Lee34102's Profile
Columbus, OH: something fun and/or new?
Almost embarrassed to admit that when we came up for the OSU - UM game a couple of weeks ago, it was so cold and windy that we stayed wholly within the confines of the Easton center area for meals, where we had pretty good but generally unremarkable food at Brio, Smith & Wollensky and a "french bistro" concept on one of the circles.
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Smith & Wollensky Restaurant
4145 The Strand, Columbus, OH 43219
Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse - Columbus
4145 The Strand West,, Columbus, OH 43219
late night eats in Ft. Myers/Naples area?
Try Chops City Grill... they serve a very nice bar menu until they close..... which, as I recall is around 12:00
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Chops City Grill
8200 Health Center Blvd Ste 100, Bonita Springs, FL 34135
SW Florida restaurant changes Naples, Ft. Myers, etc
Received what we regard to be a "telling" email yesterday, which was New Years Eve. Here it is:
Happy New Year: Celebrate Tonight with Steak and Stuffed Lobster $39.95!
From: Ruth's Chris Steak House (invitations@ruthschrismail.com)
Sent: Wed 12/31/08 7:10 PM
If the Ruth's Chris in Coconut Point is soliciting discounted New Years Eve business @ 7:10 pm on New Years Eve, to me that tells an unhealthy business message about the location.
For what it's worth, we had an awful experience there, and it's easily the absolute worst Ruth's Chris that we've ever been to by far, so perhaps our dining disaster was a widely shared one.
Happy New Year to all the SWFL foodies!
SW FL Christmas?
With price not being a concern, where is the best Christmas dinner to be had in the Naples, Bonita, Ft. Myers area???
All input will be gratefully appreciated!
Ft. Myers / Bonita / Naples Thanksgiving
We're looking for the best place to have Thanksgiving dinner in the area. After living here for 25 years, the thrill is gone when it comes to organizing and preparing a huge meal, so we're looking for the best place to relax and let somebody else work like dogs for a change. Any and all suggestions would be sincerely appreciated!
Ruths Chris Tampa - Disappointed
RC in Bonita Springs was awful for us as well. We've been major RC fans going back more years than we care to count. We both travel for business extensively and will go out of our way to patronize RC because of their superior predictable cuisine.... except when we tried the new on just north of us in Bonita Springs. Our reservation wasn't honored, but we sluffed it off, as this is a seasonal community and we were more than willing to cut some slack. Our table for two was squeezed into a space that was just flat out too small, requiring us to ask two four tops to get up and reposition while we came in and out.... it was to a point where we passed on a bathroom trip to avoid any more imposition. it took twenty minutes for any service staff to find us, another twelve minutes to get our cocktails, and we ended up sitting for anther twenty for the apps to arrive. When the entrees did arrive, they were cold, done incorrectly, the NY strip was more "gristled" than marbled, and they just forgot to bring the creamed spinach and the sweet potato casserole. When the check finally came, however, we found that we'd sure been charged for them though, and after pointing out the situation to the waiter, he went into a corner and conferred with one server after another to see if we were telling him the truth, honest to god.... then... after all was said and done, dinner over... gristle steak gone (pointed out to the server who thoroughly ignored the issue), we were asked ... and this is not a joke..."so do you want these sides or not?"... being as spinach and sweet potatoes don't fall into our dessert spectrum, we passed and were finally given a corrected bill. I wrote them a letter, I called, I stewed about it and nothing was ever reponded to...nada, bupkes, borscht... and we never went back..... and we've told this story in our workplaces, our clubs and just about anyplace that it might have impact.... and now they're hurting badly, and for good cause.... adios, RC Bonita, you were an embarrassment to the chain!
(strong comments to follow)
Great New Chinese Restaurant in Bonita Springs/Naples Area
What's the dish from Bonita Rice Bowl that he likes so much?? We're getting mighty tired of our current (China Pavillion) Chinese delivey restaurant @ Immokalee & 41 and would sure like to try something new....!
MOTHERS DAY BRUNCH IN FT. MYERS.... PLEASE SHARE YOUR REC'S.
For what it's worth, having spent over 50 years as a dedicated "foodie", (also it was job-related!) Lemonia serves the best brunch I've ever had.
Brunch in Fort Myers or surrounding areas
We've been foodies for over 40 years, in the business, financing food-oriented businesses and cooking for ourselves. I guess my point is that we're not easily impressed, and bt far the finest brunch we've ever had in Florida was at the Lemonia retaurant @ the Ritz Golf Resort @ Tiburon...head and shoulders simply great, with everything you could imagine from unlimited half-lobsters to dozens of other delicacies that are seldom if ever seen on a buffet. It is a very special place indeed.
Special dinner in Bonita Springs?
The nicest thing about Mucky Duck is the location, which is great, but the food isn't the draw there so much as the ambiance and "experience factor".
I'd second (or third) Roy's too, warn you against the "elegant" Vincenzo's on the Bay, reccomend Anthony's on 41 just south of Bonita Beach Road, and suggest a trip into Naples to Trulucks for what we believe to be the perfect Florida seafood experience, it's special!
saffron of naples report
I'd love to hear about Saffron as well. The timing was poor for us last weekend, but the entire concept of getting foodies together at a local place is sure appealing. We made the best Mac & Cheese I've ever tasted that evening with pancetta, white cheddar, colby and romano with reggiano shaved across the top of some nice "macaroni like" italian pasta. We got everything @ Wynn's, and it was spectacular!
If we could get a group in, a nice place to go might be Escargot 41 next to K-Mart.
Cape Coral?North Ft. Myers
Wow, I had my office in the Cape from 1983-2000, and pretty much all of the chef or family owned places that were especially good then withered in face of high rents / real estate costs and a market that mostly seemed to think that you had to go to Ft. Myers, Sanibel or Naples to get great "find" restaurants. Sorry to not be of much help!
Upscale Bonita Springs / Marco Island?
Maybe even a little bit less, and it's an easy drive.
Upscale Bonita Springs / Marco Island?
The Ruth's Chris in Estero is beyond a shadow of a doubt the worst Ruth's Chris that I've ever eaten in, and I've dined in a bunch of them. Roy's is good, and the Chops menu can be rewarding if you stick to the beef and semi-Japanese fare. I would strongly recommend Andre's for steak and Truluck's for seafood in Naples proper, and when it comes to SW Florida French cuisine, Escargot 41 in Naples has no peer, even if it does sit almost next to a K-Mart! If you are going to decide on a place for a gathering, make sure to see what the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort (not the one on the beach, but the one @ Tiburon Country Club) has to offer, they may be a tad higher in price than some places, but their overall quality is superlative. Further, at their Lemonia restautrant, they have perhaps the best Sunday Brunch I've ever had, including lobster, sushi, any egg configuration known to man as well as fresh pasta, maybe thirty cheeses to taste and a live pianist, check out their website, it's just that good.
