One of the best parts about running this blog is being able to put together events for new restaurants in our area. In the location formerly known as Joseph’s Diner and the previous owners from the much loved Caffe Panini on Venice Island, Cucina Gloria in Nokomis, FL is a cozy new Italian restaurant serving up Italian comfort foods and a more traditional Italian pizza. It was so wonderful to coordinate this event for the Foodies to enjoy! If you’re looking for pizza in Nokomis, FL, this is definitely a spot to try.
Our Foodies Event at Cucina Gloria
This event at Cucina Gloria took place at the end of February when the tourist season is nearing its peak. However, you would never know that by the smiling faces of the entire staff. We were greeted with warm hellos into a dining room that embodied the comfort of an Italian grandmother’s house. Beautiful wooden chairs with plush seats make sitting around the table with your family comfortable and relaxing.
Making New Friends at our Foodies Event
While Cucina Gloria has an incredible variety of Italian dishes on the menu, we decided to focus on their pizza menu for this event. For our group members, they received 10% off of their pizzas! (If you haven’t joined our group yet, head over to Facebook and join the Venice Foodies Community) It was amazing to see everyone in person instead of just on a computer screen. There were people who had never been to an event and were first time guests at Cucina Gloria there, which is always exciting!
Looking for Pizza in Nokomis?
When Caffe Panini was still on the island, I loved their various paninis, but I was also a fan of theirs because everything from the bread and mozzarella to the sweet balsamic dressing is made fresh in-house daily. This is not your average NY style pizza. This is the classy, more traditional Italian version of pizza! The crust has a nice crisp on the outside while being soft and pillowy as you chew. The sauce doesn’t come as close to the edge and the fresh mozzarella that is made in house just can’t be beat. The menu for this evening featured pizzas like my favorite, the “Margarita” consisting of simple tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil leaves.
This evening, I had my daughter, Elena and her best friend Calli with us, who both preferred pepperoni. Even though it wasn’t on our special menu, it is available as a topping!
Pizzas on my list to try:
- Rustica – Tomato sauce, mozzarella, Italian sausage and mushroom
- Prosciutto – Tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, cherry tomatoes & shaved Parmigiano
- Quattro Formaggi – Provolone, Parmigiano, mozzarella & gorganzola cheese
- Siciliana – Tomato sauce, mozzarella, grilled eggplant & fresh basil
Other Notable Dishes:
As a Jersey girl myself, the real star is the homemade bread! If you are from the NY/NJ area, I’m sure you’ll understand when I say it’s so hard to find a loaf of good bread in Florida! Well, look no further. The homemade bread coming out of Cucina Gloria is just what I’ve been missing. When the basket hits your table, it’s still piping hot and worth burning your fingertips to get that first bite!
Finally… Tiramisu!
Elena’s birthday is February 13th, so this event coordinated very well with celebrating! We received a beautifully presented Tiramisu that tasted even better than it looked! Each layer clearly defined, rich in coffee flavor without being overwhelming and a nice whipped cream on top… It was the perfect ending to our perfect evening.
Where can I find live music in Nokomis?
As luck would have it, just as we were finishing up, the live music started. To my delight, it was locally popular Joey O! I often enjoy hearing him play at the Venice Farmer’s Market. I’m not much of a videographer, but I did record a little snippet for you to hear that I posted below! Cucina Gloria has live entertainment Thursday through Sunday and karaoke on Mondays in their beer and wine lounge. They also offer a happy hour daily. Be sure to follow their Facebook page for specials and updates!
Where is Cucina Gloria?
Cucina Gloria is located at 625 N Tamiami Trail suite D, Nokomis, FL 34275. They offer dine-in, take-out and delivery in Nokomis, FL! You can call (941) 480-0095 for more information or to place your order!
We love doing these events!
We have had events at Blu Island Bistro, Tikka Indian Cuisine, Off The Wagon and many others. If you own a restaurant and would like to set up an event, click here!
