Dan van der Kooy and his wife Leah were surveying Hurricane Milton damage on Oct. 10 when their vehicle slowed for traffic on Manatee Avenue in Bradenton. A Bradenton police officer drove by and stopped his patrol car after seeing an American flag in the road.

We’ve begun compiling a list of popular Sarasota-Manatee restaurants located on or near the Gulf, with information gathered largely from their social media, noting whether they are open or temporarily closed following the terrible winds and floodwaters from Milton and Helene.