Lucky 8, the Southside Village restaurant rooted in chef Mark Majorie's New Orleans upbringing, is the only Sarasota restaurant to earn a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

The distinction came when the Michelin Guide included Sarasota for the first time in May. The guide recognized three local restaurants total. Pizza purveyor Tralia and Focaccia Sandwich + Bakery each received Selected status, the guide's recommended tier. Lucky 8 was the sole Bib Gourmand honoree, a designation the guide reserves for restaurants serving exceptional food at strong value, according to an interview published by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Diners flood in after the Michelin nod

Majorie, who co-owns Lucky 8 with business partner Edward Zaki, told the Herald-Tribune in a July 22 interview that the response was immediate. Two days after the May 28 ceremony, he said, "the floodgates opened and it has not stopped since."

The restaurant seats about 50 inside and 20 outside at 1812 S. Osprey Ave. Since the announcement, diners have waited an hour for a table. Lucky 8 has stayed packed through the summer, a period when Sarasota restaurants typically see slower traffic.

From New Orleans kitchens to Sarasota

Majorie has French Creole roots on his mother's side and grew up eating gumbo, etouffee and jambalaya. His great-grandmother's Sunday dinners were primarily Sicilian with New Orleans influences. He spent 30 years in professional kitchens, including a stint as chef de cuisine at The Roosevelt New Orleans, a Waldorf Astoria hotel, before moving to Sarasota about a decade ago to help open Veronica Fish and Oyster. He spent roughly eight years there before launching Lucky 8 on Nov. 26, 2024.

Fine-dining technique meets comfort food

The menu applies fine-dining technique to comfort food. Majorie's smash burger, the most popular item since opening day, arrives on a house-baked sesame bun with American cheese, white onion, pickle slices and Lucky sauce. The kitchen hand-cuts its fries. It goes through about 100 pounds of potatoes a day. Muffuletta bread and burger buns come from Mama G's German Bakery in Sarasota, baked to Majorie's recipe.

One standout is the cochon de lait, a Vietnamese-inflected take on the classic Louisiana suckling pig dish. Majorie told the Herald-Tribune that growing up in New Orleans, which has a large Vietnamese community, shaped his palate. The dish pairs the pork with nuoc cham, Thai basil, coriander and locally made Pa's Peanuts.

Lucky 8 opened with beer and wine only but has since added a full liquor license. The cocktail menu features about 20 New Orleans classics, including the Sazerac, bloody mary and Vieux Carre.

Majorie credited Sarasota chefs Steve Phelps of Indigenous, Paul Mattison of Mattison's and the team at Michael's on East with paving the way for the city's Michelin recognition. He said he expects more local restaurants to earn Michelin accolades next year.