FOOD NEWS

Bennett's Fresh Roast brings justroasted java to River District

FLORIDA WEEKLY PHOTO KAREN FELDMAN Bob Grissinger, owner of Bennett's Fresh Roast in downtown Fort Myers. What would possess a man to arise in the middle of the night seven days a week to make doughnuts and roast coffee?

In Bob Grissinger's case, it's a passion for baked goods and top-notch coffee that prompted him to buy property on Bayside Parkway in downtown Fort Myers and transform it from a tired and dated little house into a sleek, stylish coffee house serving laser-roasted coffee, fresh-baked goods and home-roasted meats.

In Grissinger's case it's not as big a lifestyle change as it might be for others. As a morning personality on WINK-FM for years (under the name C. David Bennett), he's accustomed to getting up in the dark of night to report for work. Now, however, he's working for himself.

The business opened Feb. 11, serving coffee, tea and baked goods starting at 6 a.m. six days a week and 7 a.m. on Sundays.

Grissinger's brother-in-law, Roger Munro, is his partner in the endeavor, although he lives in West Virginia so Grissinger is the primary baker and barrista.

Doughnut flavors change but are likely to include glazed, chocolate iced, cinnamon twist, iced apple filled and caramel sticky buns with pecans, selling for 95 cents apiece or $4.95 for a basket of six. Other baked goods include praline bread pudding, strawberry cheesecake, lemon bars, brownies and apple pie, all made on the premises.

Lunch (served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) is limited to a handful of sandwiches but the beef and turkey are freshly roasted and sliced, then placed on ciabatta bread with various accoutrements. Starting in the afternoon, there are wines by the glass or bottle.

"I've always loved to bake," Grissinger says, "and my passion for freshly roasted coffee has developed over the years. This is a labor of love for us."

Bennett's Fresh Roast is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. It's at 2011 Bayside Parkway, just off West First Street, in the River District. Call 565-8754.

Long-time restaurateur plans new family affair

Sal Basile was just a teenager when he and his brothers opened Nino's in Fort Myers some 30 or so years ago. He went on to work at several restaurants, eventually opening Basile's, Taste of New York and Bella Rosa before stepping out of the business three years ago.

Since then, he's been a landlord, operating the strip center where Bella Rosa sits on Daniels Parkway. Now he's building a new set of shops just west of that where he plans to open another restaurant with family members.

"The development business is OK," he says, "but it's not the same satisfaction you get with a restaurant."

And so, in a few months, he'll open Two Meatballs in a Kitchen, an affectionate reference to his son, Alex, and son-in-law, Paul Torocco. Expect to see his daughters, Maria (Torocco's wife), Gina and Alaina, in the front of the house as well.

The menu will be casual, featuring pizza and the straight-up pasta dishes on which Basile made his name. Although he won't be the primary chef, Basile will be around greeting customers the way he always has.

Besides missing the business himself, Basile says Torocco recently completed a second tour of military duty in Iraq and was looking for something to do in civilian life. The rest of the kids also bought in to the idea.

Construction has just begun, but keep an eye on this column for more details as the opening nears.

Noodles raises money for Pop Warner, expands menu

If you missed the first fund-raiser Noodles Italian Café and Sushi Bar held to raise money for the Naples Hurricanes, you get another chance Thursday.

The Naples restaurant raised $300 to help fund transportation, equipment and uniforms for the Pop Warner youth football and cheerleading teams and will do so again from 6 to 10 p.m., Thursday. Owner Matt Berman, who is also a Naples Hurricanes coach, will donate a portion of the evening's proceeds to the program and provide free hors d'oeuvres to those who join the organization.

Meanwhile, the restaurant has also added health-conscious items to the menu, including homemade gluten-free pastas, more seafood, as well as lower-fat sushi and chirashi (brown rice with seafood scattered atop it).

Chef Seth Berman, who co-owns the restaurant with his brother, has added cioppino, a classic fish stew, and a Mediterranean grilled seafood salad to the Italian offerings. On the sushi side, chirashi provides fiber in the form of brown rice with seafood on top. Other new Japanese items include the sizzling spicy shrimp roll, which contains steamed shrimp, wasabi, spicy sauce and wakame, along with a salmon roll, consisting of fresh salmon with cucumber and sesame seeds.

Noodles is at Mission Square Plaza, 1585 Pine Ridge Road, Naples. Call (239) 592-0050 or on the Web at www.noodles-cafe.com.