Hot Dish
Inside the Gulfshore's Dining Scene
09/30/09Hot Dish: Sept. 30, 2009Inside the Gulfshore’s dining scene. A Capital Anniversary! Naples’ The Capital Grille celebrated its first anniversary Sept. 22 at Mercato with a house full of loyal customers. The superb, friendly service paired with great steaks and seafood packs the parking lot at lunch and dinner almost every day. Proprietor Peter Lopez must know a few thousand people by name; many greet him like a long lost friend. Capital Grille diners Scott and Simone Lutgert with Stephanie Henderson. Some anniversary celebrants included Lori and Marshall Hanno with son Matthew, Denny and Karen Berens, Scott and Simone Lutgert, and Blaine Crandall. The Capital Grille, 9005 Mercato Drive, Naples, 254-0640. Poodle Skirts, Pompadours and an Italian Buffet ... Posted at 03:30 PM | Permalink |
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09/16/09Hot Dish: Sept. 16, 2009Inside the Gulfshore’s Dining Scene. Silverspot Cinema—Naples’ Upscale Hot Spot for Dinner and a Movie Silverspot Cinema’s 11 theaters opened Friday on Mercato’s upper level, bringing elegant touches to Naples’ cinema experience. It offers the traditional soft drinks and popcorn ($4, $4.50 and $7), but it also offers 10 beers ($3-$4.25) and more than a dozen wines by the glass ($7-$9). Silverspot Cinema's restaurant. You can also dine in the theater’s own sleek, 65-seat restaurant, which offers fare such as a Caesar salad ($5), sushi plates ($7), fruit platters ($6) an 8-ounce burger with fries and tobacco onions ($9), or a 7-ounce filet mignon and sides ($23). The pricing is as attractive as the food! Silverspot Cinema offers sushi, salads,... Posted at 05:35 PM | Permalink |
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08/26/09Hot Dish: Aug. 26, 2009Hot Dish Inside the Gulfshore’s dining scene. A Star is Born! Inca’s Kitchen serves some of the best cuisine in Southwest Florida, and it’s on my—and quite a few others’—lists of “Top 10 restaurants.” The food is Peruvian and an exquisite mix of Asian, Italian, Spanish and French cooking. Inca's Kitchen Chef Rafael Rottiers and wife Blanca. Chef/Co-owner Rafael Rottiers serves some of the tastiest seafood and steaks in town. I flipped over Inca’s Wari fish ($16), an ambrosia-like grilled fish with mango salsa. Inca's Kitchen's Wari fish. The Peruvian ceviche ($12) is tops, a full-size portion of fish, calamari and shrimp. The lomo saltado and other steaks are a match for any steakhouse. Inca's Kitchen's sampler featuring grilled... Posted at 03:45 PM | Permalink |
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08/12/09Hot Dish: Aug. 12, 2009Inside the Gulfshore’s Dining Scene. Naples’ Blue Martini Is an Instant Hit Blue Martini at Mercato in Naples has been packed with more than 250 guests almost every night since opening, offering pretty martinis and light food to savor. Walking by the open bar in front, you’d think it’s been the center of Naples’ night life for years. Blue Martini at Mercato in Naples It’s a long, lean, attractive club, luring patrons in their 20s through their 80s for its Happy Hour, narrowing to mostly 20s and 30s later in the evening. Two main indoor bars are busy, and the large outdoor bar is just right for short-sleeve weather. Food is primarily flatbreads, bruschetta ($8), a fruit-and-cheese plate ($14), seared tuna ($14), steak sandwich ($14) and a lobster taco... Posted at 03:20 PM | Permalink |
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07/29/09Hot Dish: July 29, 2009Inside the Gulfshore’s Dining Scene. Dine with Dolphins at Flippers on the Bay Flippers on the Bay has long been a tropical oasis for boaters, who glide right onto its sandy beach, as well as for those who arrive by car and bicycle. Boaters head back into the bay after dining at Flippers. This palm-shaded, poolside paradise, at Lovers Key Resort on Fort Myers Beach, could be a setting for Jimmy Buffet’s Cheeseburger in Paradise! Beach your boat or park your car and come upstairs. Yep, it has a roof and a wooden deck, but its sides are wide open to the cooling breezes, stunning sunsets and curious birds. The view is relaxing, stretching across the expanse of the open bay. When I visited last week, five dolphins lazily swam by and pelicans dove for dinner. ... Posted at 05:25 PM | Permalink |
