La Violetta in Sarasota, FL

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This past weekend we went north to visit our friends Bobby and Debbie in Nokomas, between Venice and Sarasota. I’ve been friends with Bobby since 1970, so we have lots of history together. Our reunions are always fun, filled with “Tales of Brave Ulysses” (from a song by Cream), and, of course, plenty of eating and drinking.
Our first night we went out to a French restaurant that was okay, but a bit uneven in service and food.

Our second night took us to La Violetta in a strip mall, just south of Sarasota. Here we had a wonderful dining experience. The chef was wildly creative, the servers were both attentive and informative, making excellent suggestions when asked and still unintrusive. The ambiance was intimate and maybe even a bit romantic.

Bobby and Debbie: lifelong friends and fellow “fressers”.
Bobby dug into his stash and pulled out this lovely Super Tuscan. It was young, but ready to drink. The restaurant has a $25 corkage fee which seems to be the new going rate.
We also bought this bottle of red which we enjoyed, but not as much as the Super Tuscan. At $84, I felt that on subsequent visits, we’d be wiser to bring two nice bottles.
This Pork Belly served in a demiglace and carrot Purée had to be the best pork belly dish I’ve ever had. The meat had a perfect crispness while remaining moist and juicy.
The Steak Tartare was infused with black truffles and mushrooms. It was accompanied by Fried Pappardelle and a bit of Bernaise sauce. Intensely delicious.
Barb ordered the Mushroom Soup which was very flavorful and contained no cream. We passed it around and agreed that it was quite delicious.
Block of Fois Gras was also covered with Black Truffle and served with pasta chips. We all enjoyed this appetizer and felt it was a generous portion.
This Raviolo was on special that night and was, in fact, VERY special. It was an open ravioli loaded with wild mushrooms and topped with a perfectly fried egg. We cut into the yolk and passed the dish around. One outstanding appetizer!
Barb’s Branzino was prepared “sous vide” and finished by baking it in the oven. She switched out her pasta for veggies and really enjoyed her dish.
My Gnudi Toscanini were a wonderful dish of ethereal spinach and ricotta gnocchi. The tomato sauce was freshly made and there was a light dusting of Regiano Parmagiano.
I needed to show a close-up of these little beauties. They were fluffy and light. I much prefer them to the normal potato gnocchi you most often find on menus.
Bobby’s Maltagliani was a dish of wide fettuccine covered in a fabulous Oxtail ragu. This dish was a real winner!
Debbie’s entree was a double order of the Octopus appetizer. It was also prepared Sous vide, then seared. It was accompanied by seared garlic potatoes and artichoke. The octopus was very tender and we all enjoyed our tastes.
This Coppa Spagnola dessert was made by Bindi and imported from Italy. It had vanilla and Amareno cherry gelato, garnished with a light wager and whipped cream.
The Tiramisu is made in house and was rich and delicious.

Whenever we dine with Bobby and Debbie, we share all of our dishes. Plates all get passed around the table at least once for everyone to experience. It’s not unusual for us to order an extra appetizer just to explore a menu more deeply.
La Violetta is one of those places that I’ll be thinking about for a long time. The dishes included an abundance of truffle and mushrooms. Next year when we visit, it will certainly be one of our stops. When you’re in the Sarasota area, you should be sure to check out this place.

4 thoughts on “La Violetta in Sarasota, FL”

  1. The Promis by Gaja is a favorite of mine, think I still have some at CARLS 🙂 Jay M. Goldberg, D.D.S., F.I.C.D. Former Managing PartnerEndodontics Limited, P.C.Philadelphia, PA Clinical Associate Professor Department of EndodontologyMaurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry Member of the Board of Visitors Temple University Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry

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