New Southern Cooking Comes To Punta Gorda

Leroy's Manhattan with a moonshine soaked cherry

LeRoy's Southern Kitchen is the newest restaurant to grace the dining scene of Punta Gorda's quaint downtown. The brainchild of two longtime Southwest Florida restauranteurs, Lee Richardson and Bob Mulroy, the two scooped up a former chef from the highly acclaimed Mereday's in Naples--Richard Howze.

Howze also spent time in the New Orleans culinary scene. He brings a big dose of NOLA inspiration to Leroy's southern menu, then adds a modern twist.

Located in what used to be Opus, the somewhat chic decor has been replaced with lots of repurposed looking materials for a casual ambiance.

On the surface, it's a place where you might expect to find shrimp and grits, and pork and pancakes, and you do. However, the menu also has foodies salivating with dishes that include foie gras, truffle and bone marrow.

I was so excited to find the above items that I didn't know where to start. Thankfully Mulroy made the decision for me and sent out a tasting board that included two types of sausage, pork rillette, chicken pate, cheeses and more.

Tasting board

He also advised trying the fried green tomatoes which to be honest, didn't excite me as more often than not, I find this dish to be marginally prepared. I should've known better. Chef Howse cut the tomatoes in wedges not slices so we could actually taste them. The crisp batter, the salty blue cheese and tasso fondue, the juicy tomatoes in the middle, created a wonderful trifecta.

Fried green tomatoes

I couldn't pass up something with foie gras. It came on Po Boys, on top of burgers but I had it on it's own, blackened and with a bit of blueberry jam and balsamic. A must try.

Blackened foie gras

I really wanted to try the brussels spouts in a truffled goat cheese with bacon or the crawfish beignets, all small plates. But my dining partner had a small appetite so we had to scale back, this time.

Roasted mushroom pilau, egg, truffle and pork rinds

We did manage to put a dent in the roasted mushroom pilau; the truffle flavors were distinct and delicious. It was topped with a fried egg and served with crunchy pork rinds.

Leroy's has one of the largest (if not THE largest) selections of bourbons and whiskeys in Southwest Florida according to Mulroy, with even more to come. The happy hour includes $4 drafts, wines and wells; only a dollar more for the premiums.

Congratulations on your opening and more exciting things to come!

Fine Time at "209"

Last time I visited Punta Gorda (FL), I tried a new restaurant called Opus. An enthusiastic German lady named Ines, was instrumental in helping to get it off the ground, while at the same time running her own   downtown restaurant; Table 209. Her mission complete, Ines is back at 209 full time.

My co-worker had dined there for lunch and couldn't wait to try dinner. When it comes to checking out restaurants it doesn't take much to twist my arm. The outdoor patio looked inviting but the weather wasn't, so we sat at one of the three tables situated in a semi-private section indoors. Our server suggested we begin with a signature Cucumber Champagne Cocktail. It's hard to say no to the bubbles.

However, it was a rainy, dreary night and what I really wanted was a dirty martini. Table 209 only serves beer and wine. The cucumber seemed more suited for the patio, on a warm afternoon. It was good but it just wasn't doing the trick and our server could tell. She grabbed a wine list and removed the cucumber cocktails with a wink, assuring us they would not go to waste; it was her favorite libation.

Settling on a bottle of Mars Venus Cabernet from Chile, we next set our sites on the appetizer menu. The Tomato Soup was rich, with roasted bell pepper, basil pesto and small chunks of mozzarella; just what the doctor ordered.

Next up was the Shrimp Fraiche. It came in a delectable garlic, lemon, butter and sour cream sauce that required extra bread to sop up; so did the next two dishes. The tender Escargot was cooked in white wine, garlic and bacon. Just when I thought the sauces couldn't get any better, the Mussels showed up. They were plump and mild, cooked perfectly in a broth that many patrons ask to purchase for home; white chocolate, coconut milk, garlic and spices. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

The appetizers ranged in price from $6-$12. Next time I'll try to order only one so I can have a proper main course. On second thought, next time I'll try the Sunday Jazz Brunch on the patio, with a Cucumber Champagne Cocktail. The Brunch menu looked fabulous. I'll keep you posted!




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The Other Opus

When I hear the word "Opus" the first thing that comes to mind is wine; Opus One, a high-end Bordeaux style blend by Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. The name alone conjours various adjectives from wine-lovers; perfection, over-rated, pretentious, delicious, status symbol, but almost always quality. So naturally my expectations were high when I visited a new restaurant in Punta Gorda, FL by the name of Opus.

The word "Opus" actually means an artistic composition, especially music. I'll say the food at Opus was  music all right....music to my mouth.

We started with the Opus Pate' (bacon-onion marmalade, pear conserve, marinated olives, cibatta toasts) and a glass of sparkling wine. The pate' was creamy, the olives fresh and salty and bacon makes everything better! So does bubbly! Great way to kick things off.

I ordered the Grilled Endive salad, expecting it to be sliced lengthwise then grilled. Instead it was cut into chunks, mixed with: pancetta, fresh pears, dried cherries, blue cheese and tossed with a lemon and basil vinaigrette. It was a great balance of flavor and texture.

The entrees we tried included a delicious, fatty but meaty, Roast Duck Breast (mango chili glaze, sweet corn griddle cakes, grilled asparagus, soy basil caramel). And a fresh, flavorful Pan Roasted Grouper with a mango butter sauce. Both dishes were keepers, but the art hanging on the walls was not. It's a new place so of course we gave it the once over while waiting for our food. The decor was on the trendy side but the paintings were of Florida sunsets and landscapes; perhaps more suited for the walls of a seafood joint. The art was beautiful, it just didn't seem to fit. That being said, we went to Opus for good food, not artwork.

Our night out at Opus was the same night as the June "Gallery Walk", so the otherwise sleepy downtown was full of energy. Gallery Walk is an evening of music, art and food; held the third Thursday of every month by the Punta Gorda Downtown Merchants Association. Try something new this month. Make dinner reservations at Opus and check out the next Gallery Walk (July 21st)!

Expectations Too High???

A work event took me to Punta Gorda last Friday night so I decided to explore the downtown area while I was there. My co-worker and I stumbled upon a small parade and bringing up the rear was Santa in a convertible. “Cool”, I thought, “I get to see the city’s tree lighting!” Perfect timing!

The downtown area was so quaint and the streets were crowded with young, old, white-collar and blue-collar types. It was a little chilly for Southwest Florida so we thought a nice dirty martini would warm us up.

Jack’s Restaurant looked impressive on the corner of West Marion and Taylor and I was familiar with the Caribbean duo entertaining customers on the patio so we weaved our way inside to a bistro table in the bar.

I know it was a busy Friday night, however: we waited so long for the server to come back with menu’s that I finally got up to get them; we could see our glasses sitting at the end of the bar as server after server picked up their orders (perhaps it seemed so long because we were thirsty?) my dirty martini came with no olives; my co-workers Corona did not have a lime (I thought these were standard accoutrements); our server was buzzing around so many different places we had to wave her down to place an order.

We had the Tuna Poke and a delicious goat cheese appetizer with warm macadamia nuts and Apricot Coulis. The food was great, we may’ve stayed longer and ordered more but thought it would take all night. I checked reviews online and all were consistently good about the food with just a few digs at the service. I talked to some locals later who said Jack’s was not necessarily known for service but for a decent food and a good time. OK, I’m always up for a good time! I guess I was expecting all of the above.

I’m not trashing the place! I would go back! I bring this up because of the conversation on the drive home. What are reasonable expectations for good service? How long is acceptable for a customer to wait for a menu if they seat themselves in the bar? If a server knows they are over their head should they ask someone else to take a table (our server admitted she was also taking care of some regulars who asked for her). Is it reasonable to expect a dirty martini to have olives and a Corona to have a lime?

OK, discuss……