Caragiulo's

Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup
Open Faced Tuna sandwich with dill, and capers
Tiramisu

Today our Protagonist hit the third of the "Holy Trinity" of downtown Italian resturants; Caragiulos.  Yes, there are others as well, but along with Cafe Americano and Cafe Epicure, Caragiulos is definitely one of the go-to lunch destinations in downtown Sarasota.  Some even refer to Caragiulos as their "second office", and the day's experience provided good reason.

The mushroom soup was loaded with all manner of mushrooms; most wild mushroom recipes seem focus on a single type, calling into question the "wild" moniker.  This one was generous and hearty; a truly great soup.  The sandwich (offered as a special) was good in its simplicity, on perfectly toasted fresh baked Italian loaf cut on the bias, and generously topped with large fronds of dill weed.  The tapanade side of olives and mushrooms was tasty without overpowering the good taste of the tuna.  One dining partner's "Chinese" calamari salad looked and smelled quite interesting, in a ginger dressing and a generous amount of breaded and fried calamari; further investigation may be called for.  The Tiramisu was very light, which was a nice change from typical liqueur-drenched, cloyingly-sweet restaurant incarnations of the dessert.  It was accompanied by berries; unfortunately they appeared to be previously frozen rather than macerated, which was an unfortunate strike against an otherwise fine meal.  

Caragiulo's

69 South Palm Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-951-0866