e e la atal tal
Salustri and Tulino opened eat Organico in November, after
completely remodeling the space that houses it. While Salustri
focuses on managing the business and staff, Tulino is the head
chef. Prior to opening their own place, both partners had wored
in Italian restaurants in Sarasota for several years. Salustri moved
to the U.S. in 1997 from Anzio and Tulino moved here in 2000
from Napoli, after graduating from culinary school there. The
partners employ one other chef, who is also from Napoli.
“It’s rare to wal into the itchen of an Italian restaurant - even
in Italy - and see three actual Italians cooing,” said Salustri.
Salustri describes his restaurant as ne dining. White tablecloths
adorn the tables, and the decor is stylish and modern, with a
reddish-orange terra cotta oor, blac beadboard on the walls,
a wine bar with white leather barstools and industrial-style light
xtures featuring lightbulbs suspended on ropes.
There’s a “living wall” where lettuces and other herbs grow,
and lots of wooden wine racs. Including the bar seating, the
restaurant can seat up to 70. It’s open for lunch and dinner, and
is closed on Mondays. Sometimes on weeends the partners
bring in a violinist from Russia.
Most customers are locals, Salustri said, perhaps due to the
restaurant’s location, tuced away in a strip mall on Cortez
Road W. in Bradenton. According to him, there are hardly ever
any tourists.
at n te en at eat an
eat Organico focuses on seafood, but there are plenty of nonseafood
offerings. “Carne” (meat) options include, for example,
a European cut of let mignon, roasted, thinly sliced and served
on arugula and wild Italian mushrooms and thin-sliced chicen
breast, sautéed in a fresh tomato sauce with garlic, rosemary,
mushrooms and a balsamic vinaigrette reduction.
There are three veal medallion dishes: Scaloppini di Vitello alla
Piccata features garlic, rosemary and capers in a lemon white
wine sauce; Scaloppine di Vitello con Funghi has a creamy
mushroom sauce; and Saltimbocca alla Romana features a butter
sage sauce with prosciutto.
Cooed sh is served with penne or spaghetti. Options include
Snapper Puttanesca, sautéed and baed with garlic, fresh
tomato, capers, olives and white wine; and rigliata Mista
di Pesce, which is mixed grilled seafood including calamari,
octopus, shrimp, and whatever the fresh catch is that day.
There are several pasta dishes, including the signature Lasagna
di Corvina, which is lasagna featuring Corvina instead of meat.
Spaghetti alla iovanni features calamari sautéed with fresh
tomato, garlic, white wine, rapini, broccoli, and Pecorino Cheese.
Orecchiette alla Tabbarano is sautéed with garlic, broccoli,
sausage, and Scarmorza Cheese.
All the pasta, from the gnocchi to the ravioli to the fettuccine,
is homemade. Also popular is the Risotto di Mare, which is
calamari, mussels, clams and shrimp in a white wine and fresh
tomato sauce.
Small plates include soups, salads and appetizers lie Polpo
Peperoni e Olive, which is thinly sliced octopus served with red
bell peppers and green olives in a vinaigrette lemon sauce; and
Straccetti alla Romana, which is thinly sliced tenderloin, grilled
with secret spices and served with arugula and parmesan. The
Verdure rigliata is a mixed grill of organic seasonal vegetables,
Italian style.
For desserts, some signatures include tiramisu, chocolate gelato,
and cannoli, all made from scratch in-house.
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