Sarasota Magazine 1255 N. Gulfstream Avenue, Suite 101, Sarasota, FL 34236 Phone: (941) 487-1100

Think of frozen pizza and you'll likely picture a sad DiGiorno reheated and consumed on the couch on a lazy weeknight when you're too exhausted to make anything better. But, as one Sarasota pizzeria is demonstrating, it doesn't have to be that way.

Antonio and Jay Mancini are the husband and wife co-owners of Atmosphere, a pizzeria that we've ranked among the best restaurants in Sarasota. But the restaurant, located in an unassuming strip mall storefront, isn't the only place you can obtain the Mancinis' exceptional pies. The couple also makes their Neapolitan-style pizzas available frozen.

Initially selling directly to consumers through Shopify, the Mancinis quickly found themselves struggling, like many small business owners, with supply chain issues. So they pivoted to commercial accounts, selling a consistent supply of frozen pizzas to retailers. Now over a year in, their business model is booming, with area favorites like Morton’s Siesta Market slinging their top-notch pies, which have been rebranded as Vesuvio pizzas.

The frozen offerings are made in the same manner as the fresh and hot pizzas at the restaurant. They're baked in an authentic wood-burning oven to create the signature Neapolitan char on the crust, and the pies are then blast-chilled to below freezing temperatures to maintain peak quality.

You can also find their pizzas at Italian markets like La Violetta and Casa Italia, as well as the Olive Oil Outpost on Anna Maria Island. If you want a dine-in experience, you can stop by Dive Wine & Spirits on Clark Road, where the craft cocktail speakeasy is heating and serving Atmosphere’s pies to accompany its creative libations.

Diners are still welcome to visit the restaurant in person, of course, but now you can also enjoy great pizza at home in your pajamas, if you don’t feel like making the trek.

Atmosphere is located at 935 N. Beneva Road, Sarasota. For more info call (941) 203-8452.

A Feast Fit For a Mother