Bennett's serves rare coffee that's the cat's meow - or something

What, you may ask, does a civet cat have to do with coffee?

In the case of kopi luwak coffee, the feline has a load to do with how the beans are, uh, processed. This rare coffee results from feeding Arabica coffee beans to Indonesian civets and collecting said beans once they've exited the other end of the cat.

Also dubbed "cat poo coffee," this singular brew is made possible because civets ingest raw red coffee berries, digest the softer outer part of the fruit then excrete the inner bean. It's believed the enzymes in the civet's stomach enhance the coffee flavor. Indonesians gather the beans and sell them to coffee dealers.

In honor of National Coffee Day, observed Tuesday, Sept. 29, Bennett's Fresh Roast in Fort Myers will roast and serve a limited amount of this coffee, which costs $190 a pound.

Coffee aficionados describe the flavor as earthy and musty (oh really?) with hints of caramel or chocolate.

"At a dollar a gram, you wouldn't dare add milk or sugar to coffee of this caliber," says Bennett's owner Bob Grissinger. "It would compete with the beans' natural sweetness, and distinct flavors and aromas."

COURTESY PHOTO Above, Bob Grissinger will serve up "cat poo coffee." Below, Chef Reiner Drygala of Bistro 41 presents his prize-winning pork pot roast. On Sept. 29, he'll sell samples for $10 and 12-ounce cups for $12 while supplies last. He'll also have the usual assortment of gourmet roasted beans and homemade doughnuts, pastries and other goodies.

Bennett's is at 2011 Bayside Parkway, Fort Myers. It's open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Got gravy?

Calling all marinara mavens. If you make a great tomato sauce, here's an opportunity to win a bit of fame and fortune.

The Rotary Club of Fort Myers is holding an Italian Fest from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Lee County Alliance of the Arts and one of the highlights will be The Best Homemade Marinara Contest, which the club hopes to turn into an annual event.

Contestants will bring in a pint of their recipe, which will be served over pasta to a panel of judges. The winner takes home $50, a trophy and other prizes.

The sauce must be meatless and entrants must submit their recipes.

For details and to register, call 332- 8158.

Besides the marinara contest, several area Italian restaurants will sell food — including Sasse's, Giovanni's, University Grill, Pizza Fusion, Mario's, Rita's Italian Ice and Rao's. There will be a kids' fun area, live music, and a cornhole tournament. Admission is free.

Charity reaps rewards from gala

The March of Dimes raised $45,000 during the 20th annual Signature Chef's Auction, held Sept. 12 at Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa. Ten restaurants served up specialties at the event with a "Ragtime and Recipes" theme. Besides feeding the crowd, they competed for best food and décor, with 10 judges weighing in for Epicurean Tasting contest and guests having their say in the People's Choice awards.

Winners of the Epicurean Tasting were: Bistro 41, first for fine dining for Chef Reiner Drygala's tender and succulent pork pot roast; Parrot Key, first for upscale casual for Chef John Venuto's Thai shrimp cocktail; and Irresistible Confections, first place for desserts for chocolatier Justin Schaffer's inspired quartet of truffles, which included root beer this year.

People's Choice winners were: Matzaluna, first; Biddle's, second; and Blu Sushi, third.

Let them eat crepe

The Repeater has opened at Coconut Point in Estero, offering made-to-order crepes. Choose from healthy lean crepes, such as the spinach garden; heartier fare like the chicken Caesar or savory roast beef crepe; or something sweet, such as the Nutella chocolate crepe or the trio delight, filled with strawberry, banana and Nutella. Owned by Leo Ortiz, the Crepeatery is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Call 992-2622. Café features home cooking

If you've been around long enough to remember the Borderline Restaurant on Pine Island, the owners of Hendry Street Café in downtown Fort Myers will likely look familiar.

Steve and Valerie Hinchee sold the Borderline about seven years ago and devoted themselves to their real estate holdings. But times being what they are, they decided to open another restaurant.

Hendry Street Café serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays.

"It's all home-style cooking, nothing out of a package," Steve Hinchee says.

That includes the meatloaf, made-fromscratch soups (including the homemade noodles in the chicken soup), burritos, chimichangas and strawberry shortcake. There's also a Borderline Bowl, filled with chips, beans, beef, chili sauce, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, which comes with tortillas to wrap the mixture in or eat on the side. Borderline customers fondly refer to this dish as Garbage.

The café is at 2241 Whitman Way across from bus station. Call 275-FOOD to place an order or request a takeout menu.

Bringing home the pork

Speaking of winners, Troy Hahn, the sous chef at J Bistro Restaurant in Fort Myers, brought home a silver medal at the recent competition sponsored by the American Culinary Federation and the National Pork Board in Orlando. He won the honor with his dish of St. Louis spareribs with Southern-style cornbread, roasted corn and Nueske bacon. J Bistro is at 15291 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. Call 489-3350.

Football time at Prawnbroker

The Pawnbroker Restaurant's lounge now opens at noon Sundays for football… Watch Direct TV NFL Sunday Ticket, which broadcasts all the games, while enjoying $5 burgers all day and, from 4 to 7 p.m., half-price shrimp cocktail, raw clams and oysters. Outdoor seating is available. The restaurant is at the corner of Cypress Lake Drive and McGregor Boulevard. Call 489-2226.

Happy birthday, University Grill

In honor of its 12th birthday, University Grill is offering 12 entrees at $12 each through Tuesday, Sept. 29. Among the options are chicken piccata and slowroasted prime rib. Customers also have a chance to win a $10 certificate for their next dinner. The restaurant is at Cypress Lake and Summerlin drives. Call 437- 4377.

Coming attractions

Nirvana Indian Fusion is expected to open in late October in the space previously occupied by the Metropolitan Restaurant, 9101 College Parkway, Fort Myers.

Big Al's City Grill is set to open its fourth location shortly in the former Smokey Bones building on U.S. 41 just south of Daniels Parkway. Other locations include Naples, Bonita Springs and Sarasota.

Clancy's Restaurant, the long-time eatery on McGregor Boulevard just north of Winkler Road, appears to be readying for a reopening. The sign outside says "opening soon."

Going, gone…

Tasting at Gulf Coast Town Center and Meson Ole in Naples have closed.