Primo !

While still early in the week, a couple of Divas were already exhausted from their time spent w*&#ing…. doing that thing we don’t like to talk about (four letter word – end result – income – allowing us to be The Dining Divas). Any-hooo …. nothing better to nurture a Diva’s spirit than Italian cuisine! Garlic, wine, more garlic, adorable waiters, more wine ….something about the comfort of family comes to mind too when thinking of Italian food. After slight deliberation (Detail Diva and Expressive Diva, if left on their own, might not be able to make the decision before the kitchen closed!!!) off we went …. North on the Trail, US 41, very near the airport, to Primo! Ristorante.

Although we had seen the signs …. You know the ones with the rather buxom Italian woman presenting a nice plate of pasta and a glass of wine …. The Divas had not yet experienced the delights ahead. Ahhh … a nice dimly lit, aromatic, and inviting entrance …. Definitely on the right track so far (Hardworking Divas beginning to relax). A pleasant greeting and invitation to follow the hostess and before we knew it we were transported to Italy … (ok – we know we weren’t really, but please play along). The décor overflowed with pictures of Italy, fun family type photos, and quirky familiar Italian tchotchkes (you know – knick knacks!), while Frank serenaded us …. We noticed a combination of tables, bar seating, and cozy booths, options to please all.

Now ….The Food

First was the usual dilemma over wine….Fortunately for us our waiter had a few excellent choices and we allowed him to make the selections – good decision! We selected the Amalfi Salad with shrimp, mussels, scallops and calamari served on greens with balsamic vinaigrette (world famous Colucci Dressing is for sale on the premises for $4.99 a bottle) – Exotic and delectable – don’t stop too early – the dish improves with each bite! Next was Rigatoni Julian sautéed with bacon, peas and vodka tomato cream sauce. This was the tastiest choice for the evening. The Sophia Loren with capellini, crabmeat, fresh asparagus and sun dried tomatoes sautéed in pinot garlic light cream sauce. It was light, fresh and delicious! The Eggplant Rollatini was traditional. The showstopper of the evening was the tiny side dish of pasta with fresh tomatoes and garlic – classic fresh, delicious Italian food! The service was exceptional! All this said, Brilliant Diva was not along to keep us in check …..we enjoyed far too much wine and blew the budget! And to make matters worse, we realized Primo! offers coupons on their website that could have helped us avoid overspending (as for the wine – it was a necessity). Ciao!

Primo! Ristorante, 8076 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243 941-359-3690