NAUTICAL MILE
P U B L I C A T I O N S
Capt. Chick Melfi
Mario’s Meat Market & Deli
is as authentic as you can find anywhere in the U.S.A. and is located right here in Ft Myers, Florida. They are located at 12326 Cleveland Ave. and have plenty of parking. Mario Pica and wife Antonia opened there first store in this area just up the street about fifth teen years ago, and then moved across the street from where they are now. It did not take long before they grew large enough to locate in a modern 9000 sq. ft. building in a prime location on the main street in the Ft. Myers area.
Mario came to this country from Italy in the early 50’s with his family and as many Italian immigrants, they landed in New York City. After going to school and working at a young age for a while, he became a partner in a group of four Italian Deli’s, which was quite demanding requiring that him and his wife work seven days a week. The Delis were quite successful and after some years allowed them to reap the benefits from their hard work and to move to S.W. Florida where they had vacationed and enjoyed themselves. A few years after they settled in Ft Myers, their two sons and daughter also moved to the area. Being a tight knit family they decided to open an Italian Deli and all work together in it. Mario now sits back overseeing things as son Vincent manages the operation, which consists of a retail & wholesale meat market and a prepared foods deli. Son and daughter.
The market stands out when you drive down Cleveland Ave as it is a brightly red-
orange painted building with the Italian flag colors donning their sign. When you
walk though the door, you are greeted by the wonderful odors of Italian specialties
cooking. Antonia does quite a bit of the cooking as they do sell containers of food
as well as eat in or take items. Most of their ingredients are imported from Italy.
You can buy canned or packaged goods off the shelve to bring home and cook yourself.
The various pastas are extensive, as are the canned tomatoes, olive oil and so many
other authentic items. They have things that you cannot find in the typical local
super market. The excellent bottled wine selection is also quite attractive and very
reasonably priced.
I find that the best way to shop at Mario’s is to also have lunch while you are doing your weekly meat market shopping. The menu will make your mouth water as it consists of, specialty heros both hot, like meatballs, eggplant, chicken parm, or sausage, as well as freshly sliced cold cuts like salami, capicola, provolone cheese and many others, trimmed with lettuce, tomato, peppers, onions and a olive oil, vinegar dressing. The sandwiches are served on freshly baked, delicious Italian bread. They have several salads available and hot entrees like baked pastas and meats. The olive selection is vast as is the cheese selections, including home made mozzarella.
The meat counter is filled with freshly cut U.S.D.A. choice Black Angus beef, Grade A Chicken, homemade Italian sausages as well as various cuts of pork, lamb and veal. The broccoli comes in Beef, pork or chicken. They also offer some prepared to cook breaded cutlets and stuffed chicken breast specialties. The ground meats are cut trimmed and ground on premises. There are usually some weekly specials that you can save money by buying a larger quantity. If you would like, they will grate your favorite imported cheese that can be used to top your pasta dishes. A small vegetable section, that includes the best fresh tomatoes, green & red bell peppers, eggplant and some other items are all reasonably priced.
An Italian pastry counter is also quite tantalizing, with cannoli, pusties, tiramisu, almond paste cookies and so many other choices, including my wife Susanne’s favorite, the rice pudding. The breads, which they bring in, sell so fast that they are super fresh and come in a few different styles. My favorite is the semolina bread, nice and crusty.
As you can tell I love food, especially Italian food, which I believe, is the very
best and Mario’s has it all. They also offer a quality home-style catering service
for any occasion. If you do not try Mario’s you will be missing something very special.
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Shopping at Mario's reminds me of my families market that we had in Syracuse, New York which is upstate from New York city. There were many similarities of the lines of foods that Mario's carries.Some of my first memories as a child were the strong smells of the olives, hanging provolone cheese, prosciutto and sopressata. Also the saw dust that we kept on the floor to kept things clean. My grandfather Vito Melfi and grandmother Antonette opened the store in the early 1900's and it stayed in the family till the 1970's. It was on the bottom floor of a large three story brick building on the main street. My aunts family lived on the 3rd floor, mine on the second and my uncle and grandmother behind the store on the first floor. My grandfather passed away at a young age leaving the rest of the family to run the business. We were one big happy family who lived and ate together most of the time, and especially on the holidays.We ate well and enjoyed life. There are many stories that I could tell. but that is for another time.
My weight loss program has me down forty two pounds from 274 pounds, which has surpassed my goal of forty, but I decided to go for 220 pounds which was my high school weight. I feel great.
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Traders
Trader's restaurant on Sanibel Island is one of my favorites. It is conveniently located at 1551 Periwinkle Way, tucked back in off the road nestled in tropical vegetation. Both the lunch and dinner menus offer an eclectic style of creative entrees, appetizers and desserts. It is not a menu crowded with insignificant items. Quality prepared food, graciously served is the priority. There is also an early diner menu offered in the lounge, which is basically a smaller serving of the dinner menu. Enjoying a happy hour cocktail, beer or wine from the extensive wine list is a relaxing way to start your Trader's experience.
Our party, enjoyed stuffed Veal Chops served on vegetable risotto, Macadamia Grouper,
Roasted Lobster and a Lolli-Pop Pork Chop. Besides the regular selections there are
nightly specials which allow you to dine there, almost night after night. Every dinner
was served steaming hot and was delicious. The desserts are meant to tasted by more
than one person and special coffee drinks are also available to top off a wonderful
meal.
Joe, the owner operator, is involved in the day to day operation and is right on the spot to keep the patrons happy and coming back. The converted warehouse is decorated with various wall hangings and furnishings from around the world and can be purchased in the merchandise shop which adjoins the lounge area. There are also many gift items as well as jewelry.
The service is perfect from the minute that you walk though the door. Cocktails are well done and jumbo sized. Entertainment in the lounge streams music throughout the restaurant as patrons dance on the small dance area. Tuesdays and Thursdays Danny Morgan performs tunes from all dates, adding to the mellow atmosphere. Overall, Traders Cafe is a very pleasant experience that most thoroughly enjoy.
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My weight loss continues downward to 230 lbs, which gets me into the stabilization plan. That's 45lbs so far. I am in excellent condition to fish the SKA 2009 tournament season to hopefully score big with our "TEAM ENVIRONMENTAL". When you're a senior angler you have to work to keep up with those young whipper snappers. Hopefully experience will make a big difference.
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Delicious Things
We enjoy dining out in the many restaurants of southwest Florida on a regular basis and like to experience different foods and styles of preparation, as we have throughout our travels around the world. I found that both I and my wife Susanne find ourselves analyzing our meals. I think that she tends to be more critical than I am, because I am much more diversified in what foods I like. Many of the restaurants that we have dined in are below what we feel is acceptable and if we cannot say something good, we prefer
to not say anything.
We will try to pass on our dining experiences, because it is something that we enjoy doing. Many things go into a positive dining experience, which include the people serving and preparing your meal, as well as the surroundings. I have been cooking at home since I observed my mother prepare meals for our family at a very young age and enjoyed eating, as my whole family did. Dining out has become much more common place in these times and also in part an entertaining concept. Hopefully you will enjoy our reviews and we would appreciate any comments or questions.
The city of Ft Myers has been hard at work, on beautifying projects in the downtown section.
The streets are brick paved and bricks outline the concrete walks that have palm trees along
the street with old style street lights. Most of the buildings have been newly renovated and
freshly painted in shades of pastel tropical colors.
The transformation to a very pleasant atmosphere has begun to attract businesses
including some fine restaurants. "Delicious Things" one such restaurant is actually
a hold over from pre- construction of the area, but is under new ownership and management.
Ines and Torstan the owners who manage the restaurant are from Germany where they
were in the restaurant business. It is located at 2262 1st street in downtown Ft
Myers and is European in decor, as well as their menu.
They serve lunch and dinner with items that have a German or Italian flare and will cook whatever you request. Monday is normally German night, which includes such specialties as Sauerbraten, bratwurst, as well as several others. They also offer beer and wine, as well as offering a catering service.
My wife Susanne and I enjoy dining al fresco seated at a sidewalk table, European style.
Delicious Things offered us very comfortable seating, for our lunch on a sunny day. We sat in
the shade under the awning in front of the restaurant. The service our waitress Angel
provided was excellent. She was very helpful with the menu and attentive throughout our
meal.
The menu was European style in its offerings, which included various sandwiches, salads,
soups, and pasta and seafood specials. We started with a red pepper tomato soup, served
very hot with a rich thick favor. Susanne had a tomato, mozzarella cheese sandwich served on fresh baked crusty ciabatta bread drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and I had a mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, olive salad topped with rare roast beef mixed with a lemon salad dressing. Everything was very fresh, and combined tastes that combined well with each other. This was not your run of the mill S.W. Florida restaurant. I guess you need to try it to
understand what I mean as Big Tuna and I did a few days ago. He enjoyed his lunch very much as we had leisurely lunch talking about some of our many fishing experiences. We are anxious to try dinner at "Delicious Things" in this reborn area, which once the word gets out will be a very popular destination. It offers the feeling of old Florida in an upbeat atmosphere. I think Ft Myers has finally come up with a plan that will attract people and they are committed to bringing it to a completion. Now the business community needs to recognize the renewed potential.
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IL Pomodoro
IL Pomodoro Cucina Italiana is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Southwest Florida. It is named after Italy's prized fruit, the tomato which is the foundation of most Italian menus. The translation of the name is the tomato Italian kitchen. The restaurant is owned and operated by Joe & his wife Hillary Gates who opened the doors a couple of years ago in a newly built complex at 9681 Gladiolus Dr., Ft Myers.
My wife and I drive by the location quite often, noticed the catchy name appear on the front of the tomato red colored round corner of the new building. We thought, "place looks like it might be a good spot", so when it opened we gave it a try. To our surprise we were greeted by Joe, who had previously ran Pasta & Pizza, located several miles away. Pasta & Pizza was a favorite of ours and now we would be able to get Joe's great recipes within a couple of miles from our home, not that I wouldn't drive far to get there.
The basis for all good meals is in the quality and consistency of the ingredients.
IL Pomodora uses only the finest ingredients of which San Marzano imported canned
plum tomatos is a perfect example. San Marzano is a region in Italy that has a perfect
climate and soil conditions to grow the world's best tomatoes. Imported Italian olive
oil is also very important, as is Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese, again the stables
of fine Italian recipes. You sure can tell the difference in the taste of your meal.
Joe's menu consists of many varieties of pasta dishes fresh and baked, pizza and calzones of which the dough is made fresh and baked on bricks in their hot ovens, accomplishing a crispy tasty crust. Chicken, Veal, Beef and Seafood dishes are also on the menu. One of my favorites is cavatelli pasta covered with a marinara sauce, with a couple of large moist, tasty meatballs or the Puttanesca sauce, with Grouper added over a bed of linguine pasta.
Every day there is also a different list of several special entrees, such as bone-in
Chicken Caccatore, Lamb Shanks, Grouper Francese, just to mention a few. Besides
the pasta fasioli soup, there is always a soup of the day offered. Several appetizers
like fried Calamari, antipasti and sometimes some pretty fancy things on the specials
list are also available.
Desserts such as Tiramisu', Spumoni or Cannoli or another special of the day dessert like homemade Gelato, can top off the meal. The wine list is very good and beer is also offered. I like like the Pellegrino Sparkling water with a lemon as a refreshing drink. Sandwiches are also available, as they serve lunch & dinner. One could actually dine there everyday and get different choices to suit their appetite.
A house or Caesar salad topped with a delish dressing is served with the entrees. The entrees are very abundant and what ever you don't eat, they will wrap for you to take home as most customers do. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food that one will enjoy.
The interior of the restaurant is uniquely decorated and very colorfully painted red and purple. Italian favorites, music can be heard in the background. It's very soothing, not like some restaurants that play loud abrasive music. Like, if I wanted to go to a rock concert it wouldn't be for dinner.
When dining at IL Pomodoro you are greeted as family by the Gates as well as the smiling, proficient friendly staff. You will see familiar faces seated around the room, as there are many regular customers.
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McAlister’s Deli
Located at 13300 S. Cleveland avenue in Ft. Myers, McAlister’s Deli has their own flare that is offered to the casual diner. They are located in a shopping center across from Cosco and there is plenty of parking available. My definition of casual dining is not necessarily your run of the mill fast food factory and McAlisters has much more than burgers and chicken. It is owned and operated by Brian & Laura Crabtree, who are very congenial hosts.
They offer various sandwiches, such as their special club, baked potatoes (spuds), salads,
soups, chili and some dinner entrees, such as chicken or meatloaf with veggies. I was
impressed by the options of various toppings for the potatoes, which can include Chicken or pot roast, for example. You can actually make a meal out of a loaded very large baked potato.
The ice tea is freshly brewed and served either sweetened or not & even decaf. It is very favorable and is more than most people can drink. The coffee is good and the giant cookies
look great as well. To go meals for fisherman can be packed in no time waiting for your pickup and make for an enjoyable time on the waters of S.W. Florida. Brian and Laura are hoping that in the future they will have more time to spend out on the water.
The dining room is rather large, yet has privacy separators between tables and there are also
outdoor tables. Furniture and surrounding are very comfortable. Ordering is done at the
counter where you are served your drinks and given a number to bring to your table. Payment
is made after ordering. A server then brings your meal order to your table when it is ready and
anything else that you may need. It is an efficient program that is carried out by a cheerie staff, that reflect the good natured character of the owners. Everyone that works at the restaurant was very helpful and pleasant. If you like to take your time enjoying a meal, you can sit around and visit if you would like. For the size of the restaurant the dining area is kept very clean and orderly. You can also see the kitchen in operation, which is also very clean & orderly. There is a separate room available for small private parties.
It can be an economical way to dine for appetizers, lunch or dinner. Have a snack or a full meal. When people want the option of grabbing something quick to eat that is a step up
in quality from the fast food chains, McAlisters is the place to go.
I have been on a weight loss program for about eight weeks and have lost about 34 pounds to date. When I decided to embark on a program, I felt, being that I dine out so often, that it would be very difficult if not impossible to succeed. When I presented the problem to my adviser she suggested that all I had to do was request whatever I wanted the restaurant to serve with my meal.
I thought that was the way it should be anyway, to accommodate a customer is the proper way to conduct a business. As I started my program of eating healthily, which included eating the correct amounts of Protein, veggies, fruit, starch and fat, it became apparent to me that most restaurants when at all possible, did want to please with whatever you ask for. It seemed to me that everyone wanted to give you french fries with your meal. If you ask for something else, chances are good that you will get it. So far my choices of restaurants have made my program a large success. McAlisters is such a place. I also walk and lift weights on a routine basis, which has played a big part of my success, as it takes a total program, for a healthy weight loss. The moral of the story is that you can enjoy a good healthy meal while dining out.
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ZaZa’s Serious Pizza
Owned by Chefs, this is a very special Italian restaurant in Estero, Florida. It is located on S. Tamiami Tr. in William’s shopping Plaza. Joe DiMaggio Jr., principle owner and restaurant entrepreneur, is a go, go personality that has a vast amount of experience as a Chef and restaurateur. It all started at age of nine in his family’s hotel in Bologna, Italy as a pots and pans washer and it was all up hill from there, as he studied under many well known chefs throughout the world and has been involved in the high quality end of the hospitality and restaurant sectors for many years, rubbing elbows with well known celebrities and heads of state. Joe also appreciates art and has a flare for combining art with the restaurant business.
I feel very comfortable spending time with Joe, finding him very likable, down to earth and that we had a lot of things in common. He is a restaurant guy who loves to cook and eat fish, mostly prepared Italian style. I am a fisherman who loves to catch and eat fish. We are both from New York, he from New York City and me from upstate. Our descendants came from Italy and were artisans. His grandfather was a concrete guy as I was for many years. I also enjoy cooking.
Joe DiMaggio Jr. welcomes the patrons who come from far and near and is in the process of expanding the operations throughout Florida, as well as many other parts of the country. Their next place is scheduled to open by the end of the year, & will be located on the corner of Rt41 & Wiggins Pass Rd to be called SaZa’s. Personality is a big plus and that is one of Joe’s attributes, as he has quite a unique character. He somewhat resembles his namesake and second cousin the Yankee Clipper and Joe normally wears a baseball cap.
Tony Newton known to me as the Italian Fishing Chef, a laid back smooth head chef at ZaZa’s, goes fishing on most of his days off. Tony studied under a Japanese master chef for six years, traveling around the world building a great amount of expertise as a culinary professional. I am sure that he inherited some of his cooking skills from his mother, who was from Sicily. Sicilians are also known for their fishing abilities and Tony is no slouch. Tony had his boat & trailer hooked to his pickup truck Monday night, ready to take off. It is a 25 foot Aquasport with twin 150 Merc outboards and a fold down tower. He said that as soon as he got off work that he and some friends were heading over to the east coast to do some Mahi Mahi fishing, which he does quite often & I might add, very successfully. Word was out that some very large Bulls in the 40 pound range were being caught. Tony and I will be doing some fishing together very soon. He’s my kind of guy, a fishing chef.
I can best describe the menu as; it is just like gramma's. One of the special items on the menu is Gramma’s traditional Sunday special, which is a combination of meatballs, sausage, and lamb shoulder over rigatoni pasta. The food is all homemade, made to order and done in a traditional peasant style with a special touch that is almost impossible to find in any of today’s cookie cutter restaurants. They use only the finest ingredients, for the most part imported from Italy. Their pizza is very special, not run of the mill and they do many variations.
My wife Susanne’s favorite is the white pizza, which has four different cheeses on it, all baked crispy after EVOO is placed on the top dough surface. Their standard size is quite large and they cut it into eight slices, which Tony told us a cute story about. A woman asked how many slices the pizza was & was told eight, so she asked to have it cut into six, because she did not think she could eat eight. Heh, heh, heh!
A few friends of ours stopped by ZaZa’s with us for dinner the other night, it was a feast, and we had a ball with all the characters that work there. The cast of characters is endless at ZaZa’s, with big Louie the pasta guy, blue eyes Mike and Marlene, servers and the pizza guy Giovanni. The canned in music is Italian and well chosen to fit the rest of the landscape. It makes you want to stand up and sing, so we did. Our crew was Bob & Jeanette Tortorella, Pasquale & Hugie Nickalaci, Chet & Nancy Niesel along with me, Capt Chick & Susanne Melfi. Everything served from appetizers to cappuccino was perfect.
I brought some fresh Grouper to the restaurant that I had caught on “IN HOT PURSUIT” for Tony to prepare some lunch for Alberto Abad the SKA Ft Myers Beach event director, Joe, Tony and myself. ZaZa’s donated a gift certificate for the event’s hospice charity raffle and Alberto’s architectural firm is doing the design for the new restaurant. We combined a friendly lunch with some business and fishing conversation. I could listen to those guys talk all day. The grouper Tony prepared was done in a puttanesca style placed on a bed of spaghetti pasta, sprinkled with grated parmigiana cheese & red pepper flakes. It was outstanding to say the least. Good friends, good food and good conversation are hard to beat. We are very lucky to have such a place in Southwest Florida and to have fresh caught fish available. I cannot wait until SaZa’s is open.
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Manny’s Steak House
While attending the Sony Ericson tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, which we have
gone to for the last several years, we did a late lunch, early dinner at Manny’s
Steakhouse. It is located at 300 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, facing the waterfront of Biscayne
Bay. Manny's is an upscale steakhouse, serving dry-
Our friends Nancy and Chet Niesel from Sanibel Island were our companions for the
weekend and we all enjoyed our stay at the beautiful Ritz Carlton hotel on Biscayne
Island, which was just around the corner from the tennis facilities. Everything was
first class from our luxury suites to the limo shuttle to court-
Prior to the evening matches, we toured the Miami bay front, getting some massages, people watching and doing some shopping. That gave us a good appetite. The prior week we were at the American Airlines Area for a couple of Syracuse Orange NCAA basketball games and my niece Fran from Syracuse had dinner at a nearby steakhouse, which they highly recommended. That of course was Manny’s and it all came together perfectly as the Bay front was right there.
When we arrived at Manny’s we were cheerfully greeted at the front door, luckily, it was early, about 4:00pm, and it was not crowded. We choose to take a table in the bar lounge, which was a great room facing a high wall of bottles of liquor behind the bar. It was a bit warm to sit on the waterside patio, which had a spectacular view of Biscayne Bay. Maybe the next time we visit Manny’s we can try the patio.
Our server Marina who was pleasant and cheerful and brought us some wonderful happy
hour mixed drinks and appetizers. For our main meals, Susanne enjoyed Lobster cakes,
which she said were delish, Nancy had sautéed pork chops served on garlic-
After our meal, it was back to the Ritz Carlton and then to the tennis matches, where we saw Serena Williams beat a tough Chinese gal in three sets and then another U.S. player James Blake get beat in a close three set match. The weekend was a first class fun time.
CAPT CHICK ranks Manny’s Steakhouse as five fish- which is excellent!
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Shark Fest 2009
The Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant was a key host to Shark Fest 2009, aka "Are You Man Enough Shark Tournament". Snug Harbor is practically under the Matanzas Pass bridge facing Matanzas Pass. It was a very busy place this past weekend with hundreds of people attending the Shark Fest on Ft Myers Beach, creating a party atmosphere. Music was in the air with the excitement of the competition of which teams would be successful in landing the most and biggest sharks. It was a catch and release tournament that required photos of the Sharks that were over 5'0" long.
Meanwhile, Susanne & I with friends Kristi and Tom sat at a sun umbrella covered table on the outside terrace on the dock enjoying happy hour. The views are great here with the boats going by as the water rushes under the bridge. They have plenty of dockage available for diners and are very boater friendly, offering both inside, under cover outside as well as terrace dining. The servers were all very friendly and accommodating.
We also enjoyed lunch which included a Grouper BLT, served with whipped sweet potatoes, a Grouper Reuben with seafood chowder, a salad with some delish house made dressing and Crab cakes that were very tasty. The meals were well presented, very tastefull, good sized and reasonably priced. Cocktails were tall, cold, perfectly mixed and what a great happy hour price. The dinner menu features fresh seafood, slow roasted Prime Rib, steak, chicken, a variety of appetizers and home made desserts. The surroundings keep people coming back to a tropical casual setting that creates a relaxed state of mine and completes a totally pleasurable experience.
The Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant has been in existence for over 30 years and I can verify that, because we dined at the old location in 1980, which was just down the dock from the present state of the art facility. I remember eating the fantastic slow roasted prime rib that they served then and continue to serve today. There aren't many restaurants that can boast of the history that Snug Harbor has.
Mickey Ferry the Director of operations for Snug Harbor recognized the potential that the Shark Fest had to bring people into the heart of the Ft Myers Beach Bay Walk Area, for a fun experience. Mickey has been with Snug Harbor for about 13 years.
As a member of the Bay Walk Group, along with Capt Jack Productions, Inc, they joined together to present a special event. The Bay Walk Group consists of many of the local businesses that surround the area. Capt Jack Donlon is the Shark Fest Director and creator of the event. This was the third year and first in the Bay Front Area, which was needed to accommodate the growth that the event now requires.
This years event included many vendors and entertainers tents on a street fair setup, including a mechanical Hammerhead Shark that was available for a ride that friend Kristi took. Educational booths were also present, highlighted by the Shark Brothers who were a plethora of information.There were many quality advertisers that made this event possible. Mickey suggested that I take in the event and I'm happy that I did.
As a charter Captain I must say that the fish that people ask the most questions about are Sharks and they are without doubt the most interesting, having been around for millions of years and living up to one hundred years. They range up to 35 foot long and I can verify that, because I have fished around Whale Sharks that are that size many times, just offshore of Ft Myers Beach. I'm sure next years event will be even bigger and better, if that's possible.
The winning team was Tim's Tree Service with Capt. Tim Gennaro, teammates Tim Heyer and Paul Fisher, that caught, took a photo and then released a 7.5 foot Hammerhead shark along with being the top total point producer. They brought home awards for over five thousand dollars, icluding a $300.00 bonus from SeaTow for their efforts. The second place Team Fishmaster Shark, Capt Mike Clements was enjoyed a $2000.00 payoff. Third place was Team Bobby"B"Crackers, with Capt Bobby Birch taking home a $1000.00 There were a total of fifty three teams that competed for prizes and all had a ball. This is one of the fun things that bring people together in our Gulf of Mexico, S.W. Florida community.
Even though I enjoy attending events like the Shark Fest that offer all kinds of great food, I continue to maintain my goal of 230lbs of weight. Try, and you can find healthy foods and drinks that are very enjoyable, at almost any occasion. Just ask and people want to accommodate ones needs. Walking around viewing displays is also a good calorie burner. Eat more fish, it's healthy!
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Snug Harbor IHP overall rating = 3.5 fish ~~~ ` Very Good!
Decor = 4.5 fish ~~~~` Excellent!
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BISTRO 41 -
Southwest Florida is fortunate to have Bistro 41 Restaurant, located in the Bell Tower Shops plaza, in Ft Myers. It is conveniently located to shopping, cinemas, Barbara Mann Theater, baseball stadiums and the airport. Bistro 41 has been a landmark since opening twelve years ago and has continued to provide consistent up to the times fine food. General Manager Cindie Barker started there from the ground up. With her friendly personality she has made many friends, creating a great following and she continues to welcome new patrons daily. Her hiring of Executive Chef Riner Drygala was an excellent decision, as they work so well together to offer an outstanding menu in a warm artsy atmosphere, including plenty of outdoor dining. It is very well managed.
They serve natural foods whenever possible, including local organic produce and natural
meats that make high quality wholesome meals. Both the lunch and dinner menus include
daily specials that are very special along with an array of standard entrees. Beef,
pork, chicken and fish are all featured along with pasta dishes. Their soups like
grilled chicken chowder or lobster bisque are great. Susanne’s favorite lunch is
the half grilled lobster melt & tomato bisque. My favorite dinner is Bistro filet
mignon, which is oak grilled filet mignon topped with a gorgonzola, walnut-
The salads (berry, spinach, Caesar & bistro) can be a meal in themselves, served in a half or full portion with either oak grilled chicken or shrimp. Appetizers like Shanghai pork, Asian calamari, Sesame Ahi Tuna salad, to mention a few are very special. The wine selection offers variations that will accompany whatever your meal selection might be. They quite often suggest a wine that will make your meal even more tasty. Desserts like chocolate bread pudding are delicious. The awesome happy hour is an event on a daily basis from 3 to 7 and you must try the $5.00 specially named and mixed cocktails like the classy Cosmo, blue Gina, Judy “the booty” Bloody Mary or Heather’s Fresca Martini. The bar & cocktail lounge are both comfortable and attractive.
Bistro 41’s staff is very professional, friendly and efficient. You will never be long with a empty glass unless you wish it that way. Constant attention is paid to all the patrons without being annoying. We have been dining there almost since their opening and recognize many of the same servers. For a special meal or just a very good different menu, I would recommend Bistro 41.
Food = four fish ~~~~ very good
Atmosphere = four fish ~~~~ very good
This summer, so far seems warmer, dryer and windier than normal, with gulf water temps well into the nineties. It’s time for us to take a break from southwest Florida and travel up north to upstate New York and Cape Cod to visit some friends and family. I’m sure that we will dine in some of our favorite restaurants while there. Can’t wait to see our grand daughters Lucia and Sofia and spend some quality time with them. Might even do a little fishing with Captains Charlie, Joe and Uncle Nick.
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Bonefish Grill
The Bonefish grill restaurant in Ft Myers is one of the finest nationwide restaurants
you can dine in. It is located at 14261 Tamiami Tr and they do take limited reservations
by phone at 239 489-
When entering the front door, notice that the handle is a large pewter Bonefish and the interior is very well done in a tropical, nautical motif. To one side is the lounge area that has booths & tables for dining and a long attractive wood drinking bar. There are large flat screen televisions behind the bar, with many bottles of liquors and wines displayed there as well. It is a bar that a drink can be enjoyed more because of the ambiance and the well mannered fun people in attendance. There are many special cocktails and martinis offered at reasonable prices for good sized well presented drink. The wine list is extensive and glasses are offered for all the bottles.
The other side is a good sized dining room with many comfortable booths and community tables. The back wall dons a school of metal art Kingfish feeding on shiners. It’s quite interesting. The total dining experience is improved by comfort and surroundings that allow patrons to relax. The serving staff, including bartenders are well coordinated, all wearing white chef’s jackets with the Bonefish Grill name and logo, front and back. They are all very courteous and efficient without being over bearing.
There is a regular menu and a daily innovative specials menu which includes a full dinner for two. As you may have guessed, fresh fish is their specialty, but they do offer beef, pork and chicken dishes as well. Their wood burning grill cooks everything to perfection. A great starter is the corn and lump crab meat chowder, bang bang shrimp or the Singapore calamari. Susanne and I started our meal with the chowder and I followed it by my favorite there, which is the Ahi Tuna with the signature mango salsa sauce. Susanne enjoys crab cakes and theirs is by far her favorite. Both our meals were accompanied by our chosen sides of garlic whipped potatoes and a fresh vegetable medley of zucchini, squash and roasted tomatoes. The desserts are sized to share, so we shared the key lime pie with a pecan graham cracker crust, topped with real whipped cream. Everything was delicious.
The managing partner Butch Murray was in the Kitchen directing the preparation and the delivery of all the food. He must be a talented manager as everything seemed to flow so smoothly and was well presented. Checkout the menu on line WWW.BONEFISHGRILL.COM. I would recommend that you make a reservation to assure that you get seated at the time that you want for dinner, or just go in and have some fun waiting for a table at the bar.. We have eaten in their restaurants in Tampa, Fl, Centerville, Va and Syracuse, NY. They are all exceptionally good. There is another local Bonefish in Bonita Springs, but I prefer the Ft Myers restaurant.. It's like Bonefish in Paradise.
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You may have noticed that I don’t write restaurant reviews on places that I don’t enjoy and at least 50% are not enjoyable. It takes a lot of talent and experience to be successful in the restaurant business, as it is a very difficult business to run. It is a good ideal to get a recommendation from someone you trust before trying a restaurant and remember that people have different tastes and like different things. Sometimes you can find the very best meals in the most unexpected places like some smaller establishments.
University Grill
The University Grill restaurant has been our old standby for the last ten yeas or so. It is conveniently located on the corner of Cypress Lake Dr & Summerlin, which is just around the corner from Barbara B. Mann Playhouse. We quite often do lunch sitting at the bar, which offers us excellent service by the friendly barmaids. They offer quality daily specials like Tuesday's lunch Turkey Sandwich with mashed potato, dressing & gravy for about $6.00.
Special grilled burgers are also a daily offering. Friday is Chef Eddie's Boston fish fry dinner for like $14.00 with fries and coleslaw. They bring the Haddock in fresh from Boston and it is very good. Wednesday is Italian Seafood night, done like they do it on the north side in Boston. Sunday is roast Prime Rib day while it lasts. The perfect starter is their sumptuous Crap Bisque which can be added to dinner selections for a minimal extra charge. Steaks, chicken and pasta dishes are offered on the nightly menu. That can be topped off by some great desserts.
The long wood bar and lounge area is designed for enjoying a cocktail, tap beer or a glass of wine off their very good wine list. Televisions for viewing your favorite sporting events are perfectly placed behind the bar. Visiting with other guests make for a fun time in a friendly atmosphere. The decor has a warm dark wood northeast feeling.
The University Grill is associated with the Prawnbroker and Timbers restaurants that both feature great fresh seafood along with a complete menu of various selections. The University Grill is currently under going an interior renovation adding some creature comforts which will be completed by the time this article is out. Parking is at an abundance and if you are going to Barbara B. Mann for a show, just let them know and they will make sure you will complete your dinner in a timely fashion. Reservations are recommended as it can get crowded at certain times, but they will do their best to seat you in a timely manor. Their website really doesn't do them justice. Try it, you'll like it.
Food three 1/2 fish ~~~-
Atmosphere four fish ~~~~ very good with renovations
Fall is on us and should bring the King fish migration along our coast of Southwest Florida in earnest. King fishing is one of my favorites as they are so fast and make some long runs. My SKA teammate Capt. David Dean is an expert on smoking Kings and makes a great dip. Fall may be the best time of the year to fish as the water temps start to change, which I think turns on the eating habits of many of our species. I think that it may also turn on the eating habits of many of our people friends.
Vesuvio
Vesuvio’s may be one of the best kept secret restaurant gems in S.W. Florida. It is a true find that has it's own unique identity based on menu, created by chef/owner Giorgio Lanese, who is a friendly host, as well as being a very talented chef. The restaurant is not a fancy layout, but is comfortable & cozy with the emphasis on quality food and friendly efficient service. They are located off Stringfellow Rd, at 5595 Doug Taylor Circle, St James City, Florida 33956. Only about a 20 to 30 minute drive from the Cape Coral Bridge. They serve lunch and dinner.
My wife Susanne and I joined friends Jim Griffiths, Robin Catron, Bonnie and Joe Greco for dinner at this Pine Island eatery. We were greeted by a friendly hostess standing by the nightly specials board, which automatically heightened our appetites. After being seated our smiling waitress came over to take a drink order and we were pleasantly surprised when served that we got a 2 for 1, being that we were so close to the happy hour. Shortly after that Chef Giorgio stopped by to say hello and tell us about the specials.
I needed to go no further than the specials, as any one of the several entries looked great. Checking out the menu, which was very large, revealed that it was quite diversified, including French and other International items, with the main focus being Italian style cooking. Some people are bothered by a large menu, but the truth is, with an experienced chef like Giorgio he can control handling all the dishes as many are sauteed from scratch which add to the quality.
We started with appetizers for the table, being fried sauteed calamari and steamed Pine Island clams, and Susanne and I had small dinner salads which were served with a delicious Italian dressing that tasted a bit like the dipping olive oil for the great in house baked bread.
As I know, you can get carried away with over ordering, so needing to pace ones self allows you to experience a wide variety of offerings. I did try the Calamari which was infused with some different flavors and was very good and a Pine Island clam that was so tender, fresh & tasty.
Giorgio then showed up at our table with a sample of his special appetizer for the night; homemade pasta pillows sized between a ravioli & a tortellini, stuffed with a beef, veal meat filling and covered with a sweet pink tomato sauce. They just melted in your mouth, full of flavor. Our main entrees followed shortly thereafter. Jim & Joe enjoyed the local black grouper francese style served over escarole greens and beans. I tried a taste of Joe's which I normally don't do, but I couldn't resist this one, & it was excellent. Robin, who is not a meat eater was in the right restaurant, as an out of area fresh Halibut was on the specials list, grilled beautiful white and flaky, served with some very nice sauteed veggies. Giorgio brings in weekly fresh fish from places as far away as Hawaii among others.
Susanne enjoyed one of her favorite Italian specialties of chicken francese with a tasty side of penne pasta with a light marinara sauce. Bonnie had chicken scarpariello sauteed with capers, sun dried tomato's, portabello mushrooms, white wine , butter and balsamic vinegar served over a bed of linguine. So good and generous that Joe had to jump in and give her some help to finish it. I decided to try one of my favorites, Paella, which was well presented & loaded with fresh local shrimp, clams, mussels, chicken, and chorizo sausage served over rice in a savory spicy sauce. It was a clear sign of the chef's ability to diversify, using local ingredients.
Everyone having enjoyed their dinners were now surprised when the Chef brought out a special dessert, homemade Zabaglione, which is a rich Italian custard that was joined by a dollop of chocolate mouse, with a cup of coffee or cappuccino. A perfect finish to a perfect meal. A fun night with good friends, food and talented host.
We are very lucky to have many very good Italian restaurants in our area. After traveling all over the country as well as Italy, it is obvious that Italy has the best food in the world. We also have great Italian food in this country though, some recipes brought over by immigrants through the years and some have been Americanized, that can be so good. We can't wait to get back to Vesuvios for another shot at his menu. Stay hungry my friends!
Rating:
Food: 4.5, Very Good PLUS
Atmosphere: 3.5, Service: 4, Very Good
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