CASAMI ITALIAN BISTRO — Restaurant in Sarasota

A quintessential hidden gem: Casami Italian Bistro- a restaurant that puts food before all else and gives you an authentic gourmet meal in a cozy and intimate environment. The newly established restaurant is run by a kind and enthusiastic husband and wife team that puts quality food above all else. And when I say husband and wife team, I mean the entire restaurant was literally run by a husband and wife, with an additional server to help run food and drinks. We gave them a call on short notice to accommodate a party of 10 on a Saturday night and upon arrival we would take up over half of the tables. For tables over six they typically do family styles dining, but that they will help customize a menu that meets your parties, needs and desires if you plan ahead. In our case, calling approximately 15 minutes before, the chef told us, the meal would be served on his terms, which is probably the best way to dine here anyhow.

The chef put together a 7 course meal for our group that spanned the sea and land and ended with a fantastic spread of deserts. In a world of high-end and ostentatious restaurants owned by souless private equity groups, the experience was a pleasant reprieve to stripped down, but fantastic and affordable fine dining. By the end of the meal, and as we approached the end to the second hour of the dining experience, the staff was hanging around sipping on vino while the night wrapped up.

I am not kidding when I say this was probably one of the single most memorable dining experiences of my life. If you are going, check the in-and-out dining culture of America at the door and immerse yourself into the Italian style dining experience, where you aren’t in a hurry to be anywhere because you are with your loved ones experiencing incredible food and wine. Sit back, try a few wines, espresso, and the company that you are with. Trust the staff to curate the...

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! We happened on this new place by chance and we’re glad we did. It’s a new addition to the downtown SRQ food scene that should not be missed!!

High quality ingredients from Italy and big flavors, nice atmosphere and top notch service.

We arrived early so we could make a show time, and had their Aperitivo, comparable to Happy Hour, which included a glass of wine and an appetizer board as pictured. The board included a meatball with cheese, porchetta with greens, a very nice piece of cheese, fried zucchini, potato with a beet purée, homemade bread with olives and more, and a small fried cheese and bread.

We also tried their pepperoni pinsa, think pizza with superior dough. The appetizer board was full of flavors and the pinsa was fabulous!

We will be back to see Chef Luigi...

Save your money, go elsewhere! Atmosphere was that of a hair salon, food, way wose! We came in with a reservation, were polite throughout, and left a tip — and still got treated like we were the problem. The "duck breast" wasn't duck breast at all — it came out cold and flabby and had to be returned three times. My eggplant parmesan was cold, then quickly microwaved. We asked for tap water, got barely a sip, then were charged for two bottles.

The kicker? After I left honest feedback, I received a bitter, defensive message from the restaurant insulting us and saying we weren’t a "fit" for their place. If you value good food, fair treatment, and professional service, skip Casami. This place has no clue how to handle mistakes...