RESTAURANT NEWS

Delicious downtown restaurant changes hands

Delicious Things, a charming little restaurant serving scrupulously fresh and vibrant Italian food on First Street, has new owners. Juergen Gerlach sold the aptly named Delicious Things to Ines and Torsten Josupeit of Cape Coral last week.

The couple, originally from Germany, owned and operated Blue Monday, a little German restaurant in the Island Park area, a while back. The long hours and hectic pace of the business got to be too much so they turned their attention to real estate investment for a few years.

Given what's happening in that arena these days, Ines Josupeit says they decided they were ready to return to restaurants.

"We plan to keep the restaurant as is, although we may add some new items," she says. "Business is good" so they don't expect to make any major changes in the near future.

The Italian Restaurant, at 2262 First St., is open from 11 a.m. to midnight every day during the winter season. For information, call 332-7797.

Miami Connection dishes up dinner

Miami Connection, that Fort Myers' long-time bastion of all things kosher-style, is now open for dinner five nights a week.

Entrees include Jewish comfort fare such as lamb shanks over noodles, beef brisket with vegetable gravy, a grouper basket, chicken in a pot, London broil with mushroom gravy, angel-hair pasta with Asiago cream sauce (add shrimp or chicken for an extra charge), and sides such as potato pancakes, kasha varnishkes and green beans almondine. Entrees range from $9.95 to $14.95.

Buy wine there or bring your own for a $10 corkage fee.

Dinner is served until 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is at 11506 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers. Call 936-3811.

Coming attractions

Uno Chicago Grill is expected to open Monday at 738 Pine Island Road, Cape Coral. The chain's first restaurant opened in 1943 in Chicago, and claims to have invented Chicago deep-dish pizza. Now with 200-plus locations, Uno serves the pizza on which it made its name as well as a full array of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and hot entrees. For details, call 242-9866.

A different sort of pizza purveyor, Chuck E. Cheese, is expected to return to Fort Myers after an absence of more than a decade. The new company-operated branch (the previous one was a franchise) will set up shop sometime this spring in the building that formerly housed Blocker's Furniture, across from Page Field on U.S. 41. Expect the works: pizza, finger foods, sandwiches, rides, arcade games and other kid-friendly trappings.

Crü's monthly Protein Series kicks off 2008 with a four-course tasting menu starring sea bass. It's set for 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, at the Bell Tower Shops restaurant. Cost: $65 per person. Call 466-3663.

The Sandy Butler's offering a jazz brunch every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and free cooking demonstrations at 4 p.m. Thursdays throughout the month starting today. It's at 17650 San Carlos Blvd., Fort Myers Beach. Call 482-6765.