A high-end Sarasota Mexican restaurant reopened under new ownership Sept. 18 in Gulf Gate, two weeks after its abrupt closure.
The restaurant at 6644 Gateway Ave. is temporarily retaining the Kolucan Mexican Bar & Grill name but will soon become Garibaldi Bar & Grill, according to an Instagram post.
In the Sept. 15 post, musician Juan Bongoe announced a Sept. 18 grand-opening celebration featuring live Latin music. The event was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
New owners Guillermo Larios and Margarito Rosas have introduced a new menu and refreshed the restaurant with a warm, welcoming atmosphere, the Herald-Tribune observed.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, but the adjacent Frida Lounge at 6630 Gateway Ave. will remain closed while undergoing
additional renovations.
When did Kolucan in Sarasota close?
Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill announced its immediate closure Sept. 4 on social media, citing “circumstances beyond our control.”
“Thank you for three amazing years,” reads the second of two messages Kolucan posted on social media Sept. 4. “It has been an honor to serve this community. We hope that every meal and every conversation brought you joy.”
Kolucan opened as a partnership between Gino Calleja, owner of Sarasota’s beloved Reyna’s Taqueria, and Jose Rojas, former chef at downtown Sarasota’s Louies Modern. The fine-dining destination built a loyal following during its roughly five-year run before closing in 2019.
Offering a more upscale counterpart to Reyna’s Taqueria, Kolucan paired chic indoor and patio seating with an elevated dinner menu. It could also delight with a deceptively simple lunch of uncommonly good tacos and equally alluring sopa de tortilla paired with a cold beer.
What’s on the menu at Garibaldi Bar & Grill, formerly Kolucan?
Garibaldi’s menu has a heavier emphasis on seafood than Kolucan’s.
Dishes include pulpo zarandeado, featuring grilled octopus in a smoky chile adobo, and grouper a la veracruzana, served with tomatoes, peppers, onions, olives, capers, rice and salad.
Torre de Mariscos combines raw and cooked shellfish with cucumber, onion, mango and avocado, served with tostadas.
Vuelve a la Vida features shrimp, octopus, squid, oysters and ceviche in a tangy tomato broth.
Molcajetes, served in heated volcanic-rock bowls, are available with beef, chicken or seafood. The Molcajete Mar y Tierra includes shrimp, steak, chorizo, cactus, pineapple and cheese in a house sauce, while the Molcajete del Mar features octopus, shrimp, fried tilapia, onion, cheese and chile toreado.
Traditional beef and chicken entrees, including tacos, enchiladas and fajitas, are also available.
Kolucan location in Gulf Gate has housed many restaurants since 2010
Kolucan occupied a modern white building with large windows, a limestone-clad facade and an outdoor dining area at the prominent corner of Gateway Avenue and Gulf Gate Drive.
The building remains owned by Tracy Melone and her husband, Nick, through Panificio South LLC.
It opened in 2010 as an expansion site for Il Panificio, the popular Italian restaurant and deli based on Main Street in Sarasota.
Il Panificio operated in one portion of the 10,220-square-foot facility. The Il Panificio Family Group opened It’s Piatti, an Italian bistro and bar, in October 2011 in the building’s northern portion, which has a separate address of 6630 Gateway Ave.
In 2017, Solomon Shenker began sharing space with Il Panificio for the third iteration of Sol’s NYC Deli.
In 2018, Nick and Tracy Melone opened Off the Hook Seafood Co. in the 6630 Gateway Ave. space. The following year, Off the Hook expanded to occupy the entire Gateway Avenue location, while Il Panificio moved to 2047 Reynolds St.
Opus SRQ, an upscale modern Mediterranean restaurant, replaced Off the Hook in October 2021.
Kolucan opened in September 2023 in the 6644 Gateway Ave. space, with Frida Lounge opening at 6630 Gateway Ave.
The Herald-Tribune included Kolucan on its list of the best new Sarasota restaurants of 2023.
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook, and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com.
Wade Tatangelo is the executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Closed Sarasota restaurant returns with new owners and menu | Exclusive
