I would not be surprised if one day soon Michelangelo’s David statue, a symbol for Sarasota, is replaced by a sculpture of a giant meatball resplendent on a mound of melting mozzarella. That’s how strong the Italian restaurant trend is locally. One out of two eateries that opens is Italian, and, frankly, there’s not much difference in the preparations.

But a small new storefront restaurant called Pazzo is distinguishing itself by its New York-style Italian cooking and a smart Southside Village location. The surrounding streets are filled with young families and retirees, all of whom like heading—often walking—to a local eatery rather than driving downtown.