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By Nancy Chapman
 |  The Beach House Restauarant
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You close your eyes and see it in your mind: a comfortable chair, palm trees swaying, the surf pounding the sand mere steps away on a shoreline that stretches as far as you can see in either direction. The breeze caresses and delights as you relax, comfortable in shorts and a T-shirt.
A waiter arrives and a plate descends in front of you: it is stuffed snapper, and one bite confirms your impression that you're in paradise.
But this is not in your mind at all. It's The Beach House, a restaurant with a huge deck right on the waterfront of Anna Maria Island. Entertainment and a family-friendly atmosphere add to its appeal.
But The Beach House is far from the only restaurant blessed with an incomparable location in the Bradenton Beach area, where dining a stone's throw from the ocean seems to be a way of life. Within a radius of a few miles are beachfront dining options for all tastes.
Most casual is the Gulf Drive Café, where the ambiance is old fashioned, unpretentious and relaxingly reminiscent of a Key West beach shack. There's a small area for outdoor eating, but if you sit indoors – when the weather is good, you'll get seated faster – the large picture windows almost make you feel like you are right on the beach. Watch the seagulls as you munch on a bleu cheeseburger or savor clam chowder sure to satisfy any Bostonian. Other menu items include healthy salads and garden burgers; portions are big, so you may not have room for that milkshake. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, so you could spend all day on their beach.
When darkness falls at the rustic Sandbar, a short ride north, spotlights illuminate the beach just outside the picture windows (except during turtle nesting season), so you never forget where you are as you struggle to make a selection from the extensive menu. The house salad includes flecks of blue cheese,  | The Sandbar Restaurant
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pralines, walnuts and healthy mixed greens; the crab-crusted scallops are delightful and the Key lime pie is delicious, with a thick, crunchy crust. You can sit inside or out; there's a large patio where you can enjoy the breeze and the salty Gulf air.
When it comes to beachside dining, though, the crème de la crème is Beach Bistro – it's not only the best of the beach, it's one of the best restaurants in the state according to Zagat's Dining Guide. It's a little pocket of elegance and sophistication masquerading behind an unpretentious beachfront facade. Inside there's a theatrical feel, with curtains draped across the ceiling and along the walls, and photographs of movie characters displayed in the bar. The wait staff is dressed in black and seem to appear from nowhere as they deliver Lobstercargot – Florida spiny lobster baked with spinach and garlic butter – American rack of lamb or butter-poached lobster that is simply to die for.
If you get there while it's still daylight, you can watch the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico in this most romantic of settings.
Just as sophisticated is romantic, intimate Euphemia Haye, on the northern end of Longboat Key. You're not on the beach, but you're still close to the water, and you'll feel as if you're in a nest created by lush tropical landscaping, an extension of the park next door.
Also on Longboat Key is Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, where you can enjoy crisp calamari under twisting banyan trees and watch boats pull up to the dock on the bay. Dogs romp on the grass – yes, dogs are welcome – and no one could stop an egret from coming to watch.
At the Rod and Reel Pier, a throwback to the 1950s, dine on seafood while perched above Tampa Bay. Then there's Moore's Stone Crab, which has been offering an assortment of fine seafood since 1967, some of it caught by the owner's family. The Mangrove Grill at Riviera Dunes Marina is nestled along the Manatee River and has both indoor and outdoor seating. The menu features fresh seafood, perfect cuts of meat and a variety of salads.
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