Artisan Inspired Comfort Food in a Casually Elegant Space

On Siesta Drive, there is a small non-descript strip mall across from the Westfield Southgate Mall. This area, just east of Route 41 past Roy’s and Flemings, is home to a number of independent restaurants; one of which is Baker & Wife.

Opened in the spring of 2015, the restaurant offers a full bar area, 2 dining areas, and some outdoor dining space. The décor is bright, simple, and creative; the perfect stage for the eclectic cuisine. The globally inspired menu does not specialize in any specific cuisine but offers a wide selection of innovative, internationally inspired choices. With a selection of interesting starters, pizza, sandwiches, salads and main plates, this is the perfect place for sharing choices amongst friends or family.

For our meals we chose the following:

Roasted Cauliflower and Tomato Salad:  Arugula leaves, capers, Dijon, oregano and dill dressing. $9.25
Certainly an Italian influenced salad, with plenty of garlic, fresh and full of flavor.Honey Roasted Pumpkin and Quinoa Salad:  Tomatoes, broccoli, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, salted pumpkin seeds, popcorn.  $9.25
A very creative combination of textures and flavors. Delightful, citrusy flavor, moist, with little “bursts” of surprise flavors.
Slow Roasted Yellow Beet Salad:  Goat Cheese, basil pesto, and toasted pine nuts.  $8.25
This is a beet lover’s salad for sure. Fresh and pleasantly presented the beets were perfectly sweet.
Watermelon Feta and Greek Olives:  Arugula greens, tarragon, feta, olive oil and balsamic.  $11.75
Can you say summer fresh? This is the perfect summer salad, with sweet watery watermelon and tangy feta, arugula and balsamic. A classic combination!
Caesar Salad:  Romaine, tomatoes, creamy dressing, shaved parmesan and garlic herb focaccia.  $9.50
A simply presented yet full flavored salad. Crispy, crunchy, and fresh.
Shrimp Salad in Crisp Wonton Cup:  Cucumber, tomato, jicama, avocado, watermelon radishes, mint, cilantro, lime and Chinese fermented black bean vinaigrette.  $12.75
So good and beautiful to look at! The shrimp was perfectly prepared with wonderful textures and flavors, the vinaigrette pulled it all together….and I loved munching on that wonton cup.
Hummus Tasting:  Charred eggplant, chickpea za’atar and edamame bean hummus.  $10.50
Creamy, fresh, distinctive flavors. Eggplant was slightly smoky, cumin in the chickpea hummus. Amazing bread. A definite winner as a starter to share with friends.
Octopus Soppressata:  Shaved fennel, parmesan, grapefruit and citrus olive oil.  $12.50
Perhaps one of the more interesting and innovative menu items in Sarasota. All I can say is wow! Refreshing. Great combination of textures and flavors. Paper thin octopus. Little bit of balsamic. Very creative.
Grilled Tuna Steak Sandwich:  Yellowfin tuna, roasted garlic and cumin aioli, romaine lettuce, tomato, toasted sourdough.  $14.75
The perfect sandwich, firm, fresh, and juicy, with plenty of flavor…mouth watering delicious.
Veggie Beet Burger:  House-made grated beet burger, with basil and feta. Served with arugula, avocado, brioche bun and fries.  $10.50
A true veggie burger with golden beets shredded into a large burger, so clever, very good.
The Quilted Shroom:  Béchamel, roasted mushroom, thyme, rosemary tired with sheets of prosciutto. $13.50
Wood burning oven. Nicely formed crust. Thin, air pockets. Sweet, savory with a true earthy flavor.
Fourmaggio Pizza:  Mozzarella, gruyere, bleu cheese, parmesan, tomato, fresh thyme.  $12.50
Another clever pizza combination, rich and filling…a must for cheese lovers!
Korean Style BBQ Ribs:  Seaboard farm raised pork ribs basted with Korean bbq sauce, served with house – made Kim Chi and Baker & Wife bacon, Brussels smashed potatoes.  $17.75
Tender, fall off the bone delicious. A great combination of contrasting flavors on the plate. Nice presentation.
Salted Caramel “Pot de Crème”:  French chocolate custard topped with salted caramel and cream.  $3.50
Rich,creamy…this is most definitely a chocolate lovers delight.
Mini Lemon Meringue Pie:  Butter tart shell, house made lemon curd, fresh toasted meringue.  $3.50
Sweet, tangy, refreshingly delicious.
Lavender Shortbread Cookies with Honey Glaze:  $3.50
A simple presentation…Yummy, soft, and fresh.
House-Made Salted Caramel Cheesecake:  $6.75
A winner! It isn’t cooked; the ingredients are assembled and prepared in a small mason jar. Very clever, very good.

In addition to the food menu, Baker & Wife offers a full bar service, with specialty cocktails beer, wine, and soft drinks to accompany the food. We found the wait staffs to be very friendly, very willing to assist with menu explanations, and generally well intentioned. However there were some unusually long wait times from ordering to food delivery. To be fair, this was more an issue when the restaurant first opened but still apparent beyond the “opening learning curve.” Since we were sharing multiple dishes, this was not necessarily an issue but we could see how it might be bothersome for others.

Are you looking for culinary adventure? Do you like to share plates of creative cuisine with friends and family? Look no further because Baker & Wife can make it happen!

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