Harold's on Bay shutting doors after 6 ½ years

Harold's on Bay shutting doors after 6 ½ years

Chef/owner Harold Balink is closing Harold's on Bay in the next few days after 6 ½ years.

No single thing brought about the closing, he says, but rather a combination of factors made him decide it was time to shut the doors. He'll continue to operate H2, the tony bar he opened last year next door to Harold's on Bay.

"I'll be bringing a little bit of Harold's over with me," he says. "We'll do a special here and there and up the number of wine and cheese pairings."

Although he'd been making plans to open another restaurant along Daniels Parkway, that project has been scrapped, too, at least for now. He'll be in the

kitchen at H2 and members of his Harold's team will make the move as well.

 

Balink is sad to have to close the doors, but "we've had a fantastic run," he says. "We've made so many great friends. We love Fort Myers and we're here for the long term. It's going to work out for the better. It's going to take so much pressure off my shoulders."

Pinebrook Plaza gets new occupants

 

Now that Bacchus (aka Toro) is up and running, entrepreneur Shannon Yates is working on two new endeavors: Mad Takeout and Velvet.

Harold Balink

Mad Takeout is a gourmet-to-go concept expected to open in June between Outback Steakhouse and French Roast Café, just north of Bell Tower Shops. Chef Ruth Cohen "is the headmaster and brain" behind the concept, Yates says.

On the flip side of the same shopping center, Velvet wine bar is expected to open sometime around the beginning of August. It will feature artisanal cheeses and boutique wines as well as meats, desserts and chocolate. Joey Remington and Cesar Otero, who along with Cohen have worked with Yates previously, will oversee operations of the upscale wine bar.

Velvet will be what Yates calls "a soft setting," with 86 well-upholstered seats. There will be a wine cellar, an open fire oven and chef's station. Although the location is a bit out of the way, Yates thinks it will be a destination that wine and food lovers will seek out. The other advantage is that there will be plenty of parking there at night when most of the other businesses nearby are closed.

d Brian Roland

"This town needs a wine bar and it needs a takeout concept," he says. "It will put a different twist on food and wine in this area. We want people to go there to be social and to learn about wine."

Restaurants team up to deliver

 

If home-delivered pizza and Chinese food have lost their appeal, a new delivery service may be able to spice up things up.

Goodies to You will deliver menu items from Casa Cabana, Clancey's, Steak and Ale and Suriya Thai as well as beer and wine six days a week for lunch and dinner.

The delivery area is bounded on the north by the Caloosahatchee River, on the east by Metro Parkway, on the south by Daniels Parkway and on the west by McGregor Boulevard. The service operates from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

For details, check out the Web site at www.goodiestoyou.com. Call 466-3437 to place an order.

Poultry stars at Protein Series

 

Chicken is the star of the upcoming Protein Series dinner set for Sunday, May 18, at Cru. Chef Brian Roland's menu includes: a petite chicken salad with romaine and sun-dried cherries; soft poached egg with potato cake, tomato yogurt and basil oil; braised chicken with cornbread stuffing; and lemon pepperbrined organic chicken breast with rice pilaf; as well as dessert. The four-course dinner is $65 per person, plus $25 for freeflowing selected wine.

Reservations are available from 6 to 9 p.m.

The series features a different protein each month, allowing Roland and his team the opportunity to showcase that protein's versatility. The final event in the series, set for Sunday, June 22, will feature snapper.

Cru, which features Florida fusion cuisine, is at the Bell Tower Shops. Call 466-3663 for information or reservations.

Sign up for summer sushi classes

Learn to make sushi at classes offered by Rosa Kim of Origami Restaurant in Fort Myers. She's also the owner of Young's Asian Market, where classes will be held on the third Thursday of each month (that's May 15, June 19 and July 17). The 90-minute classes start at 6 p.m. The fee is $50. Young's is at 4160 Cleveland Ave., in Miracle Plaza behind David's Bridal. To reserve a spot, call 834-2314 or 482-2126.