SRQ DAILY Sep 9, 2025
Tuesday Dining and Food Edition
"I make the meatballs how my grandmother taught me to make them."
Trattoria Bella Napoli, loosely translated to “Beautiful Naples Eatery”, opened on Main Street in December 2024. It’s the product of Naples native Cesare Di Iorio, formerly the pizza chef at Osteria 500, and his business partner Maria Filomena Perrini. The restaurant, specializing in authentic Neapolitan cuisine, is a family affair—Cesare’s wife, Diana Mattera, serves as host. The staff, which includes Chef Roberto Spinozzi, are all Italian. Everything that Bella Napoli serves—from Di Iorio’s Neapolitan pizzas, which won second place at the 2024 International Pizza Challenge to fresh, home-made pasta dishes and pastries—harkens back to a rich tradition of Neapolitan cuisine.
One such dish is the Bella Napoli gnocchi, one of the restaurant’s most popular entrees. The dish is served in a “pizza basket”—tender potato gnocchis, made in-house by Chef Spinnozi, are submerged in a bath of zucchini pesto, stracciatella cheese, fried speck and parmigiana, supported by a basket made from pizza dough. “Where I come from in Naples, we have what is called ‘wallet pizza’,” says Di Iorio. “You can walk on the street, fold up the pizza and eat it with one hand. That’s where we got the idea to serve the gnocchi in the pizza basket.”
Although Trattoria Bella Napoli’s menu displays a wide range of the Neopolitan cuisine that Di Iorio holds so closely to his heart, the undisputed star of the show is the pizza. The dough, made with imported OO flour, is allowed to ferment for anywhere from 24-48 hours before being slid into a ripping hot 900 degree oven. The total cooking time? A whopping 90 seconds. “Our pizza is soft, not crispy like American pizza,” says Di Iorio of the cooking technique. “American pizza is a different style—it’s cooked at a lower temperature for a longer time—while we do have some crunch on the crust, it’s a softer pizza overall.”
One of Di Iorio’s more unique and best-selling creations is the polpettina. The tender, yet sturdy dough supports a base layer of tomato sauce, followed by layers of milky mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano, an assortment of succulent meatballs and a mouth-watering ricotta-stuffed crust. “I make the meatballs how my grandma taught me to make them,” says Di Iorio. “We mix the ground beef with cheese, milk, basil, salt and pepper before cooking it in the marinara sauce like she taught me as a child. It’s a very special process and if we deviate even one step, it’s not the same product.”
Trattoria Bella Napoli, 1551 Main St., Sarasota, 34236, 941-330-9200 
The Bella Napoli Gnocchi at Trattoria Bella Napoli. Photo by Wes Roberts.
Romantasy is a popular subgenre of fiction that combines elements of the romance genre with fantasy fiction. Romantasy novels transport readers into vividly built worlds filled with magic, danger and adventure, while keeping a central love story at their core. The genre’s surge in popularity has been fueled in part by online communities like BookTok, where fans enthusiastically share recommendations and fall in love with both the epic quests and the slow-burn relationships. Beyond the page, the trend has grown so strong that some venues are hosting immersive experiences inspired by romantasy novels, giving readers the chance to step directly into the worlds they adore. On Saturday, November 1st, 2025, The Westin Sarasota will be hosting a Starfall Ball, a fantasy-themed evening inspired by A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. Perfect for fantasy fans, this event provides guests with the opportunity to inhabit the world of a beloved book series right in the heart of downtown Sarasota.
On the night of the event, the Triton Ballroom will be draped in black with immersive lighting, star projectors and an ethereal atmosphere, transforming the space to represent the different courts from the book. Cosplayers will be in attendance to bring the story to life and reenactments of scenes from the books will be played throughout the dinner service. The evening will culminate in dancing and a costume contest. Guests can also arrive early to shop at the Starfall Bazaar, where local vendors will have themed attire, jewelry, candles and other merchandise available for purchase.
Best of all, the culinary team at The Westin has planned themed appetizers and beverages for guests to enjoy throughout the evening, as well as a plated dinner. For food, the summer court is represented by a seafood tower, smoked salmon mousse and ceviche. The autumn court will offer pumpkin bisque accompanied by caramelized onion and romano toast as well as serrano ham with hatch chili cheese and hot honey.
The Starfall Ball will take place from 7pm to 11:30pm on November 1st. Tickets are available for purchase now at westinstarfallball.eventbrite.com.
The Westin Sarasota, 100 Marina View Drive, Sarasota, 941-217-4777.
The Crown of Embers, a mezcal-tequila cocktail with coconut and warm cinnamon evoking a cozy autumn bonfire, is one of the themed cocktails designed for The Westin's Starfall Ball. Provided Photo.
Anna Maria Oyster Bar is celebrating 30 years of Five Star Fun with our annual Rollback Day. Guests are invited to join us as we roll back prices to 1995 as a thank you for three decades of dining together. Specials include $4.99 Popcorn Shrimp, $7.99 Lighter Bite Fish and Chips, and $2.99 domestic drafts and house margaritas. All day, Monday, September 15, 2025 at all Anna Maria Oyster Bar locations. For 30 years Anna Maria Oyster Bar has been part of the Bradenton community, serving fresh seafood with a side of Five Star Fun. Rollback Day is our way of showing appreciation to the guests who have supported us since our beginnings on the City Pier in 1995.
Anna Maria Oyster Bar Landside will host a Curated Crustacean Dinner on Sunday, September 28. Guests will gather at a long community table for an elevated multi-course seafood experience featuring fresh oysters and seasonal crustaceans prepared in unique styles.The evening will also serve as a fundraiser for Shuckin’ Good Cause, Oysters Rock Hospitality’s nonprofit initiative that supports education, heroes, affiliations, and quality of life across the Bradenton area. Sunday, September 28, 2025 at 5:30 pm. Anna Maria Oyster Bar Landside, 6906 14th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34207. The Curated Crustacean Dinner blends dining with community giving. The proceeds will benefit Shuckin’ Good Cause, which funds local programs ranging from literacy initiatives to first responder support and community health.
As Sarasota’s first visual arts organization, Art Center Sarasota is celebrating 100 years of creativity, connection, and community with a Centennial Season packed with powerful exhibitions, vibrant events, and expanded programs for all ages. Launching in fall 2025 and continuing through fall 2026, Art Center Sarasota’s Centennial Season honors the organization’s first century of impact while looking ahead to the next 100 years of creativity and potential. Special Centennial Season Funds will help ensure support is directed where it can make the greatest impact. “Our Centennial Season is an invitation for the entire community to celebrate Sarasota’s remarkable arts legacy at Art Center Sarasota,” said Executive Director Katherine Ceaser.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) is pleased to announce the first artist to be featured during the thirteenth year of its Young Artist Program. On September 28 and 29, at 7:30 p.m., 22-year-old singer/songwriter and performer Astrid Victoria (known to WBTT audiences as Astrid McIntyre) will present two performances of her showcase, “Make Yourself At Home.” This will be the second time Astrid Victoria is participating in the Young Artist Program; her first showcase, “Love Language: An Evening with Astrid Victoria,” took place in August of 2021. Through song, poetry, and conversation, Astrid Victoria will walk audiences through the inner workings of her mind and heart in a unique expression of how “home” currently manifests for her.
The season’s programming brings a rare alignment of milestones: the 50th anniversary of Steve Reich’s groundbreaking “Music for 18 Musicians,” the composer’s 90th birthday, and enSRQ’s own 10th season. Equally momentous is the Sarasota staging of Matthew Aucoin’s operetta, “Music for New Bodies,” directed by internationally acclaimed Peter Sellars, in a collaboration with Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota. ensembleNEWSRQ (enSRQ), Sarasota’s innovative chamber music ensemble, announces its 10th anniversary season with six concerts featuring adventurous programming, newly commissioned works, pivotal collaborations, and its first-ever operetta production. Founders and co-artistic directors Samantha Bennett and George Nickson have curated a season that reflects the ensemble’s first decade of fearless artistry while charting bold new horizons.
The Sarasota Farmers Market Vendors Incorporated (“SFMV”) has been established as a not for-profit organization under laws of the State of Florida, continuing the 40+ year tradition of enhancing and improving the quality of life in Sarasota. Our charitable mission is to create a social opportunity for residents and visitors to gather and interact, to bring foot traffic to downtown Sarasota sustaining the economic viability of the entire downtown area, and to provide a venue for other not-for-profit organizations benefiting Sarasota.
Sarasota Farmer's Market, N Lemon Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
Think while you drinks! Gather your friends, co-workers or family and join us for a fun-filled evening. Prizes and specials each night. Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm. Gecko’s on Clark – Monday ; Gecko’s on SR64 & Stickney Point – Tuesday ; Gecko’s on Hillview – Wednesday.
Gecko's Grill & Pub, Multiple Locations
Cask & Ale on Main Street lifts a toast & taps a toe to our fabulous Brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 - 3:00 with live Jazz during Sunday Brunch from Noon - 4:00. We offer a diverse chef-prepared menu with a full spread of Brunch delectables + our rotating Chef's Special menu, bottomless Mimosas and a wide selection of craft cocktails. Cask & Ale Liquor Locker owners enjoy the benefit of reservations for tables, holidays or special occasions! Continue the good vibes to make the most of your weekend. Voted Best Cocktails by SRQ Magazine!
Cask & Ale, 1548 Main St, Sarasota, FL 34236
If you are oyster curious or just craving the fresh coastal seafood & hand-crafted cocktails from your new Rosemary District favorite, join us at Lefty's for our daily Happy Hours Monday - Friday from 4 pm - 6 pm and our Late Night Happy Hours every night from 9:00-Close. With seafood offerings from the Steamer and Buck-A-Shucks on oysters plus our extensive wine, specialty and seasonal cocktails and draft beers, Lefty's has your recipe to get happier and explore our menus. Join us every day for Lunch, Happy Hours or Dinner and for our downtown neighbors and Hospitality industry colleagues, we'll have live music and keep the light on for you on the weekends!
Lefty's Oyster and Seafood Bar, 428 N Lemon Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
The Sarasota Art Museum partners with the Jazz Club of Sarasota to present live jazz on the second Thursday of every month on the Marcy and Michael Klein Plaza. Enjoy a beverage or food in the Bistro and extended hours in the galleries and shops! Concert begins 5:30 pm.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota
Delight your senses with A Taste of Art, where fine cuisine meets live creativity! Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evening, local artists demonstrate their craft live at Chaz 51 Steakhouse, offering diners a front-row seat to the artistic process. The restaurant also features a rotating gallery of local artwork available for purchase. Come for the steak—stay for the inspiration.
Chaz 51 Steakhouse, 549 US-41 BYP, Venice, FL 34285
2nd Fridays Creative Happy Hour brings the party to the gallery and transforms ArtCenter Sarasota into a vibrant hub of creativity, conversation, and connection. These lively monthly gatherings feature rotating themes, interactive art activities, live music, dance, film, and collaborations with local artists and arts organizations. It's a fresh take on the classic art salon, welcoming all ages to mix, mingle, make, and experience art in motion.
ArtCenter Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota
Toss some fun into your Thursday! Join us at Waterside Place for a fun morning of Casual Cornhole! Whether you’re a cornhole pro or a newbie, don’t miss this chance to show off your tossing skills and have a blast with friends! Grab a partner or go solo, we’ve got enough beanbags and boards to keep everyone entertained!
Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch, 7500 Island Cove Terrace Lakewood Ranch , FL 34240
Experience some of the best food and flavors of the region with more than 100, and still growing, curated vendors. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch has fast become a favorite weekly tradition for people from all over the region seeking farm-fresh produce, delicious prepared foods, and specialty items and gifts. Aside from all the goodies you can shop at the Farmers Market, find your flow in a free yoga class or have the kiddos get creative during weekly-hosted workshops.
Join us every Sunday morning at 9am for a walk to the Bayfront and back on a route that is just under 2 miles. Meet at 99 Bottles Downtown Sarasota and end at the same location in approximately 30-40 minutes, depending on pace. This weekly walking social club is an opportunity to connect with other locals.
99 Bottles, 1445 2nd St Sarasota, FL 34236
SCFD is proud to welcome the community into the fire stations, continuing the tradition of open houses. These open houses are a wonderful opportunity for residents to engage directly with neighborhood firefighters. Visit our website to view the open house schedule.
Multiple Location, Multiple Locations
The figure is one of the oldest records of our existence as a species capable of storytelling; depictions of the human body constitute some of the oldest subjects in art. EMBODIED expands on the definition of the human figure by bringing together varied representations in painting, sculpture, fiber, video, and mixed media by some of the most exciting artists working in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
Every Wednesdat at 6 pm a 5k Fun Run starts and ends at 99 Bottles. Course runs through Downtown Sarasota and along the Bayfront, all skill levels, all fun. Each time you finish a run, you must get yout card punched to get an attendance credit and receive 99 bottles prizes. All runners are expected to obey all traffic laws, be courteous to other runners, pedestrians, cyclists, animals, etc.on the route and to know your limits - running and/or drinking!
99 Bottles, 1445 2nd St Sarasota, FL 34236
The Ringling Museum of Art hosts a significant collection of Creative Prints produced by Japanese artists who believed in the practice of self-designing, self-carving, and self-printing their own work. The Creative Print movement was inspired by early 20th-century European prints that called attention to self-expression and artistic exploration through the medium of woodblock prints.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
This long-term installation in Gallery 10 of the Museum of Art showcases five outstanding examples of 17th-century Dutch painting on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Featuring a dramatic seascape, an expansive landscape, and captivating portraits set in detailed interiors, this exhibition offers a window into the vibrant artistic production of the Netherlands as the small nation rose to global prominence in the 17th century. The five exceptional paintings from the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, complement The Ringling's holdings of Dutch art and provide additional perspective on the artistry, historical significance, and continuing appeal of Dutch painting from this period.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
A bi-monthly open jam session for professional and non-professional musicians in the Geldbart Auditorium at the downtown Selby Library. The jam begins at 5:30 pm until 7:30 pm. Event is free and open to all. A viewing audience is welcome and encouraged. Piano, bass and drum are on site. A fun, social and entertaining event. Come, sign up to play or sing, or just come out to watch and enjoy.
Selby Library, 1331 1st St, Sarasota
This promises to be a memorable evening of music that speaks to the heart, the mind and maybe even your feet! Doors open 6:30 pm for dinner and beverage service.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1265 First Street at Cocoanut Ave, Sarasota
SRQ DAILY is a daily e-newsletter produced by SRQ MEDIA. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. The views expressed by individuals are their own, and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. SRQ DAILY includes content excerpted from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Robinson Valverde at 941-365-7702 x703 or via email |
Powered by Sarasota Web Design | Unsubscribe
