Flashes of Genius at Sarasota’s Galileo
November 28th, 2008 by Brian Ries in Food and Drink, News, Sarasota-Manatee
Galileo Ristorante
3.5 stars
443 Burns Court, Sarasota, 927-9600 or eataliana.com.
Galileo has been part of the Sarasota dining scene for seven years, but you might not know it. Sure, this fine-dining Italian spot has a cadre of committed regulars, but the restaurant’s former location kept it largely out of public view. Boatyard Plaza — just east of the south bridge to Siesta Key, home to Coasters and little else — is a dead zone for many locals. “It was great for the first two to three years,” explains head server Alex Earl, “a bustling little area. Then, one by one, the shops began moving out.”
To be successful, Galileo had to follow suit.
A few months ago, when Uva Rara closed and its primo downtown spot in Burns Court went on the market, Galileo’s chef/owner Tom Harvey saw his opportunity. Central location. Historic building. Large outdoor patio. It didn’t take much thought before he signed the lease and called in the moving trucks.
The move has worked out well for a number of reasons. Since Uva Rara and Galileo had similar culinary bents, there was an easy transition for Burns Court diners. Galileo’s regulars – many of whom made the long drive from Longboat Key – are happy with the shorter commute. And Harvey’s accomplished Italian cooking is creating a whole new group of regulars who never would have cruised into the Boatyard.
Most of Harvey’s menu is classic Italian garnered from his mom’s Sicilian family and the upstate New York Italian community he grew up in, filtered through a classical education at the Culinary Institute of America and a stint as the executive chef for the House of Representatives. The result is refined food that manages an occasional rustic blast of flavor.
Like in Galileo’s penne con salsiccia ($15.95), which looks like a typical bowl of pasta and red sauce studded with tiny bits of sausage. In the mouth, it’s a revelation, redolent of sage and spice, the homemade sausage adding a luxurious richness to the San Marzano tomato sauce. This is one of those dishes that’s difficult to share. Hell, it’s difficult to stop yourself from ordering a second bowl.
A special of ribeye alla fiorentina ($28.95) seems similarly innocuous at first glance: steak, fried onions, not much to it. But it’s ideally cooked, the surface crusted with an herb and spice blend caramelized by high heat, the interior rosy red and pillow-soft. That rub is what makes it truly special, though, filling each bite with accents of rosemary and spicy heat, just enough to accent the luscious meat.
Easily the best steak I’ve had this year.
The rest of the menu is just as accomplished, but without the flashes of greatness present in those two dishes. Lobster ravioli ($11.95) is tasty but standard, with a restrained sauce that relies more on cream than fresh flavors. Surprisingly sweet dressing laced with a touch of smoky bacon douses Galileo’s spinach salad ($8.50). In shrimp and blue crab pasta ($18.95), the shellfish is almost overwhelmed by a tomato broth loaded with dried herbs.
Galileo’s duck ($22.95) is picture perfect, a fan of identical slices of medium rare breast lined by slender strips of almost-crisp skin around a pile of sauteed spinach that’s a bit overcooked. The accompanying peppercorn sauce lacks peppery bite, but the reduced balsamic is a good match with the rich meat.
One of Galileo’s signature dishes is a hanger steak crusted in gorgonzola and breadcrumbs ($22.95), recently pimped by Judi Gallagher on her cable access show. I’m less of a fan. The steak is almost unseasoned, probably to compensate for the mass of herb and salt in the topping, but that means that the meat can’t compete. All you taste in every bite is garlic, salty crumbs and blue cheese that’s become oddly dried out by time under the broiler. You might as well leave the steak off the dish.
And when Harvey gives the same treatment that made me such a fan of his ribeye to a slab of tuna ($26.95), it doesn’t have the same impact. The fish ends up a bland lump that never gains the subtle influence of spice and herb. The success of those two sublime dishes I mentioned earlier, however, more than compensates for a few missteps, especially considering the quality of the rest of the food.
The atmosphere helps, too. Inside the converted 1920s house are cozy dining rooms packed with tables and plushly cushioned chairs. There’s an enclosed patio overlooking the theater across the lane, and the cobbled courtyard complete with burbling fountain is a great spot for temperate times. The servers are knowledgeable, speedy and give the feeling that they actually like working at Galileo, that they’re invested in its success.
Once a few more people discover this old restaurant in its new digs, and get a taste of Harvey’s occasionally exquisite cuisine, I don’t think they’ll have anything to worry about.
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December 1st, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Mr. Ries, thank you for your mostly kind words. I read most of your reviews and know that you write from a cynical and sometime sarcastic point of view. A point of view I am familiar with because I too see the world much in the same way as you do.
I wish to make of couple of comments on this acticle however to correct a few points and to accept some of the critisism. First, I agree with your take on the Tuna alla Fiorentina, I missed the mark on that one. The raw fish was so perfect, we get much of our fish overnighted from The Honalulu fish company, that I cut it before I knew how I was going to cook it. I cut it into steaks but should have cut it into blocks, this would have been better suited to the preparation I chose, because the thicker blocks could have stayed on the grill longer thus developing the flavor I had sought.
Secondly, my last name is Harvey, not Hardy. I only correct you on this because my surname is the most important thing my father ever gave me.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Sorry about the mistake with your name, Tom. The misspelling has been corrected, and will be correct in this week’s issue.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I would also like to add, that sarasota is one of the worlds largest in-door/out-door nursing homes in the world. The sheer number of request for altered menu items I get a night is disheartening. I probably do under season dishes often because of this nightly beatdown. Just this past weekend I nearly quit the business altogether due to unbearable sense of entitlement older Sarasotans burden the rest of us with. Sauce on the side, no salt please, no parsley on top, make the butter sauce with no butter. It was funny in “When Harry met Sally” but now the joke is on me.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:57 pm
This is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in Sarasota. I have never had anything but wonderful experiences. Last time I was there I thoroughly enjoyed a grilled rack of lamb with lemon and mint, served over arugula. I was actually tempted to pick up each bone and gnaw it bare. I love the new location, but always felt the drive to the old place, well worth it.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Thomas —
I’m very sorry about the name as well. It seemed so clear that I never asked her to spell it.
And dude, I feel your pain when it comes to the Sarasota dining scene. You just have to remember that cooking for those who don’t appreciate it is what pays to keep the lights on, then try to find solace in the almost-as-sizable crowd of Sarasotans who actually love food.