An exciting year of restaurant openings in Sarasota and Bradenton continues with the regional debut of the celebrity chef’s concept, similar to his brand in downtown St. Petersburg.
Italian native Fabio Viviani, perhaps best known for his appearance on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” made headlines last summer when he announced via social media that he was opening Taverna Toscana in downtown Bradenton. called.
“Imagine a modern Italian kitchen combined with the hearty charm of a top-notch steakhouse,” Viviani’s Instagram post reads. “And yes, we’ve also curated a selection of craft cocktails that will knock your socks off.”
Taverna Toscana will move into a large standalone building in front of the SUNZ Insurance Company building at 1301 W. 6th St., near other popular downtown Bradenton restaurants Chateau 13 and Sage Biscuits, and will open next month. We plan to start accepting guests from now on.
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Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani will open Italian restaurant Taverna Toscana in downtown Bradenton in May.
In partnership with Viviani and local resident Stephen Herrig, CEO of SUNZ, it looks like Taverna Toscana will have plenty of space for indoor as well as covered outdoor seating. The upscale Italian steakhouse should also have plenty of space to park on-site. A sign on the chain-link fence surrounding the restaurant instructs curious passersby to text “toscana” to 805-991-5126.
“Taverna Toscana is scheduled to open in May 2024,” spokeswoman Samantha Crafton said in an email. Crafton also offered what she described as “a sneak peek at some of the signature menu items that diners can look forward to.”
A sneak peek at Taverna Toscana’s signature menu in downtown Bradenton
The six menu items, explained by a spokesperson, range from grilled bone marrow and steak tartare to popular Italian pasta and seafood dishes (frutti di mare) and Roman pizza.
- grilled bone marrowTomato onion jam, tart arugula salad, herb breadcrumbs, citrus gremolata, crostini
- fabio’s meatballs Homemade meatballs, whipped ricotta cheese, tomato sugo, basil, olive oil, crostino
- Cold smoked steak tartare Capers, shallots, citrus aioli, giardiniera, cultured egg yolk, grilled bread
- Taberna Frutti di MareSquid ink linguine, clams, mussels, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, garlic, white wine, lobster butter
- Roman-style pizza with prosciutto and arugulaTruffle honey, roasted garlic, parmesan cream, fresh mozzarella
- jail island salmonEggplant caponata, chimichurri
Fabio Viviani’s new Bradenton restaurant is one of 30 concepts by the celebrity chef
Viviani previously opened Taverna Costale with a similar name and theme at 200 Central Avenue, Suite 165 in St. Petersburg. Viviani describes St. His Pete’s downtown restaurant as “the perfect blend of rustic Italian cuisine, vibrant local tavern, and upscale modern vibe.” restaurant. ”
Since 2005, Viviani has opened 30 “food and beverage outlets, restaurants, bars and event spaces” and served as a spokesperson for several international brands, according to his website. In addition to Taverna Costale in St. Petersburg, Florida restaurants opened by his hospitality group include Chuck Lager America’s Tavern locations in Wesley Chapel and Orlando.
Wade Tatangelo is the tickets editor for the Sarasota Herald Tribune and the Florida regional dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network.please follow him twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at Wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Please support local journalism by subscribing.