New Italian bakery, restaurant has opened on Anna Maria Island
Eleanora and Luigi Raso, with their partners Paul Shepherd and Glenn Glubiak, this week opened Breakfast at Victoria’s in Holmes Beach.
The restaurant at 5315 Gulf Drive is in space formerly occupied by another restaurant, Eat Here, and is around the corner from the Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce.
What’s in a name? Quite a bit, actually.
Breakfast at Victoria’s, named after the Raso’s 5-year-old daughter, is an Italian bakery that also serves lunch. As early as next week, they plan to open a wine bar in the evenings, serving 60 wines from around the world, plates to share, flatbreads, fresh seafood and cheeses and meats imported from Italy.
In addition, the partners plan to open more Breakfast at Victoria’s restaurants, perhaps next in Lakewood Ranch.
The first thing you notice when entering Breakfast at Victoria’s is the bakery display case, featuring fresh-baked loaves of bread and sweet pastry offerings made daily on site.
Even though Monday was opening day, customers lined up early for breakfast or for one of the tempting baked items.
“We had a good early crowd,” Eleanora said.
The breakfast menu includes frittatas, prosciutto benedict items, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, French toast, pancakes, waffles and more.
At the top of the breakfast menu is the Victoria’s breakfast combo: two eggs your way, choice of bacon or sausage, white, rye or wheat toast, and fruit of vegetable for $11.99.
The Rasos also have a 2-year-old daughter, Sophia, and she has a breakfast combo named after her as well, including two pancakes or waffles, choice of bacon or sausage and two eggs your way for $12.99.
The lunch menu offers sandwiches, burgers, wraps and salads.
Breakfast at Victoria’s has seating for 32 inside and for 16 outside.
Citing damage from Hurricane Ian, the owners decided to close a previous Breakfast at Victoria’s at 4141 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, and focus on their new location.
Luigi is from Naples, Italy, while Eleanora is from Florence. They met in Sarasota in 2013 and were married in this country.
Paul Shepherd and Glenn Glubiak own a sports restaurant in Stoneybrook, N.Y.
They were looking for a location for a sports restaurant in the Bradenton-Sarasota area when they came across the Holmes Beach restaurant space. While it was too small for the sports restaurant they envisioned, they thought it might be a good fit for Luigi and Eleanora.
“We met them and hit it off,” Shepherd said of the partnership with the Rasos and their warm, friendly manner. “They are perfectionists — and that’s good. They work around the clock,” he said.
Breakfast at Victoria’s is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week. Starting next week, they owners plan to also be open 5-9 p.m., seven days a week.
For more information, call 941-567-6001.
