The signature lasagna alla piastra at the new Acqua Bistecca, at Saltleaf on Estero Bay in Estero, begins with the red sauce classic and turns it on its head. Gone are the stacked layers, replaced by concentric circles of supple housemade pasta cradling crumbles of spiced sausage, bits of Swiss chard and creamy béchamel. It’s seared on a flat-top grill until the spiral turns golden and crisp, then nestled into a pool of roasted pepper marinara.
The flavors and textures at the sleek, Riviera-tinged marina restaurant are familiar, but the technique and composition go beyond what most local Italian kitchens attempt. James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina conceived the menu, each dish balancing tradition with modern technique. I’ve spent my life steeped in Italian cooking, from my grandmother’s kitchen to studying and working in restaurants abroad. Acqua Bistecca captures another core memory: the spirit of the acclaimed restaurants I loved as a writer in New York, where the ingredients and dishes I grew up with were reinvigorated. It’s a style I’ve rarely encountered since moving to Florida and exactly what I’ve been waiting for.
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michael mina acqua bistecca estero dining entrance
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Overlooking the bay and tangled mangroves at the Saltleaf Marina development, anchored by the two towers of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay, Acqua Bistecca is as much about place as pasta. For decades, our most ambitious kitchens have clustered farther south in Naples, while Fort Myers has cultivated its own pockets of culinary energy to the north. The arrival of a restaurant from one of the country’s most prodigious, celebrated chef-restaurateurs in Estero is a coup of sorts, signaling that the city is ready for its moment in the spotlight. “Southwest Florida is evolving quickly, and you can feel the momentum,” Michael says. “There’s a growing audience that appreciates great food and thoughtful dining experiences.”
While not exclusively a seafood kitchen, the restaurant stands out in the category. Plump, in-season stone crab claws, poached Gulf shrimp with sambuca-spiked cocktail sauce, and local black grouper grilled over live oak bring the bay setting to the table. Other highlights include savory, caviar-topped cannoli filled with whipped burrata and a gorgeous tuna tartare with Calabrian chili and light-as-air crisps made from leftover pasta dough.
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michael mina acqua bistecca estero dining chef
One of my new favorite dishes in the region is the linguine with Florida clams. Every element of the Italian classic is amplified. The tangle of white-and-green strands and steamed-open shells is enrobed in butter infused with ’nduja, a spicy, brick-red spreadable pork sausage from Southern Italy. The whole delicious mess is finished with a shower of sour orange breadcrumbs, so that every bite zings with briny clams, savory pork, spice, acid and crunch. “Italian cooking is rooted in simplicity and great ingredients,” Michael says. “We built on those traditions with a bit of our own perspective, thoughtful technique and ingredients that reflect where we are.”
Perhaps because it’s an established concept from a hospitality group with 40-plus restaurants, Acqua Bistecca feels like a well-oiled machine right out of the gate. Michael flew in and spent a few weeks training staff, who hit every note from the picture-perfect plating to service tuned to the smallest details.
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michael mina acqua bistecca estero dining beef carpacio
With a menu conceived by James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina (above), Estero’s Acqua Bistecca merges Italian tradition with modern technique and local sensibilities. The filet carpaccio is served with peppery greens, hazelnuts and truffle.
At the greenery-draped bar, the bartender swapped out my cocktail after just a few sips, explaining that it should have been stirred rather than shaken. I hadn’t requested a change, but his reasoning was clear. The remade drink was velvety smooth; any bite from the tequila and gin erased by a change in technique.
The cocktail program is another feather in the restaurant’s cap. Mostly named for Italian coastal cities and regions, the libations are spirit-forward, with plenty of amaro, bitters and an occasional splash of Florida citrus. One page of the menu is devoted to the Manhattan Project, a list of whiskeys, vermouths, garnishes and bitters to design your ideal version of the classic.
After dessert—little olive oil cakes with citrus mousse shaped like lemons on a beach of vanilla cookie crumbles—I find myself thinking about how Michael adapts his restaurant concepts. There’s another Acqua Bistecca location in Washington, D.C., with red velvet booths, a 22-foot mirrored bar and the high energy of its urban setting. Yet with a few intentional changes—a serene waterfront setting, a coastal palette and a deeper emphasis on seafood—the Estero eatery feels like it was always meant for the Gulf. “Every restaurant should feel connected to its surroundings,” Michael says. “This one is very much shaped by Estero Bay.”
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michael mina acqua bistecca estero dining lasagna
Dishes like the lasagna allapiastra offer a new take on a classic, stacked layers reimagined as a spiral of spiced sausage, Swiss chard and béchamel.
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Located at the Saltleaf on Estero Bay community, home to a new The Ritz-Carlton Residences, the restaurant elevates Estero’s dining scene.