Fort Myers Florida Weekly

Head to Pine Island’s Tarpon Lodge for a wine dinner with a view

CUISINE NOTES



Tarpon Lodge hosts a monthly wine dinner in its cozy dining room. KAREN FELDMAN / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Tarpon Lodge hosts a monthly wine dinner in its cozy dining room. KAREN FELDMAN / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Tarpon Lodge is known for its old Florida charm, the lodge dating back to 1926, and its choice waterfront location.

But it now offers a monthly wine dinner as well that features a multicourse meal prepared by the able kitchen team of Albert Keijl, Cindy Arcurio and Christopher Fox. Wines are paired with each course and a winemaker or winery owner is on hand to speak about the wine.

The dining room is casual and intimate, you are likely to wind up at a table with people you don’t know but who could well be your friends by the end of the evening and you’ll have a chance to speak with the winery folks, too. And the bonus (well, at least it was before the time change): a great view of the sunset.

Food and beverage manager Shohreh Khodadad-Durkin has done a great job putting together these dinners and decided to do something different this season.

“I thought it would be interesting to have all women winemakers this year,” she said. “There are women making some great wines.”

 

 

Last month, the lodge welcomed Kathleen Chapman, proprietor of Somerston Estate in St. Helena, Calif. She shared her family’s passion for the land, the grapes and the wine they made. Being able to learn more about the wines I drink and how they are produced always makes me enjoy them more.

The November dinner took place this week and the lodge is taking a break for Christmas, but the series resumes in January. Here’s the lineup:

Jan. 23 and 24: Hedges Family Estate Winery, Washington, with Sarah Hedges Goedhart

Feb. 6: Ponzi Vineyard, Oregon, with Maria Ponzi

April 24 and 25: Gundlach Bundschu, Sonoma, with Katie Bundschu

May 22 and 23: Fisher Vineyard, Napa, with Juelle Fisher

For details and reservations, call the lodge at 283-3999. It’s at 13771 Waterfront Drive, Bokeelia. Visit online at www.tarponlodge.com.

 

 

Restaurant Week serves savings with charity cause

There’s something to celebrate between Thanksgiving and Christmas: Sizzle SWFL Restaurant Week runs from Thursday, Nov. 29, through Wednesday, Dec. 12, with dozens of area restaurants offering fixed-priced lunches and dinners that allow guests to experience a wealth of cuisines.

The twice-yearly event is designed to generate business during traditionally slower periods while also allowing food lovers to try out restaurants at lower prices than normal, enjoying a two- or three-course meal. And $1 of each meal will be donated to the Sizzle SWFL FGCU Food & Beverage Scholarship Fund, which benefits students in the university’s Resort & Hospitality Management

Program.

There are nine Lee County restaurants participating. They are Artisan Eatery, Cru, Dos Sabores, Gather, Maria’s Italian, Society, South Fork Grille, Fish & Vine and The Melting Pot. There are also a host of Naples and Marco Island restaurants on the list as well.

For more information, visit www.swflrestaurantweek.com.

The Melting Pot cooks up with a hot new concept

For decades, people have been dipping food into steamy fondue pots at The Melting Pot in Fort Myers and elsewhere around the country. Now the chain has a new way to dine communally: table-top grilling.

Last week, the restaurant began offering guests tabletop cast-iron grilling so that you can sear entrée items such as steak, chicken, lobsters, dumplings, veggies and tofu on the super-hot grill and then eat them with dipping sauces such as teriyaki, spicy cocktail, green goddess, bleu cheese and plum.

I sampled the garlic pepper Angus sirloin, the peppercorn filet and the sweet and spicy shrimp, along with mushroom caps, asparagus and zucchini, and enjoyed all of the food and the sauces served with them.

You can mix and match with a cheese fondue to start, followed by a salad, then the grilled entrée and finish up with a chocolate fondue for dessert.

The grilling process can get a little smoky but the end product is worth it.

General manager and partner Ian Ruppel sees the grilling as a good addition to the restaurant’s repertoire.

“Fondue and grilling truly bring people together to create memorable moments with family and friends,” he says.

The Melting Pot is at 13251 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. Call 481-1717 or visit www.meltingpot.com/fort-myers.

Cajun-style cuisine comes to Bonita Springs

If you’ve got a craving for seafood gumbo or a hearty seafood combo for two or some other Cajun-style delicacy, check out the Shaking Crab, a new restaurant in Bonita Springs.

The seafood boil for two, for example, contains a pound each of snow crab legs, crawfish, shrimp, clams, mussels, corn and potatoes. More moderate options include lobster rolls, gumbo and fried fish.

“When customers order boiled seafood, our chefs will put the seafood in the bag and add your favorite seasonings like garlic butter, Cajun, lemon pepper or special sauce,” says owner Tommy Dong. “We provide gloves and bibs and you will be having fun eating seafood.”

It’s at 25201 Chamber of Commerce Drive near the Prado Stadium 12 movie theater and is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call 301-2176 or visit www.shakingcrabfl.com.

Quick bites

Dunkin’ of Southwest Florida is offering DD Perks members $1 medium hot or iced coffee on the days the Florida Gulf Coast University men’s basketball team plays. Eagles fans can also score special on-site giveaways at select men’s basketball home games this season. The offer is good through Friday, March 1. To enroll in Dunkin’ Donuts’ rewards program, visit DDPerks.com or use the Dunkin’ mobile app.

La Corte Bistro will hold a fashion show during lunch on Saturday, Nov. 17, starting at 12:15 p.m. Lunch will be served 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Make reservations by calling 542-2224 or online at lacortebistro.com. The restaurant is at 1520 Lafayette St., Cape Coral.

Brian Kilmeade, FOX TV and radio personality, will appear at a VIP party for listeners of WJBX News and Talk at Leopardi’s Italian Restaurant from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. Guests will be able to participate in a Q&A session with drinks and food, meet Mr. Kilmeade and receive an autographed copy of his paperback release, “Andrew Jackson: Miracle of New Orleans.” Tickets are $22.50 plus $4.93 fee and sales tax for sitting or standing room, an autographed book and the opportunity to meet the author. For $39.50 plus $6.64 fee and tax, guests receive a reserved seat, an autographed book, a chance to meet the author and a buffet dinner. Information and tickets are at wjbxnewstalk.com. Leopardi’s is at 13851 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers.

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