Pictured: In addition to entrees like enmoladas, Casa Masa at The Landings also offers elevated small plates. Photo courtesy of Casa Masa.

Rob DiSilvio opened his first location of Casa Masa on Bee Ridge two years ago. In that time, he’s built up a devoted following who are drawn to his Oaxacan-inspired menu with unique proteins and clean ingredients. Now he’s building on his brand, with the opening of a second location in The Landings that opened on December 21, 2024.

While the new Casa Masa shares the core menu of the original location, the new location is in no way a facsimile of the original concept. DiSilvio has expanded on his original concept, offering a selection of craft cocktails and elevated small plates as well as new entrees that work better in the new location’s sit-down format.

“Originally we thought we were going to shut down the Bee Ridge location because the restaurants are only four or five minutes apart,” DiSilvio says. “But the vibe is totally different, and both are doing really well.”

Families with younger kids will still probably gravitate toward the fast-casual approach at the original Casa Masa, while the edgier atmosphere at The Landings is great for date night or an outing with friends. Order a craft margarita like The Smokeshow, with mezcal and pineapple agave and share an assortment of small plates, or dig into unexpected entrees like enmoladas, a traditional Oaxacan dish similar to enchiladas but topped with mole sauce. The enmoladas de mariscos are filled with lobster, shrimp and corn and topped with white mole sauce which is typically made for special occasions like holidays. Like virtually everything else at Casa Masa, the mole sauce is made in-house which takes the flavors to the next level.

“Most of the moles you see in restaurants are from paste starters, but both of our moles are made from scratch,” says DiSilvio. “There are 30-40 ingredients in each of the moles and they take five or six hours to put together but it’s worth the effort. The enmoladas are the stars of the new menu.”

Casa Masa, 4862 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, 941-921-0578.

Pictured: In addition to entrees like enmoladas, Casa Masa at The Landings also offers elevated small plates. Photo courtesy of Casa Masa.

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