Sasse's dishes up heaping helpings of great food - and hospitality
karen FELDMAN cuisine@florida-weekly.com

Sasse's is one of those rare establishments that has succeeded in spite of its location and - at least some of the time - a less-than-gracious attitude.

Never mind that during its roughly 18 years of operation, it's sat almost undetectable at the end of a nondescript strip shopping center on Evans Avenue, a thoroughfare not customarily associated with fine dining. It didn't matter that it accepted no credit cards and limited reservations to a chosen few. Dishes came as is - no substitutions. Seating ceased at 8:15 p.m. - no exceptions. Yet lots of foodies patiently waited in line for the privilege of eating huge portions of pasta, pizza and other well-executed Italian fare that emerged from the open kitchen with the big brick oven.

A couple of years ago, the food and the crowds seem to fall off. It looked as if the restaurant's life span was ending. Then Barbara and Jerry Snyderman bought it. Although the couple may best be known for Snyderman Shoes in Fort Myers, in the early '90s, they owned the Captiva Inn, a great little restaurant in the space now occupied by Keylime Bistro. More than a decade later, semiretired from the shoe biz, they wanted to return to the restaurant world.

FLORIDA WEEKLY PHOTO KAREN FELDMAN A rich and creamy flourless chocolate cake that's not overly sweet makes a fine finish to a meal at Sasse's.

Their solution was to buy Sasse's and it has flourished in their hands. Anyone can make a reservation. They gladly accept credit and debit cards. The dining room has a fresh look with its mauve- and brickhued walls adorned with the striking blackand white photography of local architect and artist Bruce Gora. Everything is sparkling clean.

Servers, chefs and the owners go out of their way to make diners - regulars and newcomers - feel welcome.

And then there's the food - still served in oversized portions, but fresh, delicious and beautifully presented. Personally, I'd rather have appetizers that serve one, allowing ev everyone at the table to choose according to his or her individual tastes.

Still, I can't argue with the quality of what emerges from the kitchen.

FLORIDA WEEKLY PHOTO KAREN FELDMAN A lamb shank gets the royal treatment at Sasse's, braised to tender perfection, accompanied by sausage, lentils and a richly flavored sauce.

My companion and I shared a substantial bowl of mussels steamed in a garlicky white wine broth. The large mussels, our host informed us, come from Chile because the ubiquitous Prince Edward Island variety have become so popular, the little buggers don't have enough time to plump up. Those served on this evening were tender and delicious and the broth made for wonderful dipping with the fresh warm bread we were served. The seasoned olive oil that came with the bread was quite good, too, making it difficult to restrain ourselves from filling up before our mega-sized dinner arrived.

For entrees, we selected the shrimp Parmigiana and braised lamb shank. Both arrived on well-filled plates that included big bright green broccoli florets and asparagus stalks, cooked to a perfect tendercrisp consistency.

 The shrimp were large and sweet, served atop a mound of creamy polenta and dressed with a well-balanced marinara, a blanket of mozzarella and shredded Parmigiana. Although there was a goodly amount of sauce and cheese, neither overpowered the shrimp. Combined with the polenta, this was an excellent rendition of the classic dish.

The lamb shank was superb. There was no knife required to remove the tender meat from the bone. It was accompanied by slices of mild Italian sausage and lentils in a rich brown sauce as well as polenta. Once again, the sauce was flavorful, but didn't overwhelm the delicate lamb.

We ate about half of our entrees, the remainders of which our server happily packaged for us to take home.

That left us just enough room to sample the créme brulee and a flourless chocolate cake. The chef claimed his brulee was the world's best. How could we pass that up? While I can't say it's the unqualified best I've ever had, it's certainly a contender, with a creamy, eggy custard, subtle vanilla flavor and a thin crisp layer of caramelized sugar on top. It was a simple and elegant finish to the meal.

The flourless chocolate cake had a dark, dense consistency and was just sweet enough. Served with small mounds of whipped cream, it, too, was a very satisfying dessert, although I could finish only about a third of it. The rest went home along with the lamb and shrimp.

It's not just the food that's gotten new life at Sasse's. The wine service has improved, too. The by-the-glass selection was limited, but the house Montepulciano by Citra proved a good accompaniment to the meal, with lots of red fruit and jammy notes. The by-the-bottle selection isn't huge, but offers sufficient range to appeal to most palates and it appears that it's going to grow.

What I particularly liked was that the current owners have invested in respectable, full-sized wine glasses, replacing the miniscule and totally unsatisfactory vessels the previous management supplied.

Service from start to finish was terrific. The servers were all on their toes, helping one another out, filling water glasses, checking on tables and delivering food as soon as it was ready so that it arrived fresh and hot. One of the chefs and both of the owners made the rounds of every table as well, making sure that everyone was satisfied with their meals. From where I sat, I heard only overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Southwest Florida has more than enough Italian restaurants. But, even so, Sasse's stands out as something special. The food has long been the main attraction and it remains so. Now, however, fans can plan to go there knowing there will be a table and a warm welcome awaiting them in addition to a great meal.