Fab Finds; New food and new designs

Pot Roast French Dip and Hogfish Rueben 

New food and new decor arrived at two of my favorite Southwest Florida Bistro's this week. Twisted Vine Bistro in downtown Fort Myers is in the middle of revamping it's menu and rolled out some new lunch specialties that are not just filling but fulfilling on every level.

The Pot Roast French Dip was among my favorites, stuffed full of flavorful meat and cheese. You could share one with a friend and each try a salad or soup too.

Twisted Vine's new chef now smokes his prime rib for another meaty and delicious new sandwich and the Fried Green Tomato BLT was perfect.  Yes, I tried all of them and then some.

A little further south in The Bell Tower Shops, Bistro 41's doors have been closed for two weeks for a facelift. I had to check it out the day it reopened and it feels good. Gone is the carpet, the blues and golds in the dining room; replaced with wood and warm, earthy tones. The bar is back lit and the lighting has been updated.

They were still working on a few finishing touches and hope to have all the "little things' taken care of by this week. New decor, but thankfully the same great staff.


One more find, one more Bistro. I stopped in Blue Water Bistro at Coconut Point in Estero this week for a little happy hour libation; BTW they have some really good, early dining specials right now.

When the oyster appetizer arrived, even the bar tender marveled at one of the massive molluscs on the plate; it clearly dwarfed the others. After some blue humored remarks, the negotiations began on who would tackle the big boy. As my friend and I began to eat around it, it seemed other patrons were now taking note, watching and waiting for the final, big slurp. This would not be a problem at the beach,  but it takes some finesse to do these things at a fancy restaurant. For the record, it was a success and it was delicious.

Big Boys

You've heard the rule about ordering raw oysters right? Only do it in months with an "r" in the spelling. I know it's May but sometimes rules are meant to be broken. For instance; at the beach, cold beer in hand, watching a beautiful sunset and a full moon rise (The Cottage, Fort Myers Beach). I'll have a dozen please.

Look at these big boys! I'm not sure the photo does them justice. The oysters were double the size I expected for this time of year, great texture and delicious flavor. I asked if they were farm raised but our server said they were local, from Pine Island.

Oysters spawn when the water gets warm. Spawning makes them watery, less firm and less flavorful. That's really the only drawback of ordering them in the non "r" months. Better refrigeration has solved the other obvious problems with raw seafood in hot temperatures. I'm wondering if these molluscs were still so delightful because of the cooler than normal spring in Southwest Florida? I suppose it really doesn't matter why, it just matters how long it will last. Get 'em while you can!

Venice: Italy? California? Florida?

I can now check all of the above! I just returned from a short road trip up the west coast of Florida, stopping at nine beaches in two days! The stop may have only been 15 minutes but it was a stop none-the-less!

Venice is known as the "shark's tooth" capital because of the abundance of fossilized teeth found on the beaches. The drive along the shoreline to Stump Pass was beautiful and exactly what I imagine old Florida to be. No high rises or beach stores just dunes, sea oats and the smell of salt air!

The downtown was quaint with a couple of restaurants and a wine bar that looked inviting. I was really looking forward to a nice glass of wine and some fancy appetizer with a reduction of this and a drizzle of that. But I somehow ended up with a  platter of ice cold oysters and a pint of ice cold beer! Go figure!

We were looking for waterfront dining and stumbled upon Marker 4 Oyster Bar along the Intercoastal. The oysters were awesome: big, fresh and delicious! We also tried their signature seafood skins: potato skins brimming with a creamy seafood mixture and topped with cheese. Thumbs up. The menu was full of fishy options as well as healthful salads but we had to keep moving. More beaches to explore!

I have to tell you I've heard some bad reviews of Marker 4 citing everything from food quality, high prices, bad service, rude management and check issues. Thankfully I had a good experience and on that alone would recommend you give it a try if you're in the area.