An Evening at The Escalante

Season is almost over, meaning Southwest Floridians will soon reclaim possession of the roads and restaurants. In the midst of the winter chaos I was introduced to a gem, one that I have driven by a million times but never took the time to explore; The Escalante Hotel on the corner of 3rd Street South and 5th Avenue South in Naples.

Fashioned after the Brazilian Court in Palm Beach, this boutique hotel is the former Beach Comber, an historic property dating back to the early 1950's.

Hotelier Mary Brandt has made a number of changes since taking over, converting the high-rise part of the hotel into condos, keeping only those chic suites with private patios surrounding the pool for guests. She has also added fitness classes and yoga on the pool deck and the beach, as well as an organic garden, growing produce and herbs for the restaurant.

About the restaurant, Veranda E, Brandt recruited innovative California chef Michael Kang to help revamp the kitchen and menu. The restaurant is delightfully al fresco; the poolside trees strewn with lights for a magical setting.

Serving fish flown in from Hawaii and organic meats from North Carolina, among other specialties, the energetic Chef Kang and his staff use combinations and ingredients that 'foodies' will go mad over. The concept of each dish is so simple, it is prepared with the idea of creating that elusive, perfect bite. If you are adventurous and want an even bigger treat, don't order off the menu. Instead let the chef and the expert kitchen staff prepare something special for you. Just tell them your wishes and how many dishes; we had eight.

First up was a small portion of curry rock shrimp and scallops that I want to eat full size, for a poolside luncheon with a cold glass of viognier.

Foie Gras A La Mode

The most decadent dish came next; foie gras a la mode. The fatty meat was perfectly crisp on the outside, surrounded by a mind blowing mix of flavors including white peach, sesame, teriyaki and an aged  balsamic reduction. While this flavor combo might seem a bit outrageous, remember the concept of a the perfect bite? A little of everything all at once worked to the point that I didn't know how I could go on eating, but I managed.

Carpacio of squid

The carpacio squid was almost too pretty to eat and once again the flavors were amazing. One of my favorite Asian dishes is anything Kung Pao and at Escalante, chef expertly used calamari steaks for the protein; tender and flavorful.

Asian Pear and Humboldt Fog Cheese salad

Next dish was part salad, part cheese course with a generous slice of Humboldt Fog. Asian pear, organic greens, walnut vinaigrette and lavender honey rounded out this mouthwatering course.

Crispy, whole snapper

Chef Kang approaches food like architecture, with dimension and typically plated in a vertical fashion. The crispy snapper was a perfect example. We had a fresh, whole yellowtail that was split in the middle then prepared in a ceviche-style before being flash fried. It is one of the most popular and most impressive dishes on the menu. Some guests even share it as an appetizer.

We also had wild tiger prawns from Nigeria in a sake sauce and the most tender dry aged, bone-in ribeye with porcini hoisin sauce, a killer combination of east meets west. This is sadly when the white flag of foodie surrender was raised. So naturally a dessert course was brought out, just to make it official.

You might not be able to pronounce all of the ingredients used in the dishes at Veranda E but you won't care, your taste buds will be tickled in ways you will dream about when you go home.

If you have a special event or wedding in the future, give The Escalante a look. This historic hideaway has charm, pays attention to detail and has a restaurant that will hold you hostage with amazing meals during your stay.

Note: Dinner prices range from $14 to $55

Double Fisting It

I love trying wines of the same or similar varietals side-by-side. I also love watching the looks of others at the bar when I gleefully line up two or three glasses to have with dinner. Last night I lined up two big blends while dining at the USS Nemo in Naples. Yes, big red blends at a seafood restaurant!

We picked The Prisoner and the Duckhorn Decoy.

I was interested in trying The Prisoner primarily because it is the first bottling under the winery's new ownership. It was a juicy blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Syrah, Charbono with a touch of Grenache and Malbec. It was velvety with dark fruit and a touch of cocoa.


The Decoy was also juicy but more toasty and spicy with hints of cedar. Its blend consisted of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. I enjoyed The Prisoner but preferred the Decoy with our appetizers: mini tacos of Peking Duck and BBQ Pork.You can order both by the glass at Nemo's

Nemo’s is another one of those restaurants that looks a little suspect from the outside but is stylish and fabulous on the inside. The menu is more exotic than  you would think. Although you can get BBQ Tacos and Veal Sweetbreads, the cuisine is primarily seafood with an Asian flair. The Seabass is some of the best you will find in Southwest Florida! On the Tuesday night I visited, there was standing room only at 7 p.m.  Reservation or not, Nemo's is definitely worth the wait!

Silverspot

Dinner and a movie has always been a good combination. So I couldn't wait to try Silverspot, a new theater/restaurant combo at the trendy Mercato in Naples. I thought it was one of those places where you could actually dine during the movie but the restaurant is in the lobby, across from the concession stand. The theater itself has those big oversized, comfy chairs and plenty of room for your champagne but no tables.

Misconception number two for me was that the menu was full of nachos and burgers and well, 'basic food'. I dined on beef carpaccio, tuna tartar and a delicious goat cheese salad! The pizza was some of the best I've had in a long time. The crust was super thin, the cheese was fresh and allthough it was small it was still enough to share!

The wine list was not too overpriced and there was a nice selection of red, white and bubbles!! Best part, you can take the bottle into the theater while you watch the movie. POSH!!! What a great date night!