The new kid on the block: Downtown Sarasota's Mozzarella Fella.

What’s in a name? EVERYTHING!!!  

My gut told me Mozzarella Fella was going to be something good. My gut was wrong--it isn’t  just good, it's GREAT!

Slicing up glorious fresh mozzarella.

Picture yourself tucking into real New York bread--you know, the kind you have to tug at with your teeth--and getting just the right pull to know your sandwich has gumption. Then think about tender veal cutlet, breaded and topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, sautéed broccoli rabe with sliced garlic. And then go ahead: top that bite with sundried tomatoes. Now you'll see why Mozzarella Fella's sandwiches are not just good--they are Staten Island/Brooklyn on a sunny summer day good. This is real deal Italian. All the place needs now is fresh lemon ice and I might just sit down and cry for joy!

My veal sandwich was topped with garlicky broccoli rabe.

Other sandwiches blew me away, too. We tried fried eggplant with mozzarella and yellow peppers, as well as a chicken parm sandwich--just outright gooey classics. I love you, Mozzarella Fella--by far best sandwiches in town!!!  My next visit may involve a fried calamari, red onion and lemon mayo sandwich--how can I abandon my napkin so easily? Heck no--I am staying with my three-sandwich rule.

Yum.

The salads are just as good, all served with fresh greens, including a real tomato-mozzarella salad seasoned with that slight bite of sea salt and full of ripe tomatoes. The prices at Mozzarella Fella average about seven to eight bucks for a full sandwich, and I would sell my car for one. Well, maybe that is a bit over-dramatic, but these prices are beyond fair and are some of the best downtown. Only one complaint--I wish the staff didn’t have to wear those darn Yankee hats. But heck, for the incredible sandwiches Mozzarella Fella is putting out, this Red Sox fan will gladly ignore the poor taste in baseball.

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