lasagna. “People do come from far and wide just for our lasagna,” she added. Colorful Cafe, Colorful Community The Mambellis met in New York City. Remo was managing a restaurant, and Meridith was his bartender. Soon after marrying in 2005, they left the hectic pace of New York, moving to Naples, Florida, a place they’d discovered when they visited friends there. “Like so many people, we came and visited, and then moved here six months later,” Meridith said. “And my new husband’s stress level went way down.” In Naples, Remo again managed a restaurant and Meridith worked as both a bartender and dance instructor. They lived there until 2012, when friends in Sarasota asked them to come work in their restaurant. The Mambellis had been living and working here for three years when one day Remo was scanning local properties for sale and stumbled upon an ad on Craigslist for a house and cafe in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts. He and Meridith went to check out the property, which consists of a 1920’s bungalow-turned-restaurant, plus a twostory more modern house in the back, and fell in love with it. They opened Arte Caffé in October, 2015. Just like the artists’ community in which it’s located, the restaurant is colorful, picturesque, and vibrant. The exterior has been painted bright shades of coral, lime green, and turquoise, and running along one side of it is a garden bursting with basil, rosemary, and mint plants, as well as lime, mango, and avocado trees. There are a handful of tables on the brick patio out front, which is enclosed by a yellow picket fence. In the backyard is a lush “secret garden,” used for private events. Inside, art - including Venetian masks for sale - cover the multihued walls. The feel is casual - no white tablecloths or pretension here. Instead there are display shelves with Ferrari and soccer memorabilia from Italy, as well as chess, checkers, and board games for customers to play while waiting for food. There’s a bathtub in the restroom, a remnant from the days when the restaurant was someone’s home. The Mambellis love living and working in the Village of the Arts, where artists and other small business owners help each other out however they can. Several times, Meridith said she’s come to work to ��nd bunches of basil and rosemary on the doorstep, brought over by their artist neighbors who had some to spare. 84
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