Primo Return

Artichokes Casanova
Pasta Sophia Lauren
Pineapple Pizza

Sometimes one must accept the inevitable; that there are so many restaurants one would like to visit for the first time, however, circumstances beyond one's control will, all too often, lead one right back to a place they would rather never have visited to begin with.  Such is Our Protagonist's relationship with Italian food, and having had so many issues with Americano, it still is far and away above what is served at Primo.  Alas, it was dinner, and Our Protagonist made the best of the situation.  The Artichokes Casanova weren't bad; a little on the oily side, but roasted artichoke hearts baked with cheese is a simple enough dish and tasted just fine.  Pasta "Sophia Lauren" started with such promise, meaning that it would have been perfect in a sun-dried tomato-cream sauce, a pink sauce of some sort.  However, it was a just straight cream sauce with the sun-dried tomatoes merely in the sauce along with the crabmeat and asparagus.  The cappellini was a nice tender touch, and one can't go wrong with crabmeat and asparagus, but, once again, this dish proved just not at all exciting.  Our Protagonist probably could have thrown this together on his stove in about 30 minutes of just staring into his refrigerator; this is not the criterion for a meal to eat out.  His dining companion went for the Pineapple Pizza; unfortunately, the crust had been charred beyond all recognition, and the only flavor one got was charcoal.  So much for the wood fired oven; if you burn your food, all the fancy gadgetry in the world means nothing.  Dessert was even forgone to, instead, drown our sorrows at World of Beer.  Perhaps Our Protagonist should have just reviewed that instead?  It certainly brought on a much improved mood...

Primo Ristorante

8076 N Tamiami Trl
Sarasota, FL 34243
941-359-3690

Pastry Art

Black Bean Soup
Spicy Chicken Panini (roasted red pepper, caramelized onions, chipotle olive oil mayonnaise, rosemary roll)
Molten Chocolate Cake

This was yet another location Our Protagonist had walked by again and again on his daily routine, his eye on the pastry counter nearest the window.  Being within spitting distance of C'est la Vie and their heavenly pastries is quite gutsy, but this place was clearly standing on its own and deserved to be sampled.  Soup and sandwich seemed the way to begin, the Black Bean Soup being tasty in the way black beans can't help but be tasty.  This begs the question about the food in so many restaurants; is it the assembly, or merely the ingredients?  If it is the ingredients, then one's own powers of industry is all that stands in the way of having the same food at home!  But we digress; the soup was good, not memorable or earth-shattering in any way.  The sandwich, with all of those lovely ingredients listed above, had a great taste of the caramelized onions and the red peppers, but the chipotle olive oil mayonnaise failed to deliver all that the name promised.  An all-too-common occurrence in restaurants these days, really; why name your specialty condiment if it's not going to be the star of the show, or at least get a Best Supporting Actor nod?  Our Protagonist says, go back to the lab and amp this stuff up and really earn that name!  The rosemary in the bread was a nice combination with the chicken; simplicity itself sometimes overcomes the best of culinary intentions.

After eying all of those desserts in the counter over the past year, Our Protagonist thought to get a sampling; however, he was directed by the man behind the counter to go with the Molten Chocolate Cake; an interesting choice in light of all of those pastries.  The cake, microwaved to get the center going again, was fine; again, nothing earth-shattering here, which seemed all the more stunning an indictment of the pastries, which is, after all, in the very name of the establishment.  Our Protagonist has almost given up the idea of a true event occurring when ordering lunch where the fare is soup and sandwich, but, then again, he has fond memories of soups and sandwiches from other restaurants in other cities, or the lunch at Station 400, for example.  Or C'est la Vie, for that matter.  The hope, here, was to really go over the top with the dessert, which simply didn't happen.  It's merely another coffee and eats and sweets shop to avoid ending up at Starbuck's. 

Pastry Art
1512 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34236

941-955-7545

Drunken Poet dinner

Som-Tum (Green Papaya Salad)
Tom Yum Goong--Traditional Thai soup with shrimp and mushrooms in a spicy lemon grass broth.
Chicken Pad Thai
Khanom Thuay (Thai "cup" cake)

Our Protagonist had walked by this particular restaurant almost every day, peering in, noting the daily "Sexy Man Roll" special, that, oddly enough, never changed (which begs the question, shouldn't it just be a regular menu item?)...Finally, he broke down and finally dined by himself.  The most important question was, was the Papaya Salad indeed a "green" papaya salad; the answer was a definitive yes.  This sealed the deal, as this happens to be one of Our Protagonist's favorite Thai dishes.  Looking at the other offerings, he actually avoided any of the typical coconut milk soups or curries, and went with the Tom Yum Goong, a spicy little number in a lemon grass broth.  Our Protagonist asked for both dishes to be "authentically" spicy, and was even brought chili paste to bolster the spice level.  Both disappeared very quickly, the soup being a nice introduction to the dish, and the salad a lovely and well-executed version of an old favorite.  Chicken Pad Thai, that dish that everyone ordered but Our Protagonist when dining Thai-fashion, again, pulled his attention away from the coconut curries, wanting, instead, to go someplace different.  This, too, was a tasty little dish, and Our Protagonist marveled at the interesting noodles so different than our typical, everyday pasta.  For dessert, he went with something described as a cup cake, but it turns out that this is merely what the dish is made in; essentially a rice and coconut milk pudding baked in a cup in a hot water bath, the texture was not at all what he expected.  Later, upon researching the dish and how it was made, it became quite clear, and the thick, sweet, liquid-y pudding made a nice ending to the meal, especially in light of it being the only coconut dish consumed on this particular outing.  When it comes to Thai food, man cannot live on coconut alone...

Drunken Poet Cafe
1572 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-955-8404

Gateway to India

Chili Paneer
Chicken Tikka Masala
Lachha Paratha
Mango Chutney
Tamarind Chutney
Hot Indian Pickle
Raita
Ras Malai

Our Protagonist had heard many great things about Gateway to India, so he ventured to find out for himself, with the assistance of two dining partners, regulars, as it were.  The appetizer of Chili Paneer, stir-fried Indian cottage cheese flavored with ginger and garlic, and tossed with both sweet and chili peppers was a very interesting first course, from both a texture and flavor standpoint; they were a standout of the meal.  The Chicken Tikka Masala, a boneless chicken marinated and cooked in a tandoor oven and sauteed with a tomato-based sauce was extremely flavorful, if a bit creamy by the end.  Our Protagonist still looks back fondly on the great spices in this dish.  The Lachha Paratha, layered and grilled whole wheat bread had some interesting dipping sauces to go with, most notably the Mango Chutney.  Tamarind Chutney, on the other hand, which was also the accompaniment for the Paneer, was more of a liquid sauce than a chutney, so it didn't add any texture to the simple crispy bread.  Hot Indian Pickle, described as "assorted vegetables picked in a traditional Indian way, flavored by special herbs and exotic oils," was also a fun dish as there were several kinds of veggies in the little ramekin.  Raita, made from grated cucumber and salty yogurt provided a nice contrast from some of the spicier dishes.  On to the desserts; the Ras Malai, delicate patties of shaped Indian cottage cheese, soaked in thick saffron flavored milk, was the perfect exotic end to this cuisine Our Protagonist has barely scratched the surface of.  The food was quite lovely all around, but the service, well, was quite lacking.  If one isn't in a hurry and can get something from the bar quickly to take the "edge" off, then a great time will be assured.  Just keep drinking the wine as the servers make mistakes, and you'll become much more forgiving.  Too bad they forgot to even bring Our Protagonist his wine, and then charged him, anyway.

Gateway to India
1960 Hillview St
Sarasota, FL 34239
941-364-4777 
 

Primo Dinner

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Seafood Risotto
Zuppa inglese

Come to Italy!  The large billboards have tried to entice Our Protagonist out of his usual downtown scene and up Tamiami Trail to the home of bottled salad dressing.  Through a series of machinations, Our Protagonist found himself eating alone at a table for two on this particular occasion.  The Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, the soup of the day, was excellent.  Rich tomato flavor, creamy texture, good basil and spices profile.  He passed on bottle of salad dressing unceremoniously brought to the table, as following a creamy soup, Our Protagonist had no desire for creamy salad dressing, with or without Carlucci's name on it.  Bring the balsamic vinegar, please!  The Seafood Risotto, raved about by his server, was boring; rice in a simple butter "sauce" with seafood; honestly, what's the point?  Just saute the seafood and leave off all the rice.  But, wait, couldn't that just be done at home?  Yes, it can.  Does one need to spend close to $20 to eat this in a restaurant?  Our Protagonist says, resoundingly, "no."  Fortunately, the Zuppa inglese was a nice exploration of smooth and creamy textures, and served as a rebound to a quickly spiraling meal.  An Italian take on an English style trifle, it was also a welcome change from the ubiquitous and wholly overdone Tiramisu.

Primo Ristorante

8076 N Tamiami Trl
Sarasota, FL 34243
941-359-3690

First Street Chop House Dinner

Veal "Awesome" Bucco
Grilled Pear Salad
Lobster Gemelli
Rice Pilaf
Jack Daniel's Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding

Our Protagonist has, indeed, made many trips to this restaurant; he admits to having a soft spot for it, and appreciates that it has a menu that can actually be sampled over several visits, rather than the myriad choices at, say, Sangria, where one would simply have to move in for awhile to get a handle on things.  Today, he ventured into some unknown parts of the meal, but also visited some old favorites.  He had been hounded by servers to get the "Awesome" Bucco.  Unfortunately, the Veal was not as awesome as name suggests; it was quite average, really.  If only it tasted like the veal equivalent to Moroccan Lamb Mechoui...The Grilled Pear Salad was a "redo" from the lunch where he was still suffering from burned taste buds.  It featured nicely crisp pears, lightly seared, so it was true to its name sake (without needing to add hyperbolic adjectives, such as "awesome").  The Lobster Gemelli is, and continues to be, the best riff on mac and cheese Our Protagonist has ever tasted.  Case closed.  Which was good, because the rice pilaf was, well, pretty much just rice.  The gemelli, however, redeems most sins culinary; it is that good.  On to dessert, which was "something old, something new."  The Jack Daniel's Chocaolate Cake is for icing lovers, especially considering it's the icing that gets the whiskey spike.  However, Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding cannot be beat; surprisingly light for a bread pudding and featuring a beautifully executed sauce, this is one of the best renderings of what could be considered an overdone restaurant offering.

First Street Chop House

1296 1st Street
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-554-4375

Square 1 Burger

Rise & Shine Burger
Green Chile Cheeseburger
Peanut Butter Pie

The new Square 1 Burger that suddenly popped up on Tamiami Trail caught Our Protagonist's eye on one of his drives around town, and gourmet burger locales have to be sampled to see just what they're offering.  Two different burgers were sampled courtesy of the dining partner; Our Protagonist went with the southwestern selection of the Green Chile Cheeseburger, while his partner went with the brunch-inspired Rise & Shine.  Unfortunately, the fire-roasted poblano sauce just wasn't the inspired taste he was imagining.  The jalapenos brought the heat, of course, but you can get grilled jalapenos at Whataburger...The Rise & Shine was the nice choice; one can't go wrong with the addition of egg (see the Croque Monsieur/Madame comparison), and something magical happens with the combination of the three proteins of beef, bacon, and egg.  So, is it the burger itself?  Well, it was executed just fine in both instances, and some imagination is definitely happening, but was it much better than Patrick's?  Not at all, in Our Protagonist's opinion.  The Peanut Butter Pie, though, was memorable; it was a dessert special of the day, and the silky peanut butter mousse was quite lovely.  A good burger, yes.  Just don't expect an outstanding burger.

Square 1 Burger & Bar
1737 South Tamiami Trl
Sarasota, FL 34239
941-870-8111