A New World style on Main Street

Although Duval’s New World Café may be new to Main Street, the roots of the restaurant run deep. With over 20 years of food service and restaurant experience, Ceci and Wes Duval are an experienced and talented team. Their first Sarasota restaurant, Déjà Vu, opened in the Gulf Gate area in 1990. With a continually expanding following of loyal customers, the need for a larger space became apparent. Déjà Vu was closed and the vision of Duval’s New World Café on Main Street took form.

The renovation of the vacated space (formerly The Nook) took place through the summer and early autumn of 2011. The official opening of Duval’s New World Café occurred in November 2011.

With a bright and contemporary, yet simple dining area, Duval’s strikes a balance between classy and casual. Comfortable chairs, linen-covered tables, flat screen monitors, artistic lighting and outdoor seating set the stage for the lunch and dinner menu. Although the menu is large with a good selection of soups, salads, sandwiches and evening entrees, it is definitely seafood oriented. Holding true to its "new world" moniker, the menu offers globally-inspired cuisine from Asia, California, Italy, New Orleans and France. For our meals we chose the following:

• Gumbo:  A New Orleans classic with onions, celery, peppers and Andouille sauce  $4.00
  A wonderful gumbo with subtle layers of flavor and smokiness from the Andouille.
• Fried Calamari:  Wonderfully flash-fried calamari served with a Dijon and chipotle sauce  $9.95
  The flash frying made this calamari very light and tasty; the chipotle sauce added a nice kick.
• Cecilia House Salad:  Spring mix, onion, bleu cheese and cashews served with raspberry dressing  $2.95
  Perfect size, perfect price for a fresh side salad; a winner!
• Peanut Salad:  Spring mix, cashews, carrots, and pineapple with peanut dressing  $5.95 Added “Fresh Catch of the Day” $4.50 Cooked either cashew-crusted, sautéed, or flash fried Fish choice: salmon. Delicious salad, the greens were fresh; salmon was fresh, well-prepared and moist.

• Oyster Po Boy: Fried oysters served with Napa cabbage, chipotle mayo and tomatoes  $9.95
  Golden colored, flash-fried oysters; light, sweet and crunchy … a delicious Po’boy.
• Daily Fish Catches:  Each Fish Entrée is customizable with your own topping:  Market price. We chose grouper with prepared Chef’s style - spinach, tomato, artichoke, lemon butter.  $25.95 The fish was very fresh and moist. The toppings plus a starch---we chose risotto---was a complete meal.

Duval’s New World Café offers an adequate selection of beer, wine and soft drinks to accompany your meal. We found the wait staff to be very friendly, accommodating, knowledgeable, fast, and efficient.

Offering an upscale dining environment, culinary diversity, quality food and reasonable prices, Duval's New World Cafe is bringing something different to downtown dining.