Florida Trend's restaurant awards fail to deliver - again

So what are we, chopped liver? Despite a change in restaurant editors this year, Florida Trend's annual restaurant awards once again gives short shrift to the wealth of excellent dining establishments in Southwest Florida.

I'll grant that it's difficult to keep up with all of the restaurants in a state this big, but I'd also argue that if you haven't sufficient staff to manage it, don't attempt it at all. The magazine calls its compilation "Florida's 500 Best Places to Dine," but it's evident there hasn't been much effort to stay current when it comes to the best that Southwest Florida has to offer.

That's not to say that the restaurants that made it aren't worthy, although based on my recent experiences, I'd say that at least a couple of those listed may no longer deserve the designation. And, with but one exception, the same ones appear year after year, making it obvious the magazine views this as a culinary backwater not worth exploring.

Kudos to the one restaurant that broke into the lineup this year: Yabo, the unpretentious little Fort Myers restaurant that's been the darling of well-informed foodies since it opened about 2½ years ago. It made the Best New Restaurants list. Restaurant editor Chris Sherman (who has taken over from Robert Tolf) describes it as "Fresh Italian and fresher blues and funk and Aussie accents from owner/ chef/musicians Sean Wood and Ryan Kiba." Uh, Mr. Sherman? The name's Kida.

Michael David entertains at Yabo on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers. And now, without further ado, here's this year's list:

Golden Spoon Hall of Fame: The Ritz-Carlton, Naples

Best New Restaurants: Yabo, Fort Myers

And among Florida's 500 Best Places to Dine:

Bonita Springs: Bonefish Grill and Roy's

Cape Coral: Ariani Northern Italian Grill

Fort Myers: Prawnbroker Restaurant and Fish Market and The Veranda

Sanibel: Mad Hatter, Timbers Restaurant and Sanibel Grill

Naples: Bayside Seafood Grill & Bar, Bistro 821, Brio Tuscan Grille, Café and Bar Lurcat, Campiello, Chops City Grill, Il Bellagio, Ridgway Bar & Grill, Roy's, Shula's, St. George & The Dragon, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, and USS Nemo

Cohen Marco Island: Marek's Collier House Restaurant, Olde Marco Restaurant and Sale e Pepe

To give Mr. Sherman some help for next year, let's make our own list. Let me know what your favorite restaurants are (send them to cuisine@floridaweekly. com), I'll add mine and we'll assemble a list of worthy contenders that I will then send on to Florida Trend in hopes we'll get more than a passing nod in the 2009 awards.

Mad Takeout opening nears

The ovens (and other equipment) are in, the menu's set and a county inspection is all that remains to be done before the Mad Takeout staff revs up and opens the doors. The exact opening date hasn't been set (pending that inspection and some practice sessions for the staff), but Shannon Yates, who dreamed up the concept, says it will be early January.

Chef Ruth Cohen, assisted by Robbie Garvin, who previously worked at Sanibel Steakhouse and Char, will create healthy

YATES dishes that don't sacrifice flavor.

There will be pizzas with spelt dough and burgers made from hormone-free meat, says Chef Cohen, but there will also be fried chicken, pastas and dishes like lamb shoulder steaks with a mustard-thyme-garlic rub, half a dozen sushi rolls (some cooked, some raw), four spring rolls (including a vegetarian variety) and 10 types of salads. Kids can choose from burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, pizza and natural peanut butter with jelly on whole wheat bread.

"Our expectations are incredibly high," says Chef Yates, the culinary concept designer for Swanky Lifestyles, the company that owns and operates Mad Takeout and Bacchus. "After a year and a half of planning and putting in everything we had, I believe it will change the course of food in this area. We have very strong chefs who will produce great food."

Besides preparing food to go for families and singles, Mad Takeout will also take on large orders for groups and delivery service. Among those larger groups will be the Boston Red Sox, who will rely on the Mad Takeout kitchen for their spring training nourishment.

Yellow fin tuna is grilled in olive oil and sea salt then served with a cannallini bean and Maine lobster ragout at Aurelio. Customers can go online to check the menu — www.madtakeout.com — and place orders. In addition, Chef Yates says that home cooks can order any type of food product they'd like through Mad Takeout. With two or three days notice, he believes they should be able to procure anything a home cook is looking for. The service gives home cooks a way to access the gourmet purveyors that cater to restaurants.

Mad Takeout is in a storefront between Outback Steakhouse and French Roast Café in Pinebrook Plaza, just north of Bell Tower Shops. It will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. Call 693-TOGO (693-8646).

Aurelio's coming to Gulf Coast Town Center

For years, Lee County residents have driven to Naples to satisfy a craving for Aurelio's pizza. The Chicagobased company was begun in 1959 by Joe Aurelio. Naples got its own franchise some years ago. On Jan. 5, the 44th location of the pizza purveyor is scheduled to open it 210-seat restaurant at Gulf Coast Town Center.

At the helm is Drew McCarley, a Fort Myers native and University of Florida grad who previously co-owned Artistic Deli and Good Soup with his brother. He's also worked for many years with the Darden Restaurant Corp., overseeing new store openings of chains such as Smokey Bones BBQ and The Olive Garden.

Aurelio's will be at 9909 Gulf Coast Main St., adjacent to the north entrance of Dick's Sporting Goods. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, offering dining inside and outside, as well as carry out and delivery. It will also have a full bar.

For more information, call 274- 8446.

Blue Water update

I recently took Blue Water Bistro to task for substituting a non-vintage wine for the higher-priced single vintage listed on the menu. It was refreshing to get a note from Ed McDermott, corporate beverage manager for Culinary Concepts, which owns the restaurant, about it. Here's what he said:

"I wanted to take the opportunity to apologize for the lack of detail we pride ourselves on. The single vineyard Pascal Jolivet being on the list and not being correct has already been addressed with my bar manager and supplier … I agree an alternative or discount should have been offered … We hope to exceed your expectations on your next visit."