Photo courtesy of FoodFirst Global Restaurants.

Evocative of a true Mediterranean marketplace, Bravo Italian Mediterranean — formerly Bravo Coastal Bar & Kitchen — recently took on new ownership and a new image. Previously managed by Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, the Westfield Siesta Key restaurant is being revamped under the new ownership of Orlando-based company, FoodFirst Global Restaurants. After an interior renovation to refresh the space and update the layout, Bravo reopened its doors last week for a ribbon cutting to celebrate its Grand (Re)Opening. If it feels like the Isle of Capri is calling, that's 100 percent  intentional. The ambiance brings a brighter, livelier vibe reminiscent of the seaside towns of the Amalfi coast with freshly painted white walls with sea-blue accents, vases of long-stem rosemary sprigs and bowls of whole lemons, attractive seating and decor, colorful dinnerware and an impressive bar build-out. A small gourmet market section near the entryway was added to feature various ‘made from scratch’ items ready for you to purchase and take home.

The menu — articulated with coastal Italian cuisine and flavors — still has some of the previous restaurant’s most popular selections, but covers more ground now. Chef Johnny Imbriolo, a fifth generation Italian chef and leader of culinary fare at Bravo  shows off an enlightened menu, hyper-focused on "simply better" ingredients such as hearty vegetables, sea salts, plant-based options, fresh seafood and all-natural meats. A highlight of the debut tasting remains the small, but mighty green olives—marinated with fresh citrus, herbs and stone-pressed extra virgin olive oil, and carefully handpicked along the coast of southern Italy.

Photo courtesy of FoodFirst Global Restaurants.

Bravo Italian Mediterranean, 3501 South Tamiami Trl., Sarasota, 941-316-0868.