Sarasota Soundings

Three classic pizzas on Dino’s new buffet
Photo © 2008 Skip Lombardi

Honestly, we had no idea until we were already seated and enjoying the best pizza we’ve found in Sarasota that it was opening night on the corner of Lime and Ringling. But there was no mistaking Michael, owner of Dino’s Pizza, on a step-ladder as he hung a bright yellow “Opening” banner while a full moon rose over Sarasota Friday evening.

Inside, staff and family members—grandparents, grandchildren, and assorted in-laws—were readying the brand-new dining room. Mama was touching-up the textured wall paint, kids were placing cutlery on the booth tables, and Nonna was polishing the already-gleaming stainless steel buffet. A mustachioed Nonno was just urging people to take a seat.

And we knew, just knew, that the pies were going to be great. For now, one picture says it all…

Lunch & dinner. Eat-in or take-out. Go now—while you can still get in the door.

Dino’s Pizza
2289 Ringling Boulevard (corner of Lime Avenue)
Sarasota, FL
941.366.1191

Local Ruby Swiss Chard © 2008, Skip Lombardi

We’re pleased, really PLEASED, to let you know that very soon, we’ll begin presenting a series of culinary talks coupled with cooking classes/demonstrations. We’ll be making these presentations—not in a supermarket, not in a cooking school—but in private homes, right here in Sarasota. We hope to have more specifics within a few days, but right now we can tell you that…

• As we did in our classes at Whole Foods, we’ll begin with offerings from the cuisines of Italy and the Middle East (Turkish, Arab, & Persian).

• Enrollments will be limited (probably no more than 8-12 participants per scheduled class, depending on the venue)…

• We will consider private presentations in your home, to suit YOUR schedule.

• We’ll focus on seasonal ingredients, simple techniques, and preparations that participants can reproduce at home.

Check back here for more details—or better yet—subscribe to our RSS feed and WE”LL KEEP YOU INFORMED OF THE WHERE & WHEN…

Buon appetito, afiyet olsun, sihhateyin, nush e jaan!

Skip Lombardi & Holly Chase

Contact us: chef@guest-chef.com

Piccolo Market on South Trail

You know we write about Italian food, specifically about Italian food in America. Sometimes, though, we get so involved in our food history that we miss something right around the corner. Well, better late than never to have found Piccolo Market(now in a larger space on Gulf Gate). For those of us moaning about the state of the economy, the price of gas, the sluggishness of the real estate market, or simply the Florida heat in July—Piccolo Market is just the place to revive sagging spirits.

A few days ago, we were drawn off the Trail by a sign that simply said, ‘Italian Market.’ We grew up in New England towns with vibrant “Main Streets” and confess to a bias against stores in strip malls. But we needed bread, and thought we should check out a spot that had previously escaped our attention. When we stepped inside, we were transported to a typical alimentaria anywhere in Campania or Calabria. Piccolo Market could very easily have been lifted, intact, from a southern Italian town and plunked down where we first found it, next to a vacuum repair shop.

We may have stopped in for bread, but once we’d gone through the door, we were drawn immediately to a 20 Lb.”teardrop” of provolone and the salume—sopresatta, salami, mortadella—all hanging above the refrigerated display case. The case itself held a number treasures: tiny artichokes marinated in olive oil, bocconcini of mozzarella with chopped tomato and basil. And we soon learned that the basil, not ordinarily part of the vegetation along Route 41, had been picked from pots right outside the store.

Shelves held all the requisites to keep an Italian-American household running smoothly: a wide variety of reasonably priced imported and domestic goods—dried pasta, arborio rice, polenta, and gnocchi. The stuff of great sauces was also in stock: San Marzano tomatoes as well as Pomì, a slightly thickened tomato puree Italians swear by for a quick, light tomato sauce. Americans call these products “gourmet;” Italians in Brooklyn, St Louis, Columbus and Italy, call them supper. We even found Italian bromides to relieve the occasional bit of agita. Or for pure refreshment, tiny bottles of Chinotto, a cola drink popular in Italy.

We did get our bread (wonderfully chewy loaves delivered that morning from Panetteria Clemente Corp. in St. Pete). But what really entranced us were the ropes of fresh sausage. Antonio Dirende, Piccolo’s affable owner, told us he makes sausages two nights a week. Taking note of our more-than-casual interest, he wrapped one up in butcher’s paper as a sample for us to cook at home. With it came an invitation to return the following evening to watch the mixing and stuffing of the next batch. This, as anyone who’s ever watched a Wise Guy movie knows, was an offer we couldn’t refuse.

The next evening, we kept our appointment and found Antonio dissecting pork shoulder. We met his wife, Josephine, carefully cleaning and preparing broccoli di rape for that night’s production of Piccolo’s signature sausage, which also includes Asiago and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses. Italian music from the 1950’s played softly in the background… we could smell garlic frying in olive oil… This, we concluded, was the real deal.

Antonio, who emigrated from Calabria to Brooklyn when he was seven, learned sausage-making from his father. He now supplies Sarasota with approximately 80 Lbs. per week, not nearly enough to meet the demand. On this evening, he was also provisioning a particularly loyal customer (who lives all the way down in Englewood) with 10 Lb. of his special broccoli di rape sausage. The customer was planning to take it back, on ice, to Boston the next morning. Anyone who knows the level of sausage connoisseurship in Boston, will grasp the seriousness of this compliment.

Grinding Pork Shoulder

Very careful to remove all sinew, connective tissue, and most of the fat from the meat before he grinds it, Antonio has one technique that separates him from most other sausage-makers; he grinds the meat only once, through a relatively large (3/8″) opening in his meat grinder. The result is a stuffing with subtly balanced seasonings, pleasantly unctuous texture, and delicate flavor from the meat that has been so diligently trimmed. He adds no additional fat, and winds up with a mixture that contains approximately 15 — 20%. (Commercially prepared sausages are 25 — 35%).

Sauteed Broccoli di Rape

The maestro used only his practiced eye and experience to measure all the seasonings except the salt, weighing that as a percentage of the mixture. Meanwhile, Josephine had blanched, drained, and sauteed the broccoli di rape with garlic; she had already grated the cheeses. These ingredients, too, were blended into the ground pork.

After combining everything and putting the mixture into the refrigerated case to chill and rest, Antonio suggested we take a break. We heard the welcome “whoooosh” of the espresso machine as Josephine brewed tiny cups of coffee. Piccolo serves the Danesi brand, which makes an especially rich espresso or cappuccino. Toto, we’re not at Starbucks any more…

A few minutes later, Antonio reconfigured the meat grinder, attaching the stuffing horn. He then removed several yards of sausage casings from their soaking water, and set about the business of making magic. With the cool aplomb of a poker dealer, he guided the seasoned meat into the casings, letting them drop to a stainless steel tray below and forming them into concentric circles. When the casings were full, he pinched off lengths of sausage, gave them a practiced flip to form them into links, and Presto! Salsiccie! At least one person in Boston and a few dozen more in Sarasota were going to be very happy…

Filling the Sausage Casings

In the meantime, we’re hoping that Antonio’s mother-in-law will let us watch her the next time she makes a batch of fresh mozzarella for the store.

Even if you can’t make it to Italy this summer, you can drop by Piccolo Market. In it’s new location, it’s only a hundred yards south of Stickney Point Road. But from the everyday scene of shrink-wrapped, mass-produced food—it’s a world away.

NEW ADDRESS! Even more great food made by the same skilled & loving hands!

Piccolo Market
2128 Gulf Gate Drive
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 923-2202
Open Monday — Saturday, 10:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.
Visit Piccolo Market on the Web

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How did we get invited to an evening fashion show and wine tasting at a hair salon? Despite its smart graphics, the email invitation gave no clue.

We phoned the salon and asked the pert British girl who answered. “I don’t know,” she said, “but, it doesn’t matter. Please come!”

We wondered if we’d be sipping wine amidst lighteners, brighteners, and conditioners as models tried to slink around shampoo sinks and manicure stations. And, knowing what we know about Sarasota, we were virtually certain the whole affair would be a thinly veiled hustle for something.

But as we had other errands on Lido, we decided to accept the invitation. We were throughly delighted to discover that our assumptions and reservations had been completely off-base and unfounded.

The fashion show was in full swing when we arrived at Les Ciseaux, a second-storey salon overlooking St. Armand’s Circle. The shop was pulsating in genuine celebration.

Angela Johnston, longtime team-member, had bought the entire business and was sharing the rewards of hard work. Seizing an opportunity to party with her co-workers, friends, clients, and community, she, too, was clearly having a grand time. Her young daughter in pipe-curls frolicked with other children. Angela’s sister, niece, and dad had flown in from England. We realized then that we’d been invited simply because we were folks from Angela’s neighborhood. (We’d just never known where she worked.)

The DJ was thoughtful enough to place his speakers on the balcony, outside the entrance to the shop, so the music and patter were audible but didn’t impede conversation. Because Les Ciseaux is a salon, mirrors are everywhere, but guests last night seemed more interested in each other than in their own reflections. The crowd was multi-generational and multi-ethnic. Lots of perfectly coiffed, pretty young things, but even friends with bad hair (or in a few cases, NO HAIR) felt welcome. Toddlers bounced around to rock and hip-hop. Their grandparents settled into cushy chairs.

What was really notable about this event was that NO ONE tried to market anything, even though Les Ciseaux—or any business with a St Armand’s rent to pay—can’t forget the bottom line. One had the feeling that this was truly a night off. The fashion show was laid back. No one named prices or said you’d have to diet for a year to fit into the little numbers from Foxy Lady, modeled by real women between twenty and fifty.

Two very suave bartenders with ready smiles poured wines as well as an arresting turquoise concoction: a nouvelle martini with fresh mint and Blue Curaçao liqueur.

For us, the tip-off that this really was a party, and not a promotion, was the food. Here was a buffet that did not scream its components had come from Sam’s Club. Many people had actually taken the time to prepare REAL FOOD. And it’s amazing how rare that has become.

Each offering was thoughtfully labeled with a small, delicately lettered tent-card so there was no mistaking that these were dishes someone had made, not bought. The diverse contributions of Peruvian potato salad; Ethiopian lentils with injera bread; homemade guacamole; silky, cumin-laced hummus bi tahina; and some very seductive sweets spoke volumes about how Angela’s friends and co-workers feel about her and her achievement.

Congratulations, Angela! Snip, snip, hooray! We wish you great success.

Les Ciseaux
St. Armands Circle
6 N Blvd of Presidents
Sarasota, FL 34236
941.338.2176

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