Worth The Trip
Take a Peek: Local Eats and Drinks in the Village of the Arts
You know you’ve arrived at Village of the Arts when the houses turn into rainbows. In sharp contrast to the muted Med-Rev tones common in so many other Suncoast neighborhoods, the homes in this Bradenton community are brazenly colored. Fuchsia, magenta, turquoise, malachite, chartreuse … they’re all well-represented on the Village’s walls and trim.
What’s inside those aggressively hued cottages? Like the name says, the arts. The Village is home to any number of galleries and knick-knack shops, music stores, and clothing boutiques. All that browsing is bound to make you thirsty, and hungry.
To cure the former, sip a brew at Motorworks Brewing on the eastern edge of the neighborhood. For the latter, visit any—or all—of the spots listed here.
Sugar Cubed
This is where Villagers start their day. The combination bakery and coffee shop opened up last July, the culmination of 15 years of baking work put in by owner and chef Dana Johnson.
Ortygia
What separates Gaetano Cannata from most other chefs is his exquisite knowledge of history and its impact on food.
Bonni Bakes
Don’t just stroll up to Bonni Bakes expecting to pick up some sweets. Bonni Brown’s kitchen isn’t just where she sells her magnificent...
Arts & Eats
After months of renovations, the space was ready, and Arts & Eats opened in September 2012.
Retrobaked
The front room at Retrobaked hardly looks like a bakery—more like a midcentury display room, which in fact it is. Retrobaked owner Rachel...
Concetta's
One of the newest entries in the Village food scene, Concetta’s is situated off the beaten path, almost in the shadow of Motorworks.
