Copyright Vanessa Rogers Photography 2015
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Bison Tenderloin at The Lodge
It’s a law of human nature to want what we don’t have, but that bends when it comes to winter (at least for those of us electing to live in Florida). Yet there’s still something idyllic about relaxing by a mountain fireplace. Newcomer restaurant The Lodge riddles that conundrum by mixing an après-ski atmosphere with a twofold menu of slow-smoked barbecue and choice cuts of game—including this grass-fed bison steak from Three Suns Ranch in Punta Gorda. The seared rosemary- and thyme-crusted tenderloin gets a robust jolt from balsamic-glazed Brussels sprouts and roasted fingerlings. If that doesn’t leave you feeling whisked away to the Appalachian foothills, a frosty craft beer or a taste of the house barbecue sauce will: It’s a snow-white mayo-based specialty from northern Alabama.
2278 First St., Fort Myers, 433-2739, thelodgefl.com