We always like to find new experiences and Nokomo’s Sunset Hut in Nokomis was a very pleasant surprise. Actually, we discovered this place during our stay at the Bentley Botique Hotel. We were looking for a late night snack in the area and this was the only place that still was open at the time.
I must admit – I was not enthusiastic about the opportunity. However, my wife was adamant and I finally relented. It was a good decision.
Made for the Sunset
As the name suggests – Nokomo’s Sunset Hut is uniquely designed to watch the sunset. As we came up the stairs we discovered the whole back of the building is open to a beautiful western exposure overlooking Dona Bay. Our view over the water was expansive and we saw a fair amount of traffic.
Although we came by car, there are those who come by boat. The Sunset Hut is prepared for both. We found plenty of parking on the street side and there was a nice dock out back just beckoning boat traffic to motor in, tie off and enjoy the evening.
Our Dinners
I originally thought The Sunset Hut would not be much more than a bar. Although they are quite well stocked in that department, they have some of the greatest food we could imagine. I was drawn to the Sunset Flatbread – with its cherry tomatoes, sauteed sweet onions and basil cream cheese – all drizzled with a balsamic glaze.
My wife defaulted to her go-to nachos. The Sunset Hut’s Noko Nachos are ample and tasty. Their chips are topped with cheese, tomatoes, scallions, black beans, scallions, jalapenos, salsa and sour cream. Not only was it a great combination, it came piled high in the bowl. (So high in fact, I was called upon to help her out. It was a tough job but somebody had to do it).
Other Menu Items
But that’s just a start. We looked hard at the handhelds, burgers & sliders, sunset salads and entrees that they offered. For the seafood lovers there were peel and eat shrimp, an assortment of fish tacos. island mussels and mahi island bites to name a few of the options.
It seemed that whatever the menu item, there was plenty of it. One of our friends ordered the Salmon BTLO. It was a full eight ounce seasoned and baked salmon with bacon, lettuce, tomato and red onion. And they hit it with their homemade Aoli sauce to boot!
We decided we had to make a return trip to try some of these other selections.
We found all the food to be as tasty as it was ample. Be careful of this. It was easy to get stuffed as we enjoyed the evening of conversation, great food and a wonderful sunset.
The Desserts
We did leave room for dessert. This was almost as difficult a decision as our meal. As we understand it, the key lime pie, chocolate lava cake, peanut butter pie and salted caramel cheesecake were to die for.
Once we learned the Pineapple Yum Cake was their signature dessert we decided to go with that. I can tell you, this was a great end to a wonderful dinner.
Dining Options
We had a lot of dining options at Nokomo’s Sunset Hut. Our choices included tables along the railing both upstairs and down. Additionally, we could have eaten in a sandy, waterside lounging area out by the dock. They even had outside dining in the parking area that was illuminated by rope lights wrapped around a brace of palm trees.
The Entertainment
While we dined, we were serenaded by the one and only Jimmy Bones. He ran through a litany of hits ranging from Roy Orbison to the Eagles. Jimmy played requests as well as the hits. I decided to ask him for something he seldom hears – we asked for an original tune.
He gave us something interesting – The NyQuil Blues – apparently something he wrote while he was home with a cold.
In Conclusion
For us, this was one great evening. We had wonderful food, some fun entertainment and the ambience would be tough to beat. It’s no wonder that Nokomo’s was voted a finalist last year for the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce “Business of the Year” award.
We also have to give special recognition to our waitress Jo-Jo. She was one of the best waitpersons we’ve ever had. In fact, she is so good, they even named a sandwich after her.
And finally, how could we do a story about Nokomo’s Sunset Hut without sharing a picture of our sunset? We can’t.
Hint
We feel like we found a real gem in Nokomo’s Sunset Hut. Our recommendation is that when in the Venice area you give this a try. But we caution you, come hungry. We also suggest that you plan to arrive within an hour or so of sunset for maximum ambience.