Several generations of the Levey family had lived in New
York. They have wanted to know what it would be like to
walk into a traditional Italian clam bar in New York City
on the day Prohibition ended. So they re-created that moment
with their Lakewood Ranch restaurant, Speaks Clam Bar, down
to the very last detail.
Speaks, which just opened its second location on St. Armand’s
Circle in Sarasota, bills itself as a “speakeasy turned Italian clam
bar.” It has the fun, glam, and urban ambience of a speakeasy
circa 1933, without the teetotalism. In fact, the artistry of the
classic and craft cocktails is one of Speaks’s main draws.
The furnishings, art, and lighting, in the 200-seat restaurant have
a bit of an industrial feel. Gorgeous wall murals, hand-painted
by Florida artist Ales Bask Hostomsky, include one of a pair of
eyes peering out of the slot of a speakeasy door.
Upon entering, patrons are given menus that look like
newspapers, with the top-of-the-fold head-line proclaiming,
“Prohibition Ends at Last!” The date atop the menu-newspaper
is, of course, Dec. 5, 1933. Alongside the menu items are news
stories describing prohibition, speakeasies, and characters
from that time.
For example, one “story” explains how, now that Prohibition has
ended, the owner of a well-known clam stand will take over a
now-defunct speakeasy and turn it into a sit-down Italian clam bar,
complete with beer and cocktails. This new restaurant will offer
calamari, shrimp, fish, and authentic Italian meat dishes, in addition
to clams. The story ends by mentioning that in the attic, the chef
discovered cases of shot glasses, which she plans to repurpose
for individual dessert shots in her restaurant, as well as cases of
speakeasy doors (which Levey has repurposed as bill holders.)
A Fresh Twist on Italian Comfort Food
Speaks’s menu is inspired by the authentic Italian dishes sold
around the turn of the century in New York’s Little Italy clam
bars - places that were known for offering three distinct tomato
sauces: sweet marina, medium and hot. At Speaks, the three
red sauces, as well as all of its pasta, are made in-house daily.
“Everything we make is from scratch,” said General Manager
Darrin Foil, adding that the restaurant also prides itself on its
impeccable service. “Customers appreciate the time and care
it takes to produce everything from scratch.”
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