Bluewater Healthy Living reports that Adeline is scheduled to serve its last dinner on October 4. Three blocks away on South Osprey Avenue, Alma de España opened this August in the space that used to hold Ka Papa Cuisine. Both are within walking distance of Morton's Gourmet Market, the store that has anchored this stretch of Southside Village since 1969. Together, these updates offer a snapshot of recent restaurant activity in Southside Village, alongside the area’s longstanding local businesses.
Recent changes in Southside Village include Adeline's closure, a planned reopening of the same space under a more casual concept, and Alma de España's opening. Morton's Gourmet Market and Blu Home are among the longer-running local businesses discussed here.
Adeline's Closing
Adeline sits at 1920 Hillview Street in a space that has changed names before. Co-owner and chef Drew Adams rebranded it from Meliora in late 2024, building an inventive New American menu that drew coverage from the Tampa Bay Times and the New York Times. It was, by any measure, a serious restaurant.
Co-owner Edward Zaki described the decision to close as the product of a tough summer. He cited extreme heat, which kept people off the sidewalks, ongoing hurricane recovery and a decline in international visitors, who make up a meaningful share of Sarasota's high-end dining traffic. Adeline was a special-occasion restaurant, with a format distinct from casual midweek dining.
The Hillview Street space is slated for a new concept.
Mimi Is Planned for November
Zaki plans to reopen the same room in November as Mimi, described as a more casual and affordable restaurant and cocktail lounge.
Zaki also owns 1592 Wood Fired Kitchen & Cocktails downtown and Lucky 8 in Southside Village; both are casual restaurants.
Alma de España's Menu
Alma de España opened this August at 1830 South Osprey Avenue, in the space that used to hold the vegan restaurant Ka Papa Cuisine. Chef and owner Elier Rodriguez has real fine-dining credentials: Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta, time at La Côte at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, and stints at the Michelin-starred Picasso, Le Cirque in Las Vegas, and Petrossian in West Hollywood.
Alma de España serves Spanish tapas and grill dishes in a shared-plate format, adding another dining option in Southside Village.
| Special-occasion dining | Casual and shared-plate dining | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Tasting menu, special-occasion room | Shared plates, casual lounge, counter service |
| Recent example | Adeline (closing Oct. 4) | Mimi (opening November, same room) |
| Also fits | Alma de España, Gecko's Hillview, Morton's deli counter |
A Southside Village Anchor
Morton's Gourmet Market at 1924 South Osprey Avenue is the reason Southside Village has a customer base to build a restaurant row on top of. Owner Todd Morton is the third generation to run it. His grandfather bought the store in 1969 after working for the previous owner, Marable's, and the family has kept the same chef-driven, deli-and-bakery model ever since. For 25 years, the Morton family has run the Firehouse Chili Cook-Off to benefit the Sarasota Fire Fighters Benevolent Fund, the kind of civic fixture that doesn't happen to businesses passing through.
A Longstanding Home-Furnishings Business
Blu Home, the custom upholstery, lighting, and home decor shop co-owned by Nicole Dolan and Chelsea Dunbar, marked ten years in the same Southside Village storefront this spring.
What This Means If You Already Walk These Blocks
For anyone who already treats Hillview Street and South Osprey Avenue as part of a normal week, here's the practical version of all of this:
- Alma de España is open now at 1830 S. Osprey Ave, Suite 104, serving Spanish tapas and grill dishes.
- Adeline closes October 4. The same room at 1920 Hillview Street reopens in November as Mimi, a more casual restaurant and cocktail lounge from the same ownership group.
- Morton's Gourmet Market's Osprey Avenue flagship isn't changing.
- Blu Home is still at its usual spot, ten years in and still the place for a custom rug or reupholstered chair.
None of this changes where you park or which sidewalk table you like best on a Friday. These changes offer a snapshot of the restaurants and shops operating along the block.
If you're curious how a corridor like this one factors into value for the homes around it, that's a conversation worth having with people who track it block by block. The team at RSTS Group works this part of Sarasota regularly and can walk you through what a neighborhood's day-to-day rhythm, not just its listings, tends to say about it. Start with the Sarasota neighborhoods page or search all homes when you're ready to look closer.
