The Ringling Grillroom in Sarasota

No Clowns No Elephants
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Don and I have dined at a few silly circus-themed restaurants over the years. This past April at Ringling Grillroom, they had no colorful clown or tent decorations.

Instead we had a lovely lunch with a more sophisticated circus focus. The cafe was on the property once owned by the famous circus magnate, John Ringling. Our dining adventure included lots of exploring before and after our meal. 

Touring the Ringling Property

We started working up an appetite in the morning, while touring the incredible 66-acre Ringling estate property. 

I was as giddy as a kid going to the circus, when we walked through this entrance to buy tickets. My kid-like exuberance had to do with my memories of exploring the Ringling Property with my siblings, in the '60s & '70s. 

Bayside Property 

Our family spent quite a bit of time in Sarasota, mostly summers. Dad directed plays at the historic Asolo Theatre, which was on the magical Ringling property, sitting beside Sarasota Bay.

tIn an old brochure, I found an aerial view of the estate that shows the 4 areas I remember. Art museum, Theatre, Ringling mansion and circus museum.
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Ca'd'Zan, the Ringling Mansion
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I was eager to show Don the splendid winter retreat that John and Mable Ringling built in the Roaring Twenties.  

I fondly recall going through the rooms of this Venetian Gothic mansion as a kid. I had never been in a mansion before and my imagination went wild. Where would I sleep? Would I have servants? Could I fish in the bay? It was as grand as I remembered. Don and I did not tour all 56 rooms!

​The Circus & Art Museums

After the mansion Don and I roamed through the buildings that make up the Ringling  Museums. The exhibits that feature circus history, is housed in 2 buildings now.

As an adult it's pretty fascinating trying to wrap your head around the idea of a circus empire that involved nearly 2,000 people. The history is amazing. As a kid these exhibits inspired my imagination and a few backyard circuses with neighborhood kids.

A visit to the Ringling Art Museum was also a must. The 21-gallery museum was established in 1927, by John & Mable Ringling. 

I remember being 11 and wandering inside the pink palace, with rooms that held paintings bigger than my bedroom. When I visited as a 12 year-old, I observed with wiser eyes, since our family had returned from 6 months in Italy. I had a lot to compare to, yet the Ringling Museum (with its copy of Michelangelo's David) seemed just as grand as before!

Bayfront Gardens

During our visit in April, the weather was ideal. Exploring the grounds was as satisfying as visiting the mansion and museums. We found the Dwarf Gardens and the Ringling cemetery. We strolled on paths through clusters of enormous banyan trees. I spent a moment in Mable's Rose Garden and recognized the little gazebo, where I sat with friends.

There must be 100 statues on the property, but Don and I weren't able to find the mythical character with the tail... that I recall from nearly 60 years ago. My brothers and I found it while exploring the property, when Dad was in rehearsal one day. My very convincing older brother Chris, explained to his younger siblings that we too were born with tails and they'd been cut off at birth. We believed him!
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​Hungry
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By 1:00 our feet were tired and stomachs were empty. If only the old Banyan Cafe had been open. The curious looking cafe was designed by William Rupp in 1961. It's now being restored.

I was pretty excited to find the Ringling Grillroom in the Visitor's Pavilion, which was built about 20 years ago. 

The hostess said we didn't need reservations since it was fairly quiet. She said the cafe can get pretty packed, before and after Asolo Repertory Theatre shows.

There were a few inside tables available. The small bar had seating as well.

Outside Dining
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Don and I asked to be seated on the outside terrace if possible.

There was a nice view of the entrance to the main circus museum building.

We watched a group of school kids exiting and felt lucky we'd missed crowds during our roaming around.

Menu Options
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There was no circus decor in the restaurant, but there were some fun nods to the old circus world, in the menu.

I was surprised that prices were so reasonable.

G-Room Salad

I didn't see any popcorn or peanuts, so I ordered the "G-Room Salad". G-Room is the nickname for Grillroom, but it took me a moment to figure that out.

My salad was good enough to be named after the restaurant! The spiced toasted seeds, crumbled feta Granny Smith apples and crisp veggies made it a refreshing choice. It really was perfect! Bigger and tastier than my photo.

Don's Grilled Chicken Panini was thick and hearty. I stole many of his tasty fries!

After finishing, we had time to chat with our server quite a bit. I asked what she knew about the Asolo Theatre. She knew the 18th century theatre was dismantled in Italy and moved to the property in 1951. She said in 2006 it was moved again. I was confused to realize the gorgeous U-shaped "jewel-box theatre" was inside the 20-year-old Visitor's Pavilion. 

Late '60s

We gabbed a bit and I shared briefly about my memories of the theatre, going back to 1968. I didn't force our kind server to listen to anymore rambling. I didn't tell her that I was obsessed with my memories and still had old programs and brochures in boxes back home.

I didn't mention that the first Asolo play my dad directed was the Greek Tragedy Antigone, done in modern times with Neru jackets! I could have mentioned that I recently studied the program and found the name Paul Rubenfeld. Evidenly young Paul played the part of a page. He was a teenager and just an apprentice at Asolo. That was long before he became "PeeWee Herman". 

​Closed

Instead of boring our server I just asked where the entrance to the theatre was. She gave directions but wasn't hopeful that I could get inside. The door was indeed locked.

Rats! We paused a moment and I studied a curious poster next to the door. An animated fellow named Luciano Rosso was evidently opening in 2 days. Just then I heard the door handle rattle.

​Out came a woman carrying a broom and cleaning supplies. She spoke little English and I probably spoke too fast. I tried to explain why I was so eager to peek inside. She seemed somewhat amused and also a little worried... something about not having the authority. 

"I'll be so quick!" I begged. She let me in and waited for me. There were 2 men working on the stage and they likely saw me as I snapped 2 photos.

I stood for less than a minute, but absorbed the charm and recalled my thrill at sitting in those box seats. I headed back out, where my dear lady was waiting.

As I thanked her, the door opened and a man walked out. Before registering his concern (or lack of) I began to do the talking. I questioned what was going on in there, as if I was some kind of amateur reporter. He laughed and pointed to the poster. "Prepping for a show." he answered. My eyes went from the poster to the man and I concluded. "Is that you?" His eyebrows went up and he laughed again, claiming he wasn't Luciano. The ice was broken and we got to chat a bit. I got to babble about childhood memories. When he mentioned that he was from Sarasota and I wanted to talk for days. What it was like to grow up in "Circus Town" where public school offers classes in circus arts? But it was time to move on. I thanked the man and the very kind woman and we were on our way... after a quick trip to the gift shop.

What a fun and nostalgic dining adventure!
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