Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Wait Is Over

Fort Myers (FL) residents who drive McGregor Blvd on a regular basis have been watching the progress of a new restaurant on the corner of Royal Palm, just across from the Alliance of the Arts. I can report it is finally open and officially sanctioned; by me! I can't wait to write more about the history of this structure, crazy parking, it's owner and chef; but for now lets start with this....

Christof's has the look and feel of an old, Southern home or tea room; surrounded by lots of trees, green landscaping, and a beautiful wrap around porch for seating. A brick paved patio offers even more outdoor seating. With this look I was expecting some form of Southern food and I wasn't disappointed. I was even happier to see the menu had lots of Italian dishes and some French cuisine as well. The fusion works.

I arrived after working late and shared a few appetizers with a friend. We started with a fresh Cesar Salad and homemade dressing. All of the dressings at Christof's are made with Grape Seed Oil. The salad was consumed, it seemed, in seconds. Next we enjoyed Fried Green Tomatoes stacked with Mozzarella, bacon and corn salsa ($6.95). I predict it will be the most popular appetizer on the menu with just the right balance of flavors and textures. Don't share this, get your own.

The Stuffed Portobella Mushroom ($8.50) was as big as my hand; stuffed with fresh vegetables on top of a tomato coulis that I wanted to drink. We ended with a Tuna Carpaccio ($8.50) that was dressed with onions and thinly sliced celery for a fresh, light treat. Right now there are only three red wines by the glass but the bottle selection looks to be more well rounded; more glass selections are available for whites.

I've been to dozens of restaurant openings and have experienced all kinds of problems with service, long waits for food, food that wasn't right or just wasn't good; thankfully this was NOT one of those experiences. Everything came with ease (from my perspective) and was delectable. The servers were attentive, excited and that excitement was passed on to me as a diner.  That being said, it's only day three and I missed the dinner rush. If you go in this weekend at prime time and don't have the same experience, be understanding that things are still being worked out and be sure to return for a second chance. I think Christof's on McGregor will quickly become a new Southwest Florida favorite.

11 comments:

  1. I can't wait to go.

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  2. when posting about new places, could you sat something about pricing please? This is in a place that it can be costly or affordable!

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  3. Yes! Thanks for the reminder! I will work this week on editing this with updated info.

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  4. I agree with Gina!Cristof's on McGregor Blvd is a wonderful quaint little restaurant to meet up with friends for drinks and a lite bite with an appetizer or 2! I was there Friday meeting up with a few friends and we beat the crowd at 5:30! By the time we left about 7, the crowd was in full swing! We had appetizers, and I agree with Gina about the Fried Green Tomatoes...get your own! They're delicious!

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  5. Burger was good, the tomato must have been cut the day before, fries were terrible and ice tea comes out of a machine, not brewed. Never again.

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  6. Does anyone know of Christof's Restaurant in Fort Myers?

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  7. We had a horrible experience at this place at the end of October and we will never go back! We all ordered the steak sandwiches. We ordered them medium rare and all came out well done and full of gristle . We ordered steak fries and they came out cold, hard and burned nearly to a crisp. When we told our "server", she said with a vacant smile "sorry". The manager approached, asked if everything was all right and when we responded with a resounding "no" she simply walked away. We eventually were visited by the chef whose attitude was a lot more fresh than the rolls he served his sandwiches on. He said the sandwiches were all right even in the face of the plate full of gristle. He was rude, offensive and completely unapologetic for his pathetic effort in the kitchen. After making a scene and attracting the attention of neighboring patrons, he suggested that we pay the bar bill which we did. The building is wonderful and very nicely decorated but the food and the service is atrocious and is unworthy of a Wendy's let alone a place with upscale prices and delusions.

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    1. So you are the rude ass that was next to us. Glad to hear you won't be back.

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  8. as a neighbor I am extremely upset about all the noise. The noisy delivery trucks in the early mornings, the dumpster getting emptied at 6-6:30 AM, the used cooking oil truck running its pump engines at 4:30 AM!!! and the lawn service that mows at 7 AM sharp with the loudest lawnmower I ever heard in my life! Constant car door slamming and car alarms. The employees seem to spend more time outside chatting on their cellphones than working. I can't believe the city didn't make Cristof put up a proper buffer zone between the restaurant and the private homes next to him.

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    1. That's why the city has zoning meetings. Guess you will go to the next one.

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    2. ^ that's what code enforcement, the health department, the Fort Myers City Police are for. Call them all. Also a TV news channel and possibly a lawsuit for ruining your quality of life.

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