To many Americans, Europe seems to be the ultimate getaway--a beautiful, culinary oasis. It's just our luck then, that some of Europe's visionary chefs saw those endearing qualities here in Sarasota and moved across an ocean to set up shop in our little corner of the world.
Situated on Lemon, right off Main Street in downtown Sarasota, lies Salute!, a creative and authentic Italian restaurant. With Mattison's City Grille to its left and Whole Foods to its right, it's a convenient location--with the bustle of Main Street, the Selby Library, Sarasota Opera House, Golden Dinner Theatre, countless boutiques, movie theaters and the beautiful marina nearby, it's an idyllic one.
Salute! transformed the space it inhabits, renovating the restaurant to not only make more room, but to bring in more Sarasota sunlight. Customers are greeted by a sprawling outdoor patio, a picturesque spot for a light lunch. Inside, the decor practically speaks Italian, with a mahogany bar, granite counters and top shelf liquors lining its glass shelves. The main dining room is what you might imagine when you think of an elegant Italian dinner, set with white table linens and complete with a view out to the little plaza. The simple sophistication is again seen in in the second dining room, with its Italian sconces and red booth along the length of the wall. The restaurant's wine cellar, which was created by the owners and boasts over a hundred wines, also has a temperature-controlled wine room.
Sarasota and Italy are similar in several ways--the beauty, the water, the great food, the charm and the hospitality. It's fitting, then, that you'll feel as if you're in both places at once when you're dining at Salute! The menu features handmade pasta, like gnocchi, lasagna, and agnolotti, which is a type of ravioli. Main courses include meats and fish and specials include branzino, which is a Mediterranean seabass and the Salute! steak, a 48-ounce T-bone steak prepared tableside.
A variety of salads, bruschetta and desserts grace the menu. Cheeses and cured meats are prepared at chef's stations near the bar.The restaurant also uses olive oil from owner Alberto Guadagnini's vineyard in Tuscany. The vineyard, named Casali di Bibbiano, supplies Salute! with Tuscan wines and grappa, an Italian grape-based alcoholic drink. Salute!'s cellar includes fine scotch and port, as well.
Alberto Guadagnini, originally from Milan and later Philadelphia, brought his 40 years of restaurant experience to Sarasota, along with his son, Marco Guadagnini, owner Augusto Manghisi and chef/owner Laszo Bevardi.
Alberto owned several successful restaurants in Philadelphia, where he offered his signature Italian fare. Manghisi, born in Rome, worked with Alberto for over 30 years and Bevardi, a Hungarian-Italian, served as a chef and manager at Alberto's restaurants for more than 15 years. Marco's wine knowledge and service experience comes into play, making the four a dream team. Together, the ambitious and accomplished restauranteurs left the northeast to see a vision come to light here in Sarasota.
"Sarasota was unanimously chosen for the sea, the weather, the city, the culture and the people! It impressed everyone from the first day," said Ana Trigo, manager at Salute! "They wanted to bring their authentic Italian cuisine and great service to this paradise. They thought of mixing Florida's great produce with imported cheese and meats to create delightful dishes."
Salute!, which translates to "health" or "well-being" and is sort of a toast or greeting to mean "cheers," is open for lunch Monday-Saturday and dinner Monday-Sunday. Happy hour is available at the bar from 4-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday with deals on select martinis, wines and small plates.
For reservations, call (941) 365-1020 and for more information or to peruse the full menu, visit www.salutesarasota.com. Salute! is located at 23 North Lemon Ave. in Sarasota.
Sarasota's other Main Street, in quaint Lakewood Ranch, is home to MacAllisters Grill and Tavern, an authentic Scottish tavern owned and operated by a Scottish couple that relocated from Scotland to Sarasota to open the restaurant in 2006.
Paying tribute to their heritage, they made the restaurant a true celebration of Scotland. "When you step into MacAllisters, you'll get the felling that you are in Scotland, with the stone walls, the tartan covered booth and the huge mural of a castle," said co-owner Karen Ronney. "The servers wear tartan aprons and bagpipes can be heard on special occasions."
MacAllisters is family-friendly with a kids menu, TVs showing sports games and a patio that welcomes dogs.
Its location on Lakewood Ranch's Main Street adds to the family fun, as the area hosts family events monthly, such as the Music on Main block party, chili and BBQ cook-offs and car shows (www.lwrmainstreet.com).
There is a traditional Scottish influence on the menu, but patrons will also find a nice balance of popular American dishes. Whether you're adventurous or traditional, Scottish, American or from somewhere else altogether, you'll find comforting food you know and enjoy.
Appetizers include familiar offerings like coconut shrimp and Scottish dishes like haggis and tatties and Scotch eggs. Entrees include good old American BBQ ribs and filets, but you'll also find steak pie and the beloved-by-all fish and chips. For dessert, try a Scottish delicacy, sticky toffee pudding, or dig into an all-American apple pie. You'll find an award-winning Oriental chicken salad and an inventive salmon BLT on the menu. MacAllisters also has $5 bar snacks and a daily happy hour.
"Save the long haul and pop into ‘Scotland' next time you're in the Ranch," said Ronney. "Soak up the spirit of the Scots!"
MacAllisters is open for lunch and dinner daily. For reservations, call (941) 359-2424. For more information, visit www.macallisters.com. MacAllisters is located at 8110 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch.
Both Salute! and MacAllisters are participating in Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week, which runs from June 1-14, 2011. Enjoy a special prix fixe, multi-course dinner for just $25 per person.
Other Savor Sarasota participating restaurants with chefs or owners that came over from Europe include Roessler's (2033 Vamo Way, 941-966-5688, www.roesslersrestaurant.com) and Cafe L'Europe (431 St. Armands Circle, 941-388-4415, www.cafeleurope.net).
Roessler's was created by Klaus Roessler, who came to the U.S. from Germany and opened the restaurant in 1978. Prior to settling in Sarasota, he was the youngest chef hired by the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta. He also worked as the executive chef at Brennan's in New Orleans. Roessler and his wife chose to move to Sarasota because they saw the opportunity for growth.
"They saw potential in this beautiful coastal area", said his daughter, Marilyn Roessler. "There are amazing beaches...there's culture and arts, a great school system and it's a safe place to raise children."
The restaurant is now operated by his children, Marilyn and the chef, Shawn Roessler. Roessler's resembles a European house with individual dining rooms and surrounding romantic gardens. It sits on acres of scenic land. They serve up gourmet cuisine with a European influence. Dishes like veal picatta, filet au poivre and steak Diane grace the menu, while the German influence is seen in more traditional dishes like the Wiener Schnitzel Holstein. Roessler's is open for dinner Tuesday-Sunday.
Cafe L'Europe is a Sarasota staple, situated on beautiful St. Armands Circle, in a spot once occupied by John Ringling's office. Co-owner Titus Letschert came to the U.S. from Holland and established the restaurant in 1973. The name and concept are derived from the L'Europe Hotel in Amsterdam. Cafe L'Europe specializes in continental cuisine and its menu includes dishes like filet mignon, stuffed lobster, surf and turf and tableside preparations of delicacies like dover sole meuniere and Chateaubriand. They are open daily for lunch and dinner.
For more details on Savor Sarasota and to view the restaurant week menu, directions and more, visit www.savorsarasota.com and click on "Who's Cooking" and "What's Cooking."
