Sardinia Sarasota

Sardinia is a Sardinian and Italian restaurant led by chef and owner Dino Carta, who trained in culinary school in Sassari, Sardinia, and later worked in Tuscany. The menu centers on handmade pastas, Sardinian pecorino and carasau bread, locally caught seafood, and chargrilled meats and fish cooked in an imported wood-burning brick oven. Appetizers include wild mushrooms in a parmesan basket, octopus carpaccio with bottarga, and mussels and clams in vermentino.

The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday evenings, with reservations available online and a private room for parties of 10 or 12 that must be booked in advance. The wine list includes over 150 American and Italian wines, and gift cards are offered. It is located on South Tamiami Trail in Sarasota.