Restaurants in Venice

“I believe that if you’re not cooking with all five senses, you’re not cooking,” declares Derek Barnes in his feature for Sarasota’s Hot Chefs. It’s this maxim that earned him a lifetime of culinary achievement, starting with a four-year stint under the expertise of Emeril Lagasse and leading to a Zagat rating for his own restaurant and the title of semifinalist in the 2009 James Beard Awards. Derek channels these achievements into the innovative dishes he creates at his eponymous restaurant, which specializes in what he calls progressive American cuisine. That “progressive” moniker can mean a lot of things, whether it’s anointing a dish of foie gras with hazelnut honey and walnut streusel or braising a savory lamb shank in the tart flavors of lime and cilantro. Unlike a time-traveling Byzantine explorer, the chef doesn’t obsess over his plentiful spice cabinet, as the menu’s simple-grill selection serves up fresh cuts of steak, fish, and poultry in a simple, unadulterated form. Each flavor note finds its ideal complement in a wine list that features 100 bottles, many of which are available by the glass.

At Selva, Latin America meets the United States atop plates splashed with "Peruvian cooking reinterpreted with polish and sophistication," according to the Herald-Tribune. Dubbed Nuevo Latino cuisine, the menu’s signature ceviches and seafood entrees hint at eastern origins due to Peru's influx of Asian immigrants. The Ceviche de Ostras, for example, is tinged with ginger and rocoto, a Peruvian pepper, divided into "three white espresso cups…each containing oysters floating in leche de tigre, or tiger's milk." Joined by more familiar dishes such as chili-glazed Chilean salmon and bone-in veal chops, the ceviches claim a large chunk of the menu. The wine list contains exotic offerings from Argentina and Italy.

The dining room vibrates around an aesthetic centerpiece, a glass wall glazed with chunks of color that conjure imagines of a swirling mosaic. With auburn walls and plush couches, the lounge area facilitates chatter and nickel-filled pillow fights as live DJs spin tracks until 1 a.m. on weekends. Outside, water spills over a wall beside the patio seating.

The Italian Grill's chefs forge southern Italian entrees based on the family recipes of the restaurant's three founders, who hailed from Naples, Sicily, and Calabria. To re-create authentic Old-World flavors, the chefs rely on traditional cooking techniques to blanch imported Italian pastas and simmer their own housemade marinara sauce. After loading pizzas with up to 13 different toppings—including bacon bits, garlic, and spinach—they bake crusts in a wood-fired brick oven, which leaves them crispy on the outside and airy on the inside, much like the deep-fried balloons clowns sell when they run out of animal shapes. Lit by conical pendant lamps, the dining room's booth-lined walls leave ample space for occasional live entertainment, which can include accordion performances.

Within a rustic Mission-style structure, the chefs at Bond bedeck sliced ciabatta and focaccia with fresh veggies, artisan cheeses, and an assortment of Italian-inspired meats. Entrees adorn plates in decorative arrangements, letting eyes steal first bites before taste buds savor each delicate seasoning. Sunlight pours into the interior dining area from huge windows, illuminating whole-wall murals and solar-activated patrons as waiters bustle orders from an open-air kitchen to the breezy outdoor patio.

The sharp angles that define the modern architecture of Tokyo Japanese SteakHouse, Sushi, and Lounge reflect the eatery's clean, aesthetically pleasing offerings of authentic Japanese sushi and hot dishes. Chefs cook up some of the menu’s teriyaki steak and seafood entrees the traditional way, behind closed doors, where their knife skills go to work as they prepare fresh meals to send out to the dining room. Hibachi tables, on the other hand, set the stage for a gastronomic performance, during which chefs sear chicken, filet mignon, and sea bass before diners' eyes. To top off the show, there’s a diverse sushi menu that includes creative options such as the Snow White roll, filled with tempura shrimp and a naiveté that’s both irritating and charming.

Sangria Tapas Bar's patrons embark on a refresher course in sharing as they swap Spanish-style hot and cold tapas and pitchers of red, rosé, white, or champagne sangria. The cold tostada de cabra small plate bedecks toast with Mediterranean goat cheese and caramelized onions; warm dishes such as Spanish meatballs in tomato sauce warm stomachs left cold from eating too many frozen TV dinners. Rotating plates share crimson-tinted table space with glittering sangrias, wines, and fine sherries.