A New Chef For The New Year At Twisted Vine

For years, Twisted Vine Bistro has been a top spot to dine in downtown Fort Myers for it's cool vibe, extensive wine list and creative food, among other things, and it's status as a premiere dining destination is climbing yet another rung on the ladder going into 2016.

For starters, Chef Airon Adams has arrived from Chicago. European trained, with experience under top chefs from the around the U.S., he is all about approaching food "in a new and unique way." He says, "I want someone from Chicago to come here and say I got the best meal of my life in Fort Myers."

Seared scallop over truffled porridge

Take for instance Twisted Vine's new seared scallop dish. It is served over an irresistible truffled porridge with beach mushrooms, fennel jam, parsley vinegar, olive jus and pea tendrils. Beautifully presented, every element plays together with great finesse on the plate and palate.

Crab Cake

The substantial crab cake is all crab rather than filler with a delectable, black garlic emulsion and preserved lemon and chive.

The Lobster parfait is perhaps one of my favorite new appetizers. Butter poached, the crustacean is served over a rich and creamy parsnip puree and red wine demi.....this will knock your socks off. Don't share, get one of your own.

Duck Breast

The duck breast is simply amazing, cooked perfectly and paired spot on with spaghetti squash, baby turnips, soy chestnut and red watercress. It's one of the hot new items creating a buzz and delighting diners with comforting flavors that work well together.

The hanger steak is one of those menu items that upon reading the description, you might think twice about ordering; crispy fingerlings, salsify, sprout leaves, sechuan pepper, blueberry demi and kumquat gremolata. Don't think about it, don't try to imagine it, just order it. I promise it not only works, it will be a dish you talk about the rest of the week.

Candied Beef Short Ribs over polenta

You'll notice the new menu has a clean look, using more of the proper culinary terms for pestos and sauces rather than a lot of fancy adjectives to describe how delicious the dishes are. So this is where you need to put your "foodie" pride aside and ask your server to help interpret.

Too many times people don't order something that will blow them away, because they don't understand the methods mentioned on the menu and are embarrassed to ask.

Long time fans of Twisted Vine will find the menu listing different indeed, but you'll also find it to be extraordinary once you take a chance on some of the additions. I'm excited to see what else the chef and owners come up with for 2016.

Of special interest is the expansion next door. The Barrel Room at Twisted Vine will soon become downtown's hot new bourbon and blues venue, with a delicious gastropub menu serving late.

Congrats Steve and Denise Hollister on the fantastic changes at Twisted Vine and for always striving to give Southwest Florida a memorable dining experience.

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.

Wine Wednesday, Tariquet

This is the time of year where I can't take time off from work physically. But mentally, I took a road trip this week to a nearby place called France; you may've heard of it?

Ithier Bouchard from Domaine du Tariquet arrived in Florida at 1am, by 2pm I was sampling his crisp whites and unique Bas-Armagnac, with my friends at The Twisted Vine Bistro in Downtown Fort Myers.

Tariquet is a family owned vineyard in Gascony, in south-west France. For Wine Wednesday I've picked their entry level, flagship wine: 2012 Domaine du Tariquet Classic.

This wine consistently wins awards for it's unique blend and great value; in the $10 range for retail. The 2012 is mostly Ugni Blanc and Colombard,  mixed with a bit of Sauvignon Blanc and Gros Manseng. The result is a fresh, grassy wine with crisp citrus and juicy tropical fruits. Another great summer find.

A number of restaurants are pouring Tariquets other wines, but Bistro 41 at the Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers and the Wine Merchant in Naples currently have this blend. You wont be disappointed. Bouchard talks more about the wine here:

Rare Find-Good Wine

I went to The Twisted Vine Bistro in downtown Fort Myers, FL, for a late lunch yesterday. And also to taste some new wine with owners Steve and Denise Hollister. Steve couldn't wait to share his latest acquisition, Allamand Cuvee Saint Jeannet. 

He explained that Saint Jeannet is a French grape that was thought to have been completely eradicated. That is until the owners of Allamand found it growing on a hillside of their property in Mendoza, Argentina. They had the strange grape with thick skin genetically tested to determine its origin.

There aren't many vines but vintners harvest what they can and in this case, blended it 50/50 with Chardonnay from 90 year-old vines. The result is a fresh and creamy blend, with some spice on the finish. I could pick out the rich Chardonnay immediately but it did not overpower the citrus and tropical fruits in the Saint Jeannet. OK for sipping in this hot weather but I liked it best with food.

After the wine rep told Steve there were only three cases in Florida, he said, "I'll take them all (waving his hands in the air)." The shipment should be in next week. As of yesterday he had planned to serve it by the glass and the bottle, $12/$48.

If you like to try different, unique and hard to get wines, you have to stop by and try this one a go, before I drink it all!

Wine Wednesday, Chateau Montelena

It's Wine Wednesday! So excited to have Steve Hollister from Twisted Vine Bistro in downtown Fort Myers stop in for a visit. Especially when I saw what he was packin'?

Today we tasted a delicious, 2010 Chateau Montelena Chardonay (one of my favorite wineries). I thought it was especially appropriate considering the death, less than a week ago, of Jim Barrett. Barrett was the winemaker whose 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay is credited with putting Napa Valley and California wines in general, on the international map. His story was the subject of the movie "Bottle Shock".

This wine had a floral nose, a little citrus on the tongue and some steel rather than that buttery, oaky bomb that is signature of many CA Chards. It's still creamy and very food friendly. Twisted Vine has it both by the glass ($22) and by the bottle ($85). Stop by for some of the best food and wine you will find downtown Fort Myers. Plus Steve and his wife Denise are extremely fun hosts with great wine events!

Unplugged and Uncorked

I've tasted his wines, listened to his CD's but finally got to hear Paul Cullen perform live last night at Twisted Vine Bistro in downtown Fort Myers, FL

Cullen, the former bassist for Bad Company, not only makes great music but delicious wine. I reviewed his Sonata Bianco and Sonata Rosso here, for an upcoming article in Times Of The Islands magazine and was really looking forward to trying his Rose' and the yet to be released Jazz Freak.

Cullen has combined his love of wine and music into a venture called "Unplugged And Uncorked". He travels the country selling his wine and playing his music at various wine events. The new tunes are perfectly suited for sipping.

Cullen is long-time friends with the new owners of Twisted Vine, so it was an obvious choice for a wine dinner. We began with passed appetizers and a crisp, Sparkling Rose'. The first seated course featured succulent PEI Mussels in a garlic sauce with Sonata Bianco; a Sauvignon Blanc blended with a bit of Chardonnay to, as Cullen says, "give it a nice round bottom."  His hand gestures suggested grabbing one. The wine was acidic with apricots and when tasted after the mussels, had a nice spice.

I could hardly wait to try the beautiful, pink Sonata Rose', served with Pasta Pomodoro. The pasta was fresh and dressed with basil picked from Twisted Vine's new herb garden. The Rose' is a blend of Petit Syrah and Fiano. I got a bit of mint in the nose but not much else. It was dry and delicious with a some spice, cardamom and strawberry. Enjoyable pairing!

However, my favorite pairing of the night was the Sonata Rosso with a Pork Osso Bucco. The wine is a balanced blend of Syrah, Zinfnadel and Cabernet Franc with flavors of clove and red fruit. It was beautiful with the salt and fat of the pork. The Osso Bucco was cooked in a savory broth with fennel, artichoke rustica and plum tomatoes. The flavors exploded, the meat fell off of the bone. BRAVO!

Jazz Freak is Cullen's latest wine, a Barbera from the Sierra Foothills. It was juicy and tart, yet smooth. I was happy with it on it's own but wasn't about to turn down the dessert that came with it; Tiramisu in thin lovely layers. It was a creamy and delicious finale.

Cullen will be back at the Twisted Vine, performing live, Saturday night (5/26). Ask for his wines when sit down to dine!

Check out some some of my interview with Cullen here:

Music and Wine at Twisted Vine

Former Bad Company Bassist, turned wine maker and guitar player, Paul Cullen, is making a swing through his old stomping grounds in Southwest Florida this week.

I was fortunate enough to taste Cullen's wine and interview him for Times Of The Islands, the issue will be on news-stands in July. I also blogged about Sonata wines here, all but the Rose' which I'm hoping to taste this week. In addition, Cullen is debuting a brand new wine on his visit; Jazz Freak, a Barbera from the Sierra Foothills.

Cullen and his wine will be featured at a special dinner Wednesday (5/23) at Twisted Vine in downtown Fort Myers. Thursday (5/24) he'll be performing at Yabo, on the way to the islands and back at Twisted Vine Saturday (6/26) night.

Support live music, local restaurants and great wine!
Click here for more info on Cullen's appearances this summer.

You can find a review of the wine dinner here.

Rockin' Wine

Lot's of "famous" people own vineyards, or more often than not, wine labels. I don't buy a wine because I like the owner's music, movies or sports teams, however, many fans do. But I admit to having a certain curiosity about the quality of wine in the celebrity bottle.

Former Bad Company bassist, Paul Cullen makes wine from grapes grown in California's Sierra Foothills called Sonata. He developed an appreciation of wine while touring and drinking it with guitarist Mick Ralphs. At one point in his post-band career, he even sold wine for an Italian distributor. Wine and music are a natural fit to me; Cullen as well. He married the two by forming Unplugged and Uncorked, making "wine friendly" music and selling it at wine events, rather than through big record labels.

I love the concept, but what about the wine? The Sonata Bianco is a refreshing, clean blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Its an acidic wine with citrus and apricot flavors. I'm not sure I would've guessed there was any Chardonnay in there had I not known. It was just enough for some extra body but thankfuly no oak Very enjoyable!

The Sonata Rosso is a blend of Syrah, Zinfandel and Cab Franc. I tasted allspice, clove and some creamy vanilla and caramel. I shared some with another wine lover who picked up the bottle, peered in with one eye, then put it back down with a pout declaring, "I'm so sad it's all gone." I felt the same.

I interviewed Cullen for an upcoming story in Times Of The Islands Magazine (more to come on that). He told me he was most excited about his Rose', the only one of the three I haven't tried yet. It's an interesting blend of Petit Syrah and Fiano, a rare Italian grape. Cullen says it is refreshing but still dry with watermelon undertones. Sounds perfect for summer. Sonata wines aren't widely distributed but you can get them. Retailing around $15 each, they are more than worth the hunt. Sip a glass while listening to his new music for double the pleasure. It's a fabulous combination!

Cullen will be pouring wine and performing live in Fort Myers in May, Labor Day week. Look for him at Yabo and Twisted Vine. I'll keep you posted on other appearances and remind you Southwest Floridians when the time nears. Cheers.

Afternoon Delight

His South African accent enamored the crowd as he poured wine. And those blue eyes; the pale color the sky gets when the sun shines brightly. The combination had the women swooning. "He" is Nick Gebers. His winery is Post House in South Africa.

Gebers was on a whirl-wind tour of The Sunshine State this week, promoting his wine. He made several stops in Southwest Florida, including a wine tasting at The Twisted Vine, downtown Fort Myers. The outdoor courtyard was perfectly set; flowers in bloom, white linen table cloths, a trio of musicians. Mother nature cooperated with lots of sunshine and a subtle breeze. Chef Daniel created delicious tapas for each of the four wines we tried.

First up was the Post House Bluish White; a blend of Chenin and Sauvignon Blancs. It's fruity but not sweet, and would go well with seafood or dishes with some mild heat. My two favorites were the Bluish Black and the Penny Black. The Bluish Black offers nice complexity at an even nicer price (around $20 retail). The blend of Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet and Merlot is full of dark fruit and drinkable with or without food. When I see it on a restaurant menu I know it will be a good bottle to share.

The Penny Black is an inky blend of Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Verdot. It's a little more complex and would be good with a more robust meal. Penny Black is also the name of the very first stamp ever printed. All of Gebers wines are creatively named after stamps. He says he has more ideas for names of wines than he could possibly bottle.

The Post House Treskilling Yellow closed the show. The 100% Chenin Blanc and was a huge hit with the white chocolate dipped Strawberries! It was a treat that sent tasters back for seconds and thirds.

Twisted Vine currently serves the Bluish Black by the glass and Penny Black by the bottle. Oh, and if you want to see Geber's eyes in person, his winery does have a guest house.