Eatalia Market — Restaurant in Sarasota

I wanted to like it, but it will take another visit and a whole lot of change for that to happen. It was our first visit. Alec greeted us, offered a menu. It was busy, hard to maneuver around one of the display stands due to people waiting for their orders. Display cases were not full (hopefully they were just sold out of what they offered, but it was not a good look). Description tags were missing on a couple of cased items. We chose to purchase 2 Cannoli. Alec rang them up, gave us a receipt. We waited....and waited. We finally asked another employee ( during what seemed to be a lull, or a caught-up moment) if the cannoli were coming. She could not find the order on the video screen, so she asked Alec--who I heard say to her 'I forgot', but although he was looking my direction, never offered an apology or an 'I'll get those right now'...nothing. The cannoli were not the best looking, once we opened the container, at home. The menu said they were 'studded with chocolate chips', but they only had a few chocolate chips within the filling--there were none to 'stud' the outside. The girl that 'took over' and made our cannoli never said anything to us, just handed them over the counter.

My husband was interested in trying the meatball sub, which he had heard was very good, on a future visit, but after the lack of service, he is rethinking that. Looks like we will stick with Angelo's, in...

The quality of the food is truly excellent, and the staff is beyond friendly, genuinely don’t hesitate to try this place out, it’s great. It’s so good my critique should only be taken as constructive feedback because I want this establishment to succeed. We’ve ordered 3 sandwiches by now and each time an advertised ingredient has been missing, I know that would generally be sacrilegious, but we get it, new place, young staff, but the ingredients and craft are so good we’ve forgiven the errors. The next note is that it can be a bit confusing and intimidating as to what’s actually on offer, and how to order, and where to wait while your order is being prepared as others try browse the aisles, it’s a bit messy in this regard. And bless the staff doing their best to explain to everyone just how much is available, but when it gets busy neither the staff or the customers benefit, I’ve avoided ordering things because I feel bad about the line behind me. Finally there are items, notably the fresh pasta that are almost twice the price at other nearby retailers such as detwillers, that’s really not cool despite the location, I know how much the overheads are. Beyond my negatives, still two thumbs up, especially as someone living close by, I really want this place to succeed, ignore my negs this place deserves checking out, some of the best sandwiches...

Eatalia is a must-visit destination for anyone who hasn't had the pleasure. As a native New Yorker, I'm no stranger to authentic Italian cuisine, but Eatalia truly impressed me. The chicken cutlet sandwich was outstanding, with the cutlet cooked to perfection. The meat arancini, however, stole the show – a rare find in Sarasota, it was cooked just right and tasted delicious, transporting me back to my childhood in New York. The chocolate mousse was the perfect finale. What sets Eatalia apart is their commitment to quality ingredients, including their avoidance of seed oils and exclusive use of 100% beef tallow for frying. They also import bread from New York and feature various imported Italian items. Staff is very friendly, kind and they all had warm and welcoming smiles. With a 10 out of 10 rating, I highly recommend Eatalia. Supporting local small businesses is crucial, and we're thrilled to promote this exceptional...