Food & Wine for SARASOTA Magazine

[ NOTE: Owing to a recent redesign and rebuilding of the magazine's web site, we link here only to the current issue; links to past reviews are accesible via the "Food & Wine" link at the magazine's site. ]

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, Summer 2010

Voyage To Italy: Main Street's Cafe Amici offers a cook's tour of Italy, plus casual fare at Blu Smoke, pastries at Le Macaron and our very own rum distillery.

     Sarasota's Main Street is so liberally studded with culinary gems it's no wonder that one occasionally is overlooked. Take, for example, Cafe Amici. I can't count the number of times I've walked by on my way somewhere else, glancing in the windows and thinking I really should drop in soon. Lucky for me, I finally managed to open the door and walk in at the dinner hour.   >>> Go To Full Text

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, June 2010

Here's Looking At You, Kid: Casablanca on the South Trail, plus lobster on Longboat, cool summer wines and breakfast that won't break the bank.

     Chef Ammal beamed as an order of bisteeya was delivered to our table at Morocco, his winsome restaurant on the South Trail. "In Morocco," he said with an infectious smile, "we call this dish happiness." Our first bite of the delicacy showed us why. In fact, happiness pretty well summed up our condition as, some 90 minutes later, we picked at the crumbs of our dessert and settled the bill for an exceptional meal.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, May 2010

Retro and Delcious: Down home and delicious at Owen's Fish Camp, plus intimate Morel, Good Deal and What I'm Drinking.

     A lot of thought went into the Caragiulo brothers' latest venture, a casual restaurant under the big banyan tree next door to Burns Court Cinema called Owen's Fish Camp. From the clever menu placemats to the equally amusing wine and beer list to the fishing shack decor to the food itself, the new restaurant fairly shouts "Franchise me!"

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, April 2010

Tour de Force: A ride through Lan's menu takes us to heaven; plus delight at Divino, and more.

     At Lan, every forkful is a delight, and the price makes it one of the best deals on our food-fabulous Main Street. One of the pleasures of being a regional judge for the annual James Beard Foundation Awards is the opportunity to nominate outstanding Sarasota chefs and restaurants. When the next round comes along, chef Lan Bradeen and her superb restaurant, Lan, will be high on my list of nominees.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, March 2010

Newcomers: John Bancroft raves about Andrea's, plus cool calamari at Galileo and a good deal at Pei Wei.

     Andrea's is one of those perfect little gems I almost hate to write about. On the one hand, I owe it to you, the reader, to disclose that a sublime evening at table in elegant and convivial surroundings awaits you behind the frosted glass door in a strip center opposite Westfield Southgate. On the other hand, if even more people know the secret, will I ever again be able to get a table myself on short notice? You see my dilemma.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, February 2010

Ports of Call: Seafood is the big new story downtown, plus sweet Sauternes and more.

     The day boat has two new ports of call on upper Main Street in Sarasota: The former Zoria has been reworked by its owners into a whole new enterprise called Main Street Oyster Bar, while across the street Urban Reef has moved into the space once occupied by Esca. Both are welcome additions to the fresh fish long offered by Barnacle Bill's and Selva Grill further west along Main and by Marina Jack on the bayfront.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, January 2010

Haye Day: It's always the perfect time to stop by for dinner at Euphemia Haye; plus, quirky 'que and fun wines.

     Euphemia Haye on Longboat Key is gloriously unreconstructed. Tucked away behind thick subtropical plantings and identified only by its understated signboard on busy Gulf of Mexico Drive, the restaurant epitomizes the enduring power of tradition. The restaurant has grown from its original 28 seats since Raymond and D'Arcy Arpke took ownership in 1980, but its heritage of tranquil good taste continues to dominate both its atmosphere and its menu. Its fanatically loyal customers wouldn't have it any other way. Why tamper with a formula that works so beautifully?

Restaurant Feature Story, December 2009

Transformers: Six creative spirits who changed our culinary landscape.

     If Sarasota has become an exciting culinary destination in the last few years -- and I unabashedly declare that it has -- it's in large part because of six transformative restaurants and the creative spirits that run them. This is their story, and I'm going to start it with an unapologetic love song to my favorite of them all. It also is the newest of the six, which is no coincidence. Without the precedent-shattering, risk-taking ventures that succeeded before it opened its doors, its success would have been impossible.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, November 2009

Show Time! For fine dining before or after the theater,
here's our star line-up, plus great wine values..

     Happily, Sarasota boasts as many excellent pre-theater dining options as it does excellent theater productions. Clustered downtown, within shouting distance of the Sarasota Opera House, Florida Studio Theatre, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and The Players playhouse, are an even dozen of superb choices, supplemented by an almost in-house restaurant for patrons of the three Asolo stages in the Ringling complex on the North Trail.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, October 2009

Raw Delight: Sushi reaches rare heights at Vizen,
plus Good Deal & What I'm Drinking.

     Don't even think of tipping soy sauce into the little saucer in front of you until you've tasted the sushi just as it comes, pristine and perfect, off Chef Matsu's gleaming blade. The sushi and other dishes at Vizen Japanese Restaurant (in the Gateway restaurant row near Gulf Gate in south Sarasota) come to table already impeccably flavored, some sauced, some not. We purred through an entire epiphanic evening without once having recourse to soy or wasabi, although Colette did add a thin slice of fresh ginger to the incredibly beautiful raw salmon draped gracefully over a modest lozenge of vinegar rice. It didn't need it, mind you, that's just the kind of hairpin Colette is.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, Summer 2009

Going Aquanuts: Diving into the delicious new Aqua, delights at El Greco and more.

     At Aqua Restaurant on Blackburn Point Road in Osprey, it's all about the beautifully conceived and superbly executed dishes ferried to table from chef Matthew Passalacqua's kitchen by a well-schooled staff of pros. A seat by the west or north windows in the third-floor dining room yields nice views of a marina and Sarasota Bay beyond, but it's the food that will really charm you. True, the decor is a bit of a muddle and the front desk can be dithery, but this young restaurant easily rises above such minor quibbles. Everything we tasted, from the artisanal breads that preceded appetizers to espresso after dessert, was an unalloyed delight.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, June 2009

Night at the Bijou: The Bijou Cafe lives up to its billing as a long-running Sarasota hit.

     Downtown Sarasota's popular Bijou Cafe is a charming example of old school done right. The mostly abstract art that graces the latte-colored walls of the main dining room sets the tone of understated sophistication. It's engaging but not intrusive. The paintings and other works on paper and cloth morph into ideal dining companions, expressive but well-mannered.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, May 2009

Getting It Right: Everything works at Zak's Steakhouse, plus great burgers and more.

     If there were a textbook titled How To Do a Restaurant Right, Zak's Steakhouse in downtown Sarasota could be Exhibit A. The setting in a 1920s vintage house and terrace is intimate and charming, the service professional but with a friendly face, the cooking classic and satisfying, the wine list a study in depth and balance. At the close of a fine evening at table, expect the bill to be hefty and to be happy to pay it.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, April 2009

C'est Magnifique: Suzette brings French flavor downtown, Chutney's spices up the neighborhood, and more.

     Another fresh face has appeared on the lively downtown Sarasota dining scene, and this one speaks French beautifully. Suzette, the name evoking the sweet and liquorous dessert pancake, says a lot about the new enterprise's ambitions.

Food + Wine Feature, April 2009

Critic's Choice: Our food editor dishes on where to eat right now.

     Sarasota's legions of diners out have cause for celebration. Despite a slow economy, four impressive new restaurants opened over the past 12 months, and many of our perennial favorites not only survived but tweaked themselves into even better form. Here's a quick survey of just a few of the things local chefs and restaurateurs are doing right, right now.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, March 2009

Mix Mastery: MoZaic brilliantly blends Mediterranean flavors, plus fresh catch at Captain Brian's and bakery bargains.

     In mid-December, a superb little restaurant and wine bar debuted quietly on Main Street in downtown Sarasota. Those foodies whose radar was working (count international cooking teacher Giuliano Hazan among them) enjoyed a rare treat: a table at a moment's notice at one of the best new restaurants to open here in recent memory. It's called MoZaic, and it's a knockout. It didn't just open -- finally, after months of enticing "open soon" announcements -- it exploded onto the local dining scene full-blown and claimed a place on our "A" list after barely a week in business.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, February 2009

Delicious Tradition: Cafe on the Bay excels at the comfortably familiar; plus the new wave at the Hyatt's Currents, a great wine bargain and more.

     Cafe on the Bay, which has moved from its old home in the Bay Isles section of the Longboat Key Club to the Centre Shops, further north on Gulf of Mexico Drive, is a thoroughly traditional restaurant with a menu as familiar as the pages of your favorite nightstand reader. And like that faithful volume, it delivers just what it promises: comfort and satisfaction.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, January 2009

Let the Good Times Roll: Libby's livens up Southside, plus a homey haven in Bradenton and wine in a box.

     First came the beloved and long-running originals, Fred's and its trusty sidekick, The Tasting Room. Next was the new Fred's, which was pretty good but didn't last long. Now Libby's Cafe + Bar holds pride of place in the block opposite Morton's Market in Sarasota's Southside Village, and the good times have returned. The tables dressed in white linens are back on the sidewalk, the breeze of conversation wafts from back-to-back bars, and chef Fran Casciato, late of Miami, is cooking from a menu considerably more ambitious than either of its predecessors. Service is warm and attentive, as is the greeting at the door. All the ingredients are in place. All Libby's needs now is staying power.

Feature Story, December 2008 Visitor's Annual

Hook, Line And Sinker: Simple or swank, cooked or raw, the fresh fish will reel you in at these six standout spots.

     Florida cuisine has changed dramatically over the decades, but one thing has remained constant: our love of fresh fish. We can't get enough of it. We eat it cooked, raw or lightly seared. We order it broiled on a cedar plank with herbs, grilled and sauced in lemon, white wine and capers or marinated in citrus juices and spiked with cilantro and garlic. We'll take it on a bun, in a basket or plated with all the artistry an ambitious kitchen possesses. Just be sure it's absolutely fresh, the very best the market has to offer.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, November 2008

Italian Interlude: La Colonne on St. Armands offers comforting classics in a convivial atmosphere; plus excellence at Ezra and the Colony's stone crab celebration.

     One of our favorite things about St. Armands Circle is the wealth of options for dining al fresco. Sidewalk tables abound, not just on the circle proper but along the avenues that branch off at the four points of the compass. The variety is exciting: traditional and pop Cuban, European haute eclectic, Florida fish and coldwater oysters, French-inspired fusion, pub grub and more, including caffeine in many delectable guises and enough ice cream to cool a steamy Southern night. And now we have a new favorite to add to our list.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, October 2008

High Steaks: Hyde Park elevates the chain steakhouse, Déjà Vu proves worth a second look, and more.

     Red and lots of it is the right shade for a steakhouse, as anyone who has made the pilgrimage to Bern's in Tampa, the Bay area's reigning homegrown, over-the-top exemplar of the form, knows full well. Hyde Park Steakhouse in downtown Sarasota (the mother ship is in Cleveland) employs a more subdued and varied interior design palette, but red is prominent, from the quilted ceiling in its reception hall through dining room and bar seating and accents. Fold in dark woods, artful lighting and jacketed waiters and you have an atmosphere plush enough to suit the opulence, and commensurate prices, of the aged steaks at the core of an agreeably varied menu.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, July/August 2008

Good Deal Special: Enjoy summer savings with prix fixe menus.

     This summer is shaping up as a budget-conscious season for just about everybody I know, regardless of tax bracket. Still, the soul and the belly demand to be fed, so what's a diner accustomed to the best to do? Here's our advice, wrapped up in a thrifty package we're calling our Summer of 2008 Good Deal Special Edition.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, June 2008

Jackpot!: Tasty treasure at Pino's, plus the new Lido Beach Grille, hot Ceviche and Good Deal.

     Pino's in downtown Sarasota is more than a good restaurant. It's a treasure. It's named for its chef and owner, Giuseppe (Pino) Luongo, who hails from Ischia, an island in the Bay of Naples not far from Capri. From the delights he serves here it's obvious that from the cradle he was steeped in the culinary ethos that demands nothing less than the finest ingredients cooked with a clairvoyant's timing and sauced with an artfulness verging on the alchemical.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, May 2008

Comfort and Joy: Two new and tasty Lakewood Ranch ventures + What I'm Drinking and Good Deal.

     La Tosca in Osprey has, in less than two years, established itself as a local favorite. Now chef Gianluca Di Costanzo is sharing the love with a second La Tosca, this one way north in a Lakewood Ranch shopping center. It's a welcome addition to the emerging dining scene in this thriving made-from-scratch suburb.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, April 2008

Second Life: Familiar Fred's gets a fresh new focus and a budding Arosa + What I'm Drinking, Ask John and Good Deal.

     The original Fred's, its nameplate retooled to read Fred's Restaurant & Bar, has returned to Sarasota's Southside Village. It's not the same old Fred's we knew and loved for years, but its return under new ownership and management still is cause for celebration.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, March 2008

Curtain Up: Dining with drama at Maison Blanche, applauding Peruvian power at El Warike + What I'm Drinking and Ask John.

     I like Maison Blanche on Longboat Key almost as much for the theater of the place as for the ambrosial haute cuisine it serves so beautifully six evenings a week.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, February 2008

Winning Numbers: Southern comfort at 5-One-6 Burns and a successful open for Paul Mattison's 41 + What I'm Drinking and Ask John.

     If you haven't visited 5-One-6 Burns in downtown Sarasota since last fall, go now. You have a treat in store.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, January 2008

Gifts from the Sea: Fine views and fine dining at Marina Jack and sushi to die for at Ocean Star + What I'm Drinking and Ask John.

     Marina Jack has always been about the view. In fact, it sometimes feels as if the Sarasota bayfront fixture has been around as long as Sarasota Bay itself.

Feature for Visitor's Annual, December 2007

On the Waterfront: Where to find Sarasota's best restaurant views -- and what to order when you get there.

     Water, water everywhere -- and plenty of agreeable spots to sit, sip and drink in the view.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, November 2007

Nice and Easy: Everything's fine at Fred's at Lakewood Ranch; the new scene at Horse Feathers + What I'm Drinking and Ask John.

     I've always thought of Epicurean Life's collection of markets and deluxe watering holes in Sarasota's Southside Village as a sort of theme park for food and wine fanatics.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, October 2007

Downtown Delights: Canvas Cafe paints a picture to savor, while C'est la Vie est magnifique + settling the great martini debate and Ask John.

     It's a question of balance: local or exotic, sweet or tart, luxe or casual.

Feature for magazine's Platinum Annual, August 2007

Taste Maker: Cooking teacher & cookbook author savors the flavors.

     What surprised me was the plastic salad spinner in a lower cupboard of the sleek cook's kitchen Giuliano Hazan designed for his Sarasota home.

Restaurant Reviews & Comment, July 2007

Upstairs, Downstairs: Double your dining pleasure at Cork and The Bottle Shop and summer Sunday brunch at Ooh La La! Continental Bistro + What I'm Drinking and Ask John.

     At Cork and The Bottle Shop, the first grace note sounds soon after you're seated.