable price point by the glass and bottle (wine & beer only). There is an attractive prix fixe menu for $65 as well.

A great way to begin a fine French meal is with a glass of Roederer Champagne and caviar.

The beautiful, elegant dining room decorated for the holidays.

Most impressive “thirty-minute massaged Octopus”–tender and delicious!

Presentations taste as great as they look! Pictured above: the House made Paté.

A recent menu (January 2016)

A private “nook” surrounded by ethereal white drapes.

At Maison Blanche, the experience is personal. Chef Martinez feels that a dining experience should restore, entertain, fulfill, and when executed properly, create memories. This is definitely a perfect restaurant for a celebration or intimate, romantic meal! On a recent visit, the dining room was graced with well-dressed couples celebrating an anniversary, a birthday, or simply enjoying a lovely evening out.

Martinez strives for perfect balance in foods and flavor, featuring seasonally sustainable menus in a comfortable, elegant atmosphere. Martinez states: “There is no alternative to excellence” and “Capturing excellence in a dining experience begins and ends with the food. I have great respect for the production of food and the privilege bestowed on me being able to use it and apply my talent and focus on creating the most excellent product possible.”

When explaining the origin of his type of restaurant, Chef Martinez explains, “The Romans most likely organized the first restaurant setting with a schedule of food in their Thermopolium, but the French created what we know as the Restaurant and the Menu. Restaurer, is the French word meaning to restore.” Great meals are meant to nourish and restore the soul. Exactly my philosophy–enjoying gourmet cuisine, with an emphasis on healthy, fresh, seasonal, local, and authentic–in moderation as a means of enjoyment and sustenance, is the key. While everything at Maison Blanche is excellent, this is not just eating, this is dining, an experience you will want to savor and enjoy!

Maison Blanche features the most local, fresh, nourishing seasonal and suitable ingredients, utilizing long-time suppliers with whom Chef Martinez has excellent relations with, and also drawing from present generation producers and local artisanal growers who are committed to supplying for a Locavore philosophy.

Foodies: be sure to inquire about The Chef’s Table, which features an exclusive menu matched with impeccable wines, served by the award winning chef himself. The Chef’s Table is located at the head of Maison Blanche’s dining room and is available for bookings of 6, 8 or 10 people, and is the ultimate fine dining experience you and your guests won’t want to miss!