Reviews for Ama La Vita in Sarasota, FL
I was invited to dinner with friends here! Absolutely lovely. Intimate setting, great service (the owners were there, husband... cooks, wife bakes & she runs the front). The food was great. We enjoyed a wonderful evening there & they didn?t have any timelimit on us being there so we stayed for several hours. Thank you - we?ll be back! Read more
Man, I really don't know where to start. Everything about our meal and overall experience at Ama La Vita was incredible. The... wine list is very impressive and the menu has complete show stoppers all over it. We decided to focus on small plates and pastab/c we wanted to try a lot of different things: Small Plates: Artichoke Oreganata (total banger), Burrata, and the Arugulasalad. All 3 of these were amazing and the Chef Danny sent out some eggplant fritters ahead of time. His marinara was wasincredible and all of the aforementioned dishes were outstanding. The rice ball (arancini) was the clear crusher of the bunch. The Bolognese he makes was simply the best we've ever had. Pasta time: We came in later in the night as a party of 4, and 2our people were vegetarians, so we kindly asked if they could easily accommodate their needs. Chef Danny came to the table,asked our guests what they were into, and he made them 2 custom dishes to order. Super classy move on his part and not what weexpected. We were thinking more like X dish with no meat...he went beyond the normal level of service. My wife and I orderedthe Cacio E Pepe (critical...do not miss this), Amatriciana (another show stopper and Chef Danny uses guanciale. If you know,you know), and the Penne Vodka. Man...I just can't say enough about that vodka sauce. We paired an amazing Amarone with all ofthis...got 2 bottles and it was 100% worth it. Dessert: Tricia is one of the owners and also the pastry Chef. Just believethe hype. Her coconut cake is everything you've read about and more. She's also super charming and the front of the housetouchpoint with guests. If you get a chance, make sure Matthew is your server as well. He's an OG server that's been in thebiz for a long time. He knows the food and the wine. Great service, charming and not in the way. He was great. Chefs Dannyand Tricia have something truly amazing going on here. Sarasota is chock full of Italian restaurants Read more
The food is amazing! We had the burrata, a spicy chicken thigh dish, the carbonara and the most delicious coconut cake we have... ever had. The wine was incredible as well. I highly recommend checking this place out! Read more
This Italian restaurant is a gem. It is run by a husband and wife team ... Dan is in the kitchen cooking the most delicious... meals and Trish is out front. She also makes terrific desserts. Her coconut layer cake is to die for. The chocolate mousse isheavenly. They are a lovely couple who truly care about their patrons and the food offerings. Service is excellent. Read more
If I could taste it higher than 5 I certainly would. From the moment you walk in you feel the welcome, almost like family. The... decor is warm and comfortable. Our waitress was awesome... picking out a fantastic wine and recommending excellent entrees. Butthe best was the food, Chef/owner, Danny, is a master at his craft. Preparation and quality was top notch. And wife Trish makesdeserts and Italian bread better than most bakeries. My first time but obviously many more to come. Read more
The atmosphere is wonderful and everyone treats you like family. The food was delicious. Fresh bread and olive oil to start. A... nice assortment of wine. And the pasta puttanesca was cooked perfectly, with a delightful, savory sauce. Highly recommend. Read more
This restaurant was a wonderful surprise. We were greeted by one of the owners, who then touched base once or twice during our... meal. Then, our server, William; was very attentive and friendly. The ?welcome? appetizer, an eggplant parm ball; was verydelicious and appreciated. As we were waiting for our cappuccinos, the other owner, the Chef; came out to thank us for coming inand asked what we thought of the food. All in all, a fantastic experience!! PS: rice ball was awesome, the dinner wasexceptional, and the coconut (homemade by the other owner) cake was outstanding. All in all; the best food and atmosphere I havehad in a long while. Read more
Small and intimate homemade family owned Italian. Met both the owners who were the nicest. You can really tell they enjoy what... they do and they're great at it. Best coconut cake ever! Read more