Chef Andrea Bozzolo – The Art of Food and Wine

I was invited to Andrea’s The Art of Food and Wine to sample his special summer menu. Never having been there before, but having heard wonderful things, I was very happy to accept the invitation. For only $25 per person, you are treated to a delectable three-course dinner. With the options of homemade pastas, sauces and desserts, the difficult part is trying to choose which dishes to order. I highly recommend taking someone who likes to share because you’re going to want to taste everything that is coming out of this kitchen.

I ordered the eggplant timballo, gnocchi gorgonzola and the vanilla bean panna cotta. All immersed in beautiful sauces and full of deep, rich flavors, it was a perfect combination. Once dinner was through, I had the chance to chat with Andrea. We sat down in his private room while he popped open a bottle of Graham’s Vintage Port 1980, but only after he had run to the kitchen to make sure that I tried his just made lemon sorbet.

As we sipped our wine, Andrea flipped through pictures of his past and present. Originally from Italy, he traveled the world as a chef on Princess Cruises before settling here in Sarasota. He is deeply passionate about not only food and wine, but life in general. He has a certain charisma and charm that only a truly authentic chef can exude. His passion is poured into every dish and clearly seen through his interactions with his staff and dinner guests alike.
 
Andrea’s is located at 2085 Siesta Drive. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m. For more information, call 941-951-9200 or visit the Andrea website at: www.andreasrestaurantsrq.com. You can also visit Andrea’s other local restaurant, Amore by Andrea, located on Longboat Key.