Big Water Fish Market, Siesta Key

On any given day, you might see Big Water Fish Market's seafood specialists on the docks dotting Little Sarasota Bay and the Gulf Coast, buying catches straight from the boat. They haul these bounties back to their chilled display cases, then scrawl the day's selection across the store's blackboard. Big Water's staffers concentrate on local fresh fish and shellfish, taking a special interest in grouper, snapper, and mahi-mahi. Besides these catches, they keep freezers full of imported shipments, from sushi-grade yellowfin tuna to snow crab that, ironically, has never actually seen snow. For those who don’t want to wait until they get home for a tasty seafood meal, the shop’s deli fries, grills, and blackens various fish.