Word of Mouth gets around

ENGLEWOOD — Mario Mazzini was thrilled to see his newest Word of Mouth restaurant packed during its first week open in the heart of Englewood.

It's called Word of Mouth for a reason.

"Obviously, this is our first week, and we are very happy to be here," Mazzini said. "We want to thank everybody here in welcoming us."

Mazzini has been working in the hotel business for more than 50 years, so he's got an eye for hospitality and making customers feel comfortable. He's worked in Europe, New York, Chicago, New Orleans and now Florida.

"I retired in 2012, and for the first six months I went fishing. And then after six months, I didn't know what to do myself," he said. "I wanted to do something, so we purchased our Word of Mouth in Gulf Gate."

Word of Mouth originally began in Sarasota in 1996 before Mazzini decided to open another location in 2016 in Venice. Englewood was next on the list, and Dearborn Street was the perfect spot.

"We have really been received well on the street," he said. "We've always thought Dearborn Street was a very historical spot — and I liked the building."

Between Mazzini, his wife, two kids and staff the restaurant has been in overdrive since opening Monday in the building that was formerly Zeke's Uptown Bar & Grille at 115 W. Dearborn St.

There are already a few go-to favorites on the menu.

"We do all the baking, particularly the scones, muffins and biscuits," he said. "Our sausage, gravy and biscuits is a favorite, which is very, very good."

For those looking for some lunch options, Mazzini said the Rueben is a hit.

"We cook that in-house for four hours, and we obviously slice it as well," he said of the main ingredient, the corned beef. "It's pretty good."

A large selection of omelets, frittatas and sandwiches adorn Word of Mouth's menu. They're open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"It's been extremely busy in here since we opened, but having a lot of customers is a good problem to have," he said. "I'm really happy with how friendly and active the street has been."

Mazzini is looking for experienced cooks, hosts and waiters/waitresses to work at the new Word of Mouth location.

For more information, call 941-681-2769.