RevrendAndy's Profile
Lunch ideas for day trip to Naples area
I really like Dock's Beach House, on the gulf just south of Bonita Beach Road. Sit upstairs for nice views of the beach and the water. It's really casual, inexpensive, and they have good food. I especially like their grilled grouper sandwich.
http://docsbeachhouse.com/
FT MYERS BEACH: here's my laundry list....bagels, pizza, Greek, Chinese take out, thai, Italian, Farmers market
My favorite Chinese is just south of Bonita Springs called O'Mei. They have great Peking duck, soup dumplings, and shrimp with lobster sauce. Their noodle dishes are pretty good too. Angelina, in Bonita Springs has terrific Italian. In Ft. Myers, Cru has cutting edge food and is probably the hippest restaurant around. Good things have been written about the Italian at Sassy's in Ft. Myers but I haven't been. On Ft. Myers Beach, the Beached Whale is a fun place for lunch, with a rooftop deck and pretty good fried grouper.
new restaurants in Naples
I think they consider themselves a seafood restaurant and that's what they do best. Best to stick to the surf and leave the turf.
new restaurants in Naples
Bay House seems to be doing well. I've eaten at Tierney's Tavern a bunch of times, their more casual bar area within the restaurant, and enjoyed every visit.
Good eats in Naples/Estero/Bonita Springs?
I like Campiello for upscale Italian with a wood burning oven. Rosso Pommodoro has pretty authentic Neopolitan wood-fired pizza. Tommy Bahamas is a great place for lunch with nice outdoor patio. Definitely check out Inca's Kitchen-I've been there a few times in the last month and it's firing on all cylinders.
Ruth's Chris, Fort Myers/Estero? [moved from Florida]
Head 15 minutes south and go to Capital Grille at Mercato.
Mexican Naples
This is also very authentic in downtown Bonita Springs. It's a hole in the wall next to a Mexican grocer/butcher.
Tortilleria LA Rancherita
(239) 498-4633
26751 Old 41 Rd, #3
Cru Ft. Myers
When Cru first opened a number of years ago, it was truly cutting edge and one of the top restaurants in the whole area. As chefs and owners changed, it went on a downward spiral. I haven't been back in at least 2 years, especially as there didn't seem to be much positive feedback by the local "hounds."
The wife and I were in the area so we decided to stop in. We weren't in the mood for a full dinner and decided to order from their tapas list. Everything was terrific starting with a wonderful smoked salmon dip and continuing with truffled short ribs with roast cauliflower, cornbread, and truffle butter, veal sweetbreads with red onion marmalade and veal jus, grilled romaine salad with smoked bacon, garlic, and parmesan dressing, and sashimi tuna taco with crispy pork belly, red onion, and cilantro.
The regular dinner menu also looked good. It appears that Cru is back on top of it's game.
http://eatcru.com/
Foodies in Naples for 5 weeks with 7 Month Old!
The Saturday Farmers Market at the Promenade in Bonita Springs is probably the largest in the area, although there's an art fare this weekend so I believe the market will move to the high school. Fresh Market is the closest thing to a gourmet market.
Naples steakhouses
I will add Preston's to the mix as it's locally owned and has great steaks, cooked over charcoal. The sides aren't fancy(i.e. no truffle fries) but they are delicious. However, the atmosphere isn't exactly hip and prices are high. Otherwise, I love Capital Grill, although it's a chain. I also like Chops but I prefer their seafood, not the steaks. Trulucks also has wonderful fish-I've never had their steaks. Avoid Andres.
Bonita Springs area bakeries
I recently discovered an impressive bakery in North Naples on Pine Ridge and Airport Pulling Rd. called Sugar Palm near Bed Bath and Beyond. Their cakes are made to order with butter cream frosting and fillings and they have the best cinnamon rolls I've had in a while. They have cannoli shells which they hand stuff to order, maintaining that wonderful crispness. The ricotta filling is very good, not overly sweet. There's also a selection of tasty mini tarts and cupcakes.
http://www.sugarpalmbakery.com/
O'Mei Chinese Naples
I generally avoid the Chinese food down here in the Naples area, as it is usually what I call “suburban Chinese”, meaning lots of sweet and sour and safe, Americanized dishes. O’mei, tucked into the corner of a shopping mall in North Naples, is the closest approximation to a Chicago or San Francisco Chinatown restaurant that I’ve found here.
I was pleasantly shocked to see 2 kinds of soup dumplings, a Shanghai delicacy on the menu. They offer a crab and a pork version and both are filled with luscious, liquid goodness. Be sure to ask for a spoon and a couple small bowls. We also enjoyed salted pepper calamari. Crispy lobster rolls were a bit sweet for our tastes and I thought the wrapper could’ve been a bit crispier. I enjoyed their hot and sour soup.
The star of the night was the Peking Duck, which is as good a version as I’ve had anywhere. It needs 40 minutes cooking time and they present the whole duck at the table in all of its bronzed, lacquered glory. They return a few minutes later with a plate fanned out with thinly sliced pieces of the duck, each topped with crispy skin. This is accompanied by a steamer of pancakes and a dish with scallions and hoisin. This is a portion feeding 4 people. An order of crispy duck is a satisfying alternative.
They are adept at cooking seafood and every dish we tried was perfectly moist, including wonderful shrimp with lobster sauce, drunken grouper, and O’mei pan fried noodles, which are very crunchy. The seafood has that fresh, gulf taste. Fried rice is a bit bland and needs to be kicked up a few notches. Vegetables are perfectly crunchy and I recommend bok choy with garlic or asparagus with oyster sauce.
The variety of dishes here will cater to everyone’s taste. Good ethnic restaurants are few and far between in Southwest Florida and I hope people give O’mei a try. Few meals are as satisfying and comforting as good Chinese.
http://www.omeinaples.com/about-us-1/home
Tarpon Bay at Hyatt Coconut Point
The special at Tarpon Bay sounded intriguing. We decided to try this 3-course dinner for 2 including ceviche, spinach and andouille salad, Maine lobster pot, and a bottle of wine for $89, running till January 15th. This was a great deal for 2 reasons. If you ordered off the menu the lobster pot alone would be $64 for 2, and all the food was outstanding.
I’ve always loved their ceviche bar, offering 8 choices, but the salad, generally an afterthought to throw in as a light, healthy course, could’ve been my entree and would’ve left me happy. It’s not on the regular menu but they are considering adding it in the future. The lobster pot was chock full of delicious, perfectly cooked seafood and included pancetta, fingerling potatoes, and root vegetables. The broth was rich and tasty. We were dining at the ceviche bar where the chefs were quite friendly when not slicing and dicing and putting on a great show. The new executive chef came by to introduce himself and brought an appetizer he was experimenting with-beet tartare with pickled cherries, brie, and celery leaf. This was more like molecular cuisine and portends exciting knew things to come at the restaurant. The bright and talented chef wants everything to be house made, including a line of various salumis. What a great addition to the restaurant. John, the ever vigilant F&B manager, and a friendly experienced bartender, ensured seamless service.
Another chef, specializing in pastries, brought us a sampling of her homemade ice creams which was a fabulous way to end a terrific meal.
Even if you don’t make it to Tarpon Bay in time for their special, do visit this hotel restaurant that would stand alone anywhere. I think it’s one of Bonita Springs’ rising stars.
french cassis/pisco
Total Wine in Ft. Myers sells pisco. I also imagine they have good cassis. Phone first!
Help! Dad's in Naples and I want to gift him with a nice dinner!
I like Chops very much but the restaurant group also has a couple other options including Yabba and Pazzo's. You can purchase a certificate online.
http://www.chopscitygrill.com/
Campiello is another favorite with gift card availability
http://www.campiello.damico.com/locations/fl_naples.asp
Gift certificate in Naples area
I don't know if they have gift certificates but I would suggest Bites, the restaurant in the lobby of the Ritz. It's less formal and expensive than the other places in the hotel and of course the Ritz lobby is beautiful during the holidays. The food is excellent. Another possiblity is a certificate from Culinary Concepts, which would give them a choice of any of their fine restaurants including Chops, Yabba Grill, and Pazzo's.
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Pazzo
853 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102
Bay House, Naples
The Bay House, one of our favorite seafood restaurants with a lovely setting on the Cocohatchee river, has gotten even better with the recent remodel and addition of Tierney’s Tavern. Talented chef Andrew Hunter has created an innovative menu with lower prices, but the same high quality as found in the more formal restaurant.
Crispy fried oysters has been a staple on the regular menu but is also offered in Tierney’s. They are perfectly fried with no hint of grease and served with a delicious aioli. There is a selection of items from the “kettle”, which are cooked to order at the food bar. We had an order of pristine mussels cooked in white wine drizzled with red pepper rouille. Grazing thru the menu we decided on the BBQ shrimp and grits with horseradish cream and andouille sausage. This was a New Orleans version of BBQ, meaning the sauce was more savory, unlike the typical sweet American ketchup based sauce. The shrimp worked harmoniously with the sausage and horseradish flavored grits. Our final course was the Sea BLT, a creative take on the famous sandwich, except this version was similar to a napoleon, with fried green tomatoes as a base layered with lobster, shrimp, crab, corn and bacon. Delicious.
Dessert was an over the top rich Gooey Brown Buttercake, with vanilla ice cream, sea salt crust, and local berries. We loved the cake but it’s a good item to share. Growing up with this around the house, I’m surprised Chef Andrew doesn’t weigh 400 pounds.
There are a variety of meat offerings on both menus but they do seafood so well we don’t usually stray. They also now offer a lovely outdoor dining area. We love the changes they’ve made and will be back soon.
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Bay House Restaurant
799 Walkerbilt Road, Naples, FL 34110
Naples in late November/ early December 6 nights help with Restaurant list
You have a solid list. Inca Kitchen is an absolute must, especially since it's unusual to find Peruvian food. It's my favorite restaurant in the whole area. Sea Salt is very good Mediterranean, but it's pricey. Chops has excellent fusion. Notwithstanding their name, I usually order seafood, especially the grouper. I believe you mean Campiello, not Camiello, and it's got great Italian and a woodburning oven.
Agave Naples
As LilMSFoodie mentioned on another thread, Agave recently opened in North Naples. It is the same owner as Angelina's, which I love, so I expected a first class experience-and I wasn't disappointed.
They call themselves a southwestern grill, which often means tex-mex with a few ancho or pasilla chiles thrown in. As Angelina's has more authentic Italian as opposed to New York Italian American(not that there's anything wrong with that) Agave stays true to their label. I had a good feeling as soon as I walked thru the door and there was a lady hand pressing and cooking fresh made tortillas.
While waiting for our table we ordered some very respectable margaritas made with fresh lime juice, as opposed to overly sweet bottled mixes. They were generously sized. Our 2 starters were delicious. Grouper and calamari ceviche with grilled mango-citrus salsa was delightfully refreshing without the cloying sweetness often accompanied by said mango. It was a perfect sweet-tart balance. Mussels with green mole were terrific, as they used fresh Prince Edward Island mussels as opposed to ubiquitous frozen green lipped from New Zealand. The sauce was light, but deeply flavorful and packed a light kick.
Grilled salmon a la Parilla came cooked perfectly to order medium rare with a complex ancho chile glaze, roasted chile rice, and tomato caper relish. We also had fish tacos, with moist ancho rubbed grouper, romaine, pickled vegetables, tomatoes, and queso fresco. We loved both our dishes.
We ended the evening with a typical southwestern dessert-sopaipillas, which are Arizona/New Mexican versions of donuts. They were crispy on the outside, soft and moist inside, and served with a honey like dipping sauce. A perfect ending.
http://www.agavenaples.com/
Reno pizzathon 2011: Choosing the area's best pizza
If you find a good pizza- "you can put it on the board.................YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!
Tahoe/Incline reccos
Another spot in Incline is Big Water Grill that has craft cocktails, a great view, and good food. Manzanita is wonderful but their prices are really high. A little closer, in Tahoe Vista, is Wild Goose, right on the water, also serving craft cocktails and very good Contemporary cuisine. Boston has more cutting edge restaurants than a small area like Tahoe so it's tough to find unique cuisine. I was in Boston this summer and had a great meal at Coppa. Moody's had been a similar style, with great use of various pig parts, but Chef Mark Estes is more involved with a new venture in Reno and the menu seems to have been dumbed down a bit.
http://www.bigwatergrille.com/
http://www.wildgoosetahoe.com/
Reno pizzathon 2011: Choosing the area's best pizza
I never enjoyed 40° and rain anymore than out in right field at Comiskey Park(it will always be Comiskey to me) at game 2.
Reno pizzathon 2011: Choosing the area's best pizza
Sorry ChiSox but you are out of luck. I feel your pain as I'm a fellow Chicagoan who misses my hometown pizza. There's obviously no pan pizza in the area. I actually preferred thin crust pizza from Maria's on the north side or my absolute favorite Vito and Nick's on the south side. I also loved Pequod's. At the recent pizzathon, I thought Brugo's was the closest to thin Chicago style.
Don't even think about hot dogs or Italian Beef(boy do I miss Johnny's). They also haven't figured out how to make Italian sausage.
You will appreciate that I left Chicago 8 years ago and my only trip back was for our World Series. Thank god(more so my father), I'm not a Cubs fan.
Looking for the best of Reno?
One of my favorite places in Reno now is Bistro Napa in the Atlantis casino. I generally run from casino food but this could be a stand alone restaurant serving wonderful wine country cuisine, including amazing artichoke hearts cooked in their wood-burning oven, panko sand dabs, and sexy fries with parmigiano reggiano, white truffle oil, roasted garlic, and fresh herbs.
http://atlantiscasino.com/dining/bistro-napa.asp
Places near Hyatt Coconut in Bonita
Home Thai Sushi has excellent Thai food-not sure of their sushi. They are in the shopping center near Publix on Bonita Beach Rd. Buffalo Chips in downtown Bonita has decent burgers and great wings. Landsdowne Street on 41 has very good sandwiches, especially their lobster roll. Sorry but I can't help you with a deli.
From Montreal to Reno: where should we eat?
If you are looking for something a bit more upscale, Bistro Napa in Atlantis has excellent California cuisine, with many dishes cooked in a wood burning oven, including their artichoke hearts which are to die for. Their best deal is happy hour in the bar with all small plates and flatbreads and wines by the glass half price.
http://atlantiscasino.com/dining/bistro-napa.asp
Corti Brothers [Sacramento]
They also carry Kurabuta pork (heritage pork that tastes like pork, not the other white meat), guanciale, pork belly, etc. and great looking seafood, including shrimps with heads on, which I believe means they weren't frozen. I know there's a place in the Ferry Building that carries much of that, but the price is much higher.
Looking for ethnic, interesting, or driveworthy near Bonita Springs
I think the best ethnic restaurant in the area is Inca Kitchen serving spectacular Peruvian food, however it's at least a 25 minute drive. Well worth it. Home Thai has very good Thai food. Pinchers is a good crab shack. Buffalo Chips in downtown Bonita is bar food but they have great wings. The place itself is a hoot. Angelina's would be a little more upscale but they have great contemporary Italian. There are also wonderful summer specials with 1/2 price apps in the bar and 1/2 off everything on the wine list under $150. Landsdowne St. is a bar down the road with an obvious Boston theme(Landsdowne St. borders Fenway) but they have authentic lobster rolls with mostly lobster and little filler.
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Buffalo Chips Restaurant
26620 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs, FL 34135
