Giulia Salustri

General Manager at Le Colonne Restaurant

Giulia Salustri, her parents, brothers, and sisters moved to Sarasota from Rome nearly 25 years ago and created what soon became a pillar of St. Armands Circle: Le Colonne restaurant. Bringing with them the aromas, flavors, and longstanding traditions of “La Cucina Italiana,” the family quickly drew both local and vacationing clientele to the intimate eatery.

While her parents, siblings, and staff are in the kitchen cooking, preparing fresh pasta and sauce in the kitchen, “from organic tomatoes, not cans,” she stressed, Giulia does almost everything else. She does the employee scheduling, payroll, hiring, and most importantly, zealously oversees the menu. 

“I’m very passionate about food, and I’m very aware of the nutrition of the food and the importance of serving whole food versus processed food,” she explained. “Our customers know I use a lot of organic ingredients. Like you can see on the menu, most of our vegetables and salads, meat and some wines are organic. This is my passion. When I eat for myself, I eat organic, so, I want my customers to have the same. I want them to eat what I eat.”

Among Giulia’s other passions are the arts, being a patron and a trained classical pianist. “I’ve really found a community here, and I moved here because I’ve found what I was looking for, which was the arts,” she said. She passed along her dedication to the classics to her daughters: one a studied ballet dancer, and the other a trained opera singer with the Sarasota Youth Opera.

Giulia is also a real estate diva with a deep fondness for our community, promoting its many charms as her time permits. However, on a Saturday morning, you’ll likely see her at the Farmers Market, carefully selecting some robust eggplant, zucchini, or other fresh, colorful produce for mouthwatering restaurant entrees to come. 

Giulia Salustr
General Manager
Le Colonne Restaurant
22 S Boulevard of the Presidents, Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 388-4348
gm.lecolonne@yahoo.com