The Mozzarella Fella, a new guy on Main Street

The name is bold and exudes a New York sense of confidence. Does the quality of the new fella's food support the brashy moniker? Without a doubt!

Part Main Street deli, part grocer, part caterer,  part restaurant and completely Italian, the new Mozzarella Fella is creating New York-styled Italian specialties using locally-sourced ingredients; the best of two locales!

Born into a New York Italian family, Michael Calore was introduced to homemade Italian cooking at a young age. Large family dinners every Sunday at his grandmother’s home sowed the seeds for a culinary career; that lasting impression became the foundation for his eatery. 

Although, the Mozzarella Fella may be new to Sarasota, Calore is no novice in the kitchen. In 2002 he started Es-Ca, a Staten Island casual Italian dining spot, and served as a chef/owner for almost 10 years. After frequent visits to Sarasota, he and his wife decided to relocate to Sarasota and the seeds of yet another culinary venture began to germinate.

Homemade from scratch, fresh ingredients, authentically Italian and Old World style are just a few of descriptors of the food and experience at Mozzarella Fella. Even though the atmosphere and the menu at Mozzarella Fella are very casual, the preparation of the food and the flavors are big, high-quality and very satisfying. For our meals we chose the following:

• Baby Arugula Salad:  Artichoke hearts, oven-dried tomatoes and grilled shitake mushrooms in a lemon-lime vinaigrette.  $6.00  Add grilled chicken $2.00
  Good-sized lunch portion; the flavors work well together but the chicken was a tad too salty for my taste.
• House Salad:  Fresh mozzarella, mixed greens, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, red onion, homemade Italian dressing.  $6.00
  Very fresh, colorful and full of flavor.
•  Fresh Mozzarella Salad:  Tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, garlic.  $5.00
  Fresh, fresh, fresh --- need we say more?
• Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich:  Tomato, baby arugula, basil oil.  $7.00
  Delicious! Outstanding! Even the bread is toasted perfectly.
• Chicken Parmigiana Sandwich:  Lightly-breaded chicken cutlets, tomato sauce and melted mozzarella. $7.00
  The bread was toasted to perfection and filled with a moist, tender and very flavorful “chicken parm,” one of the best around.
•  Eggplant Rollatine:  Thin slices of eggplant lightly breaded,  fried and filled with cheese.  $3.00
  Tender, sweet and full of flavor.
• Rigatoni Prosciutto:  With arugula.  $9.00
  Well prepared pasta, sprinkled with flavorful prosciutto bits and arugula.
• Broccoli Rabe: With sundried tomatoes.  $5.00
  One of our favorite vegetables, well-seasoned and prepared.

In addition to the above, the Mozzarella Fella serves Italian desserts, coffee, cappuccino, soft drinks, beer and wine (which is served in a signature five-ounce glass.) The service is fast, efficient and very friendly.

One of the unique characteristics of Mozzarella Fella is the fresh mozzarella made on the premises each day. Usually prepared mid-mornings, the fresh, warm, gooey texture is definitely something you need to experience. We did and it was awesome!

Offering a wide menu of freshly prepared Italian specialties for “eat in” or “to go,” the Mozzarella Fella has something for everyone. So if you have a hankering for real “New York-styled” Italian food, the kind your grandmother used to make, then Mozzarella Fella should be a “must try” for you.

Mozzarella Fella
1668 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-366-7600

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