BCjr's Profile
Marco Island and Naples, Florida
I'll give you some info on Marco Island since Naples is very well covered on this board.
My favorite on Marco for seafood is Little Bar, in the Goodland area. It's an unusual place that has some really good bands several nights a week. Don't worry. The music is in the bar and not in the dining areas.
You'd probably like DaVinci's. A very good italian menu with sushi available ! I also like Bistro Soleil. French food is the specialty and if you like Moules Frites, this is the place for you.
Most restaurants here have websites so you can google them and check out their menus. Other favorites of mine include Marek's, Cafe De Marco, Marco Polo and Arturo's. All have numerous seafood entrees that are very good, as well as other worthwhile selections.
Sale E Pepe is probably the most upscale restaurant on the island. Its' menu is geared toward Italian food. It's located in the Marco Beach Ocean Resort. There is both indoor and outdoor seating right on the beach.
Enjoy and let us know what you liked.
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Marco Polo Restaurant
30 Marco Lake Dr Ofc Ofc, Marco Island, FL 34145
Cafe De Marco
244 Palm Dr, Naples, FL 34112
Blue Agave Tequila Bar & Grill Opens in East Naples
My wife and I tried it for lunch and I was underwhelmed.
The tortilla chips and salsa they put on the table were very good. The server was friendly and quite helpful. I started with the ceviche. Upon arrival, the first thing I thougt was, "Salmon in a Mexican Ceviche ?" With all of the fishing I've done in Mexico I never ran into a salmon. The ceviche tasted as though it had been marinating for a week. The fish tasted fishy and was a bit mealy on the outside. I'm a ceviche fan and eat it often. This was the worst I've had in awhile.
I then had the fish tacos. They were just OK. Not a whole lot of fish. Some type of sauce (chipotle mayo ?) on it and not much else. For my taste, the fish tacos at Tommy Bahamas and Nacho Mamas on Marco have it all over these.
My wife had the combo fajitas and really liked them. I tasted them and thought they were very good. The charred tortillas were a nice touch and added to the flavor.
They did a nice job with the interior. Makes for a nice vibe.
I wish them luck and will probably try it again, although I wouldn't go out of my way to do so.
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Nacho Mama's
599 S Collier Blvd Ste 201, Marco Island, FL 34145
Raw oysters, crabs. Looking for current posts for Naples/Marco Island
It is open and it is top notch.
Raw oysters, crabs. Looking for current posts for Naples/Marco Island
I'm told that the best oysters on Marco Island are at the Crazy Flamingo in the Town Centre shopping center.
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Crazy Flamingo
1035 N Collier Blvd Ste 313, Marco Island, FL 34145
IM Tapas in Naples, Florida
Thanks for the heads up. IM Tapas is my favorite. I grabbed a certificate for the Real Macaw too. It's a pretty cool place with very good food.
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Real Macaw
3275 Bayshore Dr, Naples, FL 34112
New Marco Island Restaurant ?
I was told a new sports bar/restaurant was coming to Marco Island in the space of the old Bubbalini's in Town Centre. Does anyone have any info on it ?
Marco Island for a business lunch
I'd suggest the Sale E Pepe restaurant at the Marco Beach Ocean Resort. Beautiful place with a beautiful view of the gulf. Both indoor and outdoor seating. Easy to find, right on Collier Blvd. I think your guests will be impressed.
what do you think of my naples' restaurants short list?
Does Inca's have a happy hour ? If so, I'd stop after golf.
what do you think of my naples' restaurants short list?
If I'm not mistaken, Inca's has a limited menu at lunch so you might want to call ahead before going.
Eating on Marco Island Florida
You can probably do a search on this site and find past entries that will help. Not much has changed in the past year or two. Bistro Soleil is a really good new French restaurant probably not noted before.
Most of the restaurants have their own websites, so I won't go into specifics. Verdi's is very good and consistent, as is Marek's, DaVinci's (Italian, but with a sushi bar) and Cafe De Marco. Nice bay views at the Esplanade where CJ's, Tara's (high end steakhouse) and Guy Harvey's are located. Even a Cold Stone there for your 11 year old.
The Sunset Grille is a good casual choice, located in the Apollo condos. Best Philly cheesesteak and surprisingly a very good Ahi Tuna. Right on the beach.
Head to Goodland for real good seafood at Little Bar. And for a relaxed lunch with great views and lots of outdoor seating take a ride to Pelican Bend on the Isles of Capri.
Another neat, little place is the Dolphin Tiki, located within the Anglers Cove condos on Bald Eagle. On the water, laid back place where you'll find some locals hanging out.
For breakfast it seems the favorites are Ne Ne's and Hoots, but I prefer Chefs Express with their more imaginative menu and outdoor seating.
March is about the most crowded time on Marco so make sure you have reservations. Let's hope the weather shapes up by then. This has been a lousy winter so far.
Cheese in Naples
Does anyone know of a store with a really good cheese selection in the Marco Island/Naples area ? I was recently in France and the cheeses, along with the wines and breads were amazing.
Marco Island this weekend
For seafood, head over to Goodland and hit Little Bar.
Since you're eating with kids one night you might try the Sunset Grill at the Apollo Condos, about half a mile south of where you'll be staying. On the beach, good casual food ( the best Philly Cheesesteak around and a really good Tuna Tataki), trivia games on the TV's, pool table, shuffleboard. Casual and comfortable.
Super Pollo II - Brick, NJ
I just picked up 2 chickens this week. They were $9 each. On the small side, but delicious.
They sign on the door says they open at 11:00. I got there at 11:35 and the chicken wasn't ready. An hour later I went back and got them.
Marie's Bakery in Forked River
i understand that they had been trying to sell it for quite some time and finally gave up. I really wasn't thrilled with most of their stuff.
Although I haven't been myself, I have been told that the Waretown Bakery on Rt. 9 is under new management and has great cheese buns and terrific rye bread. Might be worth a shot.
Is there Japanese food on Marco Island?
The downtown area (5th Ave.) of Naples, where there's lots of restaurants and shops, is about a 30 minute ride. It's easy to get to. Just take Collier back off of the island. When you hit Rt. 41 turn left. Eventually you'll see signs for 5th Ave. You really can't miss it because 41 takes a hard bend right and by staying straight you go on to 5th.
I don't know what you think of tapas, or if the kids would enjoy eating that way, but I M Tapas isn't far from 5th and it's excellent.
There's also an interesting restaurant on 41, near St. Andrews Blvd. (I think) called Eurasia. It's a combo Vietnamese-Italian restaurant. The Vietnamese choices include some good veggie items. Might be worth a try.
Is there Japanese food on Marco Island?
There's the Tokyo Inn in the shopping center at Barfield and San Marco. They have hibachi tables and serve sushi. Nothing special, but it's Japanese.
They also serve decent sushi at the Crazy Flamingo and at DaVinci's Italian restaurant.
If you're looking for other types of food there are a number of past listings on this site, or just ask for more specifics. I live there half the year and would be glad to help.
Driving from RI to DC, figure to hit Trenton area around lunchtime...where would you go?
That's what I would do.
Naples off season, discounts?
Give www.naplesoriginals.com. You might find some deals there.
Dinner in or near Bayville
If I don't say it, someone else will. You may want to head a little north to Toms River and Bistro 44. You can find lots of info about it on this site.
If you want to stay right in Bayville you can try Martells. I was surprised by how good it was the past two times I've gone, after having several less than great meals prior to that. It's on the bay, so the view is really nice. There's an outside bar too.
Another possibility I'll throw out is the Ocean Gate House, which is nearby. It's a nice quiet colonial type setting. I understand there are new owners that have turned the menu toward Italian. I haven't heard anything about it lately, but would like to know more if anyone has been there.
Bistro 44 is a byo while the others are not.
Marco Island/Naples
If you don't want to drive to Naples you can get a very good steak at Tara's right in the Esplanade, about 2 miles from the Marriott. I wasn't much of a fan when they were in their old location, but we had dinner there just before our trip north in early May and it was excellent. We had the porterhouse for two and it was as good as I'd had anywhere. And I'm a steak eater.
Regarding breakfast, the previously noted places are all good, but my favorite is Chef's Express, located in the shops of the Olde Marco Inn. I think it's on Palm Street, which is a left turn when you hit the end of Bald Eagle near Snook Inn.
It's an outdoor place where you sit among pretty plants and tables with umbrellas. Their menu has the standard stuff, but they always have some less than usual choices as well. Their quiches are excellent. They even allow pets (their little dog is usually milling around) which adds to the quirkiness.
www.tarasteakandlobsterhouse.com
www.thechefsexpress.com
Marco Island/Naples
The old Marco Pub is in a little strip center, so I don't think that's the one. There are probably a hundred bars, restaurants, and businesses with the name Marco in them.
Two places come to mind that, while I wouldn't describe them as a shack, are in buildings which are in less than stellar condition and are in the Old Marco area, which is in the vicinity of Bald Eagle Drive. They are Snook Inn, which I've previously mentioned, and the Sand Bar, which has the best wings around.
There is a bar, Jack's Lookout, that would qualify as a shack, but as far as food goes I think they only have hot dogs. It's on the water along Bald Eagle near the Anglers Cove condos.
Within Anglers Cove there is a small place called Dolphin Tiki. I had forgotten about it until you mentioned a "shack". As the name implies it is a tiki bar/restaurant which actually has some decent food. When they have prime rib, it's very good. They always seem to have a few specials.
One last place that qualifies as a shack would be Marker 8, which used to be the Crabby Lady in the Goodland area of Marco.
Hope this helps.
Stilts- Marco Island-Yuck
I'm a part timer.
And I should add that a few friends have since been to Stilts and gave it mixed reviews. Hopefully over time it is or will get better.
Marco Island/Naples
The Sunset Grill at the Apollo condos is very relaxed and priced well by Marco standards. It's right on the beach. The menu is by no means upscale, but there is a decent variety the kids will probably like. They have the best Philly Cheesesteak in town and their Tuna Tataki is really good.
For Italian, I like DaVinci's, in the Marco Walk center. A typical Italian menu done very well, and with a sushi bar ! If you want down and dirty Italian try Joey's. It's basically an "upscale" pizza place.
The kids also might like Pelican Bend in the Isles of Capri, which is a 5 minute ride over the bridge. Indoor and outdoor seating on the water. Best fried chicken around.
Some people like the Snook Inn. I don't go there because of the tourist invasion in the winter months I'm there, but friends have said they like it. It's another waterfront place and I'm told they have great ribs.
Take lots of sunscreen. The sun is intense in the summer.
Stilts- Marco Island-Yuck
A restaurant named Stilts recently opened at the new Marriott timeshare (Crystal Shores) on Marco Island. It has a great location overlooking the gulf with a great open feel to it.
Unfortunately, it has quite a few shortcomings. We went around 5:00 hoping it wouldn't be too crowded. It was about 90% full. We seated ourselves since nobody seemed anxious to show us to a table after standing there for 5 minutes. Ten minutes later menus showed up. Ten minutes after that our drink order was taken.
What place in this day and age doesn't have Pinot Grigio ? This place doesn't. One of the people with me had to tell the waiter how a Manhattan was made because he said the bartender didn't know how to make one. We finally got our drinks, but I sat for 15 minutes during the meal with an empty glass and never was asked if I wanted another.
We ordered their "Mother of all Nachos". It was drenched in that Cheese Whiz type runny processed stuff that just makes the nachos soggy. I think there was meat on two of the nachos. Terrible.
I ordered the spicy fish tacos as my entree. The fish was as dry as the sand on the beach. And I have no idea where the spicyness was. They were as bland as they come. I gave up after half a taco.
My wife had the burger sliders and said they were typical but fine. Someone else had the scallops and said they were OK too.
The prices were of the typical Marcup Island variety. I would have thought that Marriott would have a better handle on things. I had been warned by others that it was a tourist trap, but I didn't listen. I should have.
Jersey Shore Restaurants
Try the Oyster Creek Inn. It's a unique place with a waterfront setting.
www.oystercreekinnnj.com
Casa Mia Italian Steakhouse-Marco Island
This place sits within the Lakeside Inn, which is a quaint, out of the way place on Marco Island. It's the site of the old Sushi Blues and Steak that I really liked, but closed more than a year ago. It's off the beaten track away from Collier Blvd., San Marco and Bald Eagle, where most of the notorious restaurants sit. In order to draw customers it needs to be special. So far, it's not. Let me preface my further comments by saying they've only been open for a week or so.
We went on a Sunday night. We were two of maybe a dozen people in the place. No specials tonight. The main reason I went is I was looking for an alternative to Tara's, the only other restaurant on the island billed as a steak house. I don't mind paying for a good steak, but the price at Tara's just irks me. It's OK, but not the top shelf I'm used to for that price and I'm tired of their half cooked fries.
But back to Casa Mia. A steak house with two steak choices. A filet and something else. The porterhouse I was hoping for was nowhere in site.
So we ordered a $39 bottle of Pinot Grigio. Warm. No ice bucket offered either. The wife had a shrimp cocktail. Warm. Don't know about you, but I like my white wine cold, as well as my shrimp cocktail. Of course the butter served with the couple of rolls in the bread basket was cold enough to need a chain saw to cut through it.
So on to dinner. Well, first we had to ask for napkins. The wife ordered a salad which included rare tuna. After ordering the server came back to ask if she wanted chicken with it. ???? She asked for dressing on the side. After being served, a few minutes later I had to ask for the dressing.
I had the Osso Bucco. It was good, but not as tender as I've had elsewhere in the past. But really, not bad. The tomato (chopped tomatoes) sauce was heavily laden with orange zest. I can't stand that. i know it's a matter of taste, but I can't stand Swiss chocolates either with the citrus flavors. Just not for me.
Interestingly, they had something that I think was called a five sauce pasta plate, which included a bolognese sauce, among four other sauces within a single meal. Yet the bolognese wasn't offered on any other pasta dishes. ????
I was rooting for these new folks to do well, but I'm sure you can tell I have my doubts. When I was working I had the benefit of travelling the country (and a good part of the world), and dining at places the locals thought were the best. I have a sense of what it takes to make a restaurant work and last. I can appreciate something as a good burger and fries, or something much more upscale such as seafood at Le Bernardin. But this experience was a disappointment.
I usually give a place a second chance. We'll see.
