MEDITERRANEO RESTAURANT in SARASOTA

A group of us went to the Mediterraneo Restaurant in downtown Sarasota last night from some italian food. I am not in competition with tripadvisor.com or many of the other fine restaurant reviewing sites out there like notablenibbles.blogspot.com. My review may say some of the same things like "great food, too noisy" but those are independent opinions of mine that I have come to after many visits to this place. It is located right across the street from the largest movie theater complex in Sarasota, which is also a sh*t magnet for skateboarders and other miscellaneous gothic creatures. Entering and leaving the restaurant, one must pass through a fog of smoke and gaggle of white kids dressed like Snoop Dog. But, once inside, the noise is deafening. My wife, the Kitty, kept saying "It's like being transported to some bistro in New York." I thought to myself. "Yeah, one located on the Lexington Avenue Subway tracks." Being a senior citizen and having spent many years shooting guns and listening to rock and roll, sometimes simultaneously, I can't hear that well to begin with. Conversation at a round table for 6 can be a challenge for me. I think I agreed to take my grandchildren to Disney World...either that, of my daughter wanted me to pass the foccacia bread. I will never know.

There is no draught beer, but they have the italian brands Moretti and Perroni, among others. The food is excellent. Northern Italian and Southern (red sauce or no red sauce) are equally represented. I had a lasagna that was covered with cheese. The notable nibbler would have swooned. I recommend this restaurant for its fine cuisine and service. Learning American Sign Language before you go would be helpful.