New restaurant opening in downtown Sarasota features return of popular chef
If you were dining out in downtown Sarasota a decade or so ago, there's a very good chance you ate at Mozzarella Fella .
A New York-style deli and sandwich shop that opened in 2012 at 1668 Main St., it seduced countless downtown denizens and office workers with its killer sandwiches featuring everything from prosciutto to calamari and, most famously, the shop's homemade mozzarella — soft and smooth, melting in your mouth like fresh milk laced with butter — resulting in one of the most irresistible cheeses around.
The man behind the counter with the Brooklyn accent, the fresh mozz, and all those masterful sandwiches was Michael Calore, who founded and helmed Mozzarella Fella for about six years before selling the shop and opening two restaurants, which have both closed, a mile and a half away in Southside Village.
Now, Calore is returning to the downtown Sarasota area to serve fresh mozz and many more of his most popular sandwiches and dishes.
Restaurant closure: Popular Sarasota, Bradenton restaurant, live music venue is permanently closing
Restaurant opening: One of best restaurants in Sarasota, Bradenton for wings, burgers opens new location
Ticket Newsletter: Sign up to receive restaurant news and reviews plus info on things to do every Friday
Pazzo Orange restaurant to open in downtown Sarasota's Rosemary District
Calore will be running the kitchen of Pazzo Orange, located at 481 N. Orange Ave. in downtown Sarasota's Rosemary District, in the space where 481 Gourmet restaurant previously operated .
Pazzo Orange is owned by Frank Nocco, who was the manager of Calore's former restaurant, Pazzo Southside. They expect Pazzo Orange, which will serve lunch and dinner on weekdays and dinner only on Saturday and Sunday, to open on Oct. 15.
The space consists of about 30 seats inside and a full-liquor bar with eight stools and TVs behind it, as well as a patio with a fireplace and room for another 30 seats. In addition, there's a "party room," Calore said, bringing the total to about 140 seats.
"The new space is just perfect," Calore said. "There's plenty of space and a fireplace outside for when it cools off."
New menu revealed for Pazzo Orange restaurant opening in downtown Sarasota's Rosemary District
The menu features many favorites from Calore's past restaurants — Mozzarella Fella, Pazzo Southside, and Osteria Southside, which was open for about 18 months before recently closing — including his famous sandwiches such as the fresh mozzarella, imported prosciutto with fresh mozzarella, and a classic Italian.
Calore's regulars will also welcome the eggplant rollatini appetizer, as well as pasta entrees like braised short rib ravioli and, on Sundays, his traditional Sunday sauce with sweet and hot sausage, beef braciole, meatballs, and pork ribs that he cooks for about four hours.
Other enticing items on the new Pazzo Orange menu that Calore shared include the chivatrina sausage and fresh melted mozz sandwich, the baked clams topped with Italian breadcrumbs, rigatoni with imported diced prosciutto, gnocchi Bolognese, and seafood linguine with cold-water lobster tail, shrimp, mussels, clams, and calamari in a spicy "fra diavolo" sauce.
Also, Calore has a pizza oven coming so he can make pies covered in his fresh mozzarella, along with San Marzano tomatoes and a variety of other toppings.
"We're hoping that being in The Rosemary District will attract a new, younger, and trendier crowd while still bringing our Pazzo crowd down here, where the parking is plentiful," Calore said.
Chef Michael Calore returns to the downtown Sarasota area following two restaurant closures in Southside Village
It has been a long road for Calore to get back to the downtown Sarasota area. He opened Pazzo Southside in 2018 at 1830 S. Osprey Ave.
Then, in early 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Florida, Pazzo Southside announced plans to move around the corner to the former Giorgio's on Hillview Street by the first of May. The larger space didn't work out, though, and Pazzo Southside closed in 2022.
Osteria Southside then opened nearby in Southside Village at 1812 S. Osprey Ave. in early 2023. Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Cafe owner Rami Nehme was the owner, with Zack Adkins serving as a minority partner, while Calore oversaw the kitchen and back-of-house operations. Osteria Southside closed earlier this year.
Now, though, Calore is happy to be working with his former Pazzo colleague, Nocco, and just concentrate on the kitchen. He's also excited to be back in downtown Sarasota.
"Mozzarella Fella was a great spot, and hopefully this will be, too," Calore said.
Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New restaurant opening in downtown Sarasota features popular chef
