Restaurant changes on horizon at Bell Tower Shops

COURTESY PHOTO Ruth Cohen and Michael Giovanniç at Toro last Sunday. Cohen is teaming up with Yates on a new venture called Mad Takeout. There are big changes afoot restaurantwise around Bell Tower Shops in south Fort Myers.

Veteran restaurateur Shannon Yates, who founded first Bacchus, then Cru, at the upscale shopping center, has stepped away from the daily operation of Cru to explore other ventures.

First up: He and former Cru standout Ruth Cohen are opening a gourmet to-go business in the storefront between Outback Steakhouse and French Roast Café just north of Bell Tower.

Mad Takeout, the first phase of which should open in early February, will offer gourmet sandwiches, antipasta, imported cheeses and meats as well as gourmet pizzas, fish, meat, game and poultry cooked on an eight-foot openflame oven. Cohen will preside as chef de cuisine.

"The menu will be every bit as high end as the food you see at the best restaurants," Yates promises.

Mad Takeout will serve lunch and dinner fare Mondays through Saturdays.

COURTESY PHOTO Chefs Gloria Cabral-Jordan and Shannon Yates at last Sunday's battle of the paellas at Toro in the Bell Tower. Meanwhile, his other venture, Food Nerds LLC, is thriving at its factory on Palm Avenue in Fort Myers. Initially a wholesale operation that manufactures and sells Yates' signature Volcano Crab Rolls, there's now a retail component as well. From noon to 5 p.m. starting Friday and running through the end of the year, customers can take a tour and buy rolls at the facility at 2461 Palm Ave., about a half block from the Farmers Market Restaurant in Fort Myers. Or order by phone (332-5255) or online (foodnerds. com).

While expanding the Food Nerds business and awaiting the opening of Mad Takeout, Yates says, "I plan on having fun with guest appearances and events supporting food and wine."

Food lovers got a taste of that Sunday at Toro, when he and chef Gloria Cabral-Jordan went toque to toque in the battle of the paellas.

Conditions couldn't have been better. An early morning storm gave way to a cool, breezy afternoon allowing for the wall of French doors to be flung open, giving Bell Tower shoppers tantalizing whiffs of the battle raging inside.

Cabral-Jordan, chef/owner of Trattoria Café Napoli, and Yates took their good-natured war of words over whose famed Spanish rice and seafood dish was best where it belonged: into the kitchen.

The three-judge panel (of which I was one) had a tough time with the blind tasting. Both dishes had lots of flavor, fresh and bountiful clams, mussels, shrimp, chicken and chorizo. Yates did a fine job of it, but Cabral-Jordan, who was born in Cuba and raised in Spain, emerged the victor.

Those who attended were the biggest winners. Not only did they get to sample both chefs' lively versions of Spain's most famous dish, accompanied by copious amounts of albarino and rioja wines, they were entertained by singer/guitarist Fito Espinola whose music prompted a good many to get up and dance between the tables. There was even a surprise performance by 88-year-old dancer/comedian/ author Norma Miller, who's been in show business for more than seven decades.

Look for Yates and company to stage more such events in the coming months.