Naples City Council approves first rooftop restaurant on Fifth Avenue South

by Laura Layden | Naples Daly News

The first rooftop restaurant on Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples is three steps closer to reality.

On Wednesday, City Council approved a conditional use for the establishment of Prime Social. Then signed off on the applicant’s petitions for parking and outdoor dining.

During the discussions, Council asked pointed questions of city planners and attorneys, and of the applicants and their team.

Ultimately, Council voted 6-1 in favor of granting a conditional use.

Restaurant has been years in the making
More than two years ago, City Council adopted an ordinance to allow for rooftop restaurants, which “exclusively occupy the second or third stories in existing buildings,” within the 800 block of Fifth Avenue South, with the approval of a conditional use. It did so at the applicant’s request, viewing it as a “pilot project.”

The plans have greatly evolved over time from a rather simple sports bar to a top-quality restaurant.

The restaurant’s outdoor dining will include 21 tables, with 94 seats.

The eatery will be one of the largest on Fifth Avenue – at roughly 7,800 square feet.

Read why the  ‘Approved design is ‘far superior'” and all the details about the planning permissions. and check out the renderings of the restaurant.

Find a home convenient to the many excellent dining in southwest Florida. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

New Sanibel restaurants to open from the owners of Island Cow and Mad Hatter

Robyn George | Fort Myers News-Press

If all goes according to plan, Sanibel Island will be welcoming two new restaurants in November.

Brian and Elke Podlasek, owners of The Island Cow, and The Mad Hatter owners Max and Bridget Kolshak announced they are teaming up to open Wickie’s Lighthouse Restaurant and The Magic Bus Caffeine & Creamery.

Even before losing their restaurants, the couples were friends. They decided to become partners when an opportunity on the east end of the island came up.

“It’s been a tough year to say the least and this is a great comeback story of two business owners who lost everything coming together to bring the island some great new venues for amazing food and fun,” Brian Podlasek, whose Island Cow restaurant closed in August 2022 after severe fire damage, said in a news release.

The Magic Bus will mix new and old, offering modern coffees, drinks and bakery items with a vintage ice cream and candy store vibe, complete with Volkswagen-inspired décor.

“Both concepts are a nod to the past with an eye to the future,” Max Kolshak, whose Mad Hatter was destroyed by Hurricane Ian, said in the release. “Wickie’s honors the history of the island and its original lighthouse keepers, Dudley Richardson and Henry Shanahan, but with a modern, updated décor and a fresh, coastal dining experience. A few doors down, The Magic Bus serves up nostalgia with a modern twist.”

More about Wickie’s here.

Find a home in southwest Florida. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

Waterfront North Naples restaurant reopens

10 months after Hurricane Ian

Diana Biederman | Naples Daily News

What to know

BALEEN Naples, the exquisite waterfront restaurant with endless water views at the chi-chi LaPlaya Beach & Resort, announced its “soft reopening” Monday.

The popular restaurant had been closed for nearly 10 months since Hurricane Ian slammed the Southwest Florida coast Sept. 28. It’s been refurbished and a new menu is in place.

Despite being closed for so long, its rank has risen to TripAdvisor’s No. 2 restaurant in town among 626 listed. Baleen also recently maintained its “Best of Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator in 2023.

What hasn’t changed? It’s still super expensive and splurge-worthy for the gorgeous Gulf vistas.

Read more about BALEEN with photos on naplesnews.com.

Find a home close to fine dining in the Naples, Florida area! Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

10 Best dishes to try at new Naples, Marco Island and Bonita Springs restaurants

Editor’s note: Condensed from JLB review on naplesnews.com. See the original mouthwatering photos and complete descriptions along with contact info for the restaurants.

Diana Biederman | Naples Daily News

This week, we’re rounding up JLB’s top 10 favorite dishes from Naples, Marco and Bonita’s new restaurants.

For those of you counting, we also list two honorable mentions whose inclusions come with caveats: one is new-ish to me, and maybe you too, but we’ve not featured it in the paper. The other features rotating menus, less an issue for summer, but when it first opened, its offerings varied weekly and by day.

Restaurants are listed alphabetically, not preferentially.

Boutique Sweet Couple
The dish: Hazelnut dacquoise, aka Kyiv cake, $15
Kyiv cake is a less refined version of a hazelnut dacquoise; most versions have two layers of baked nut meringue; French dacquoise usually three or four layers.

Casa Cotzelli
The dish: Spaghetti burro alici, $18
Sometimes, the simplest thing on the menu is the best. Spaghetti tossed with anchovy butter might be the comfort dish of the year.

Casa Neri
The dish: Salumi di Mare, $26 for a small size
…slices of succulent smoked swordfish, smoked tuna plus a beet juice-citrus marinated salmon…

DiGusto
The dish: Burrata, prosciutto and arugula salad, $22
Aside from vegans, who doesn’t love billowy burrata?

Fernweh Ice Cream
The dish: “Blueberry Vineyard” sorbet infused with wine, $10
Fernweh is different because it handcrafts each sophisticated flavor daily using premium ingredients, and you can taste the difference.

Kim-Chi Grill
The dish: Chicken bulgogi, $18
After biting each of the six components in this bowl ― all stand-alone delicious ― I broke the perfectly poached egg then slathered it over the rice..

The Med
The dish: Octopus a modo mio, $22
Meltingly tender and served in a sumptuous well-balanced puttanesca sauce chockful of the sea creature,

Old Vines Supper Club
The dish: Potato-crusted crab salad
If you see this dish posted as a course, book a reservation.

Ori’s Bakery & Cafe
The dish: Breakfast empanada, $4.50
Everything is baked from scratch and served fresh from the oven by Ori Reed

PJK Neighborhood Chinese
The dish: Dan Dan noodles, $24
Spicy but not incendiary and served in a gorgeous Instagrammable bowl that we were told was designed exclusively for PJK.

Wolfmoon
The dish: Vegetarian croque monsieur, $18
… delectable grilled-cheese-ish sandwich. Did I mention the from-scratch bread baked with premium flour

Yacht Club Subs
The dish: Waldorf chicken salad minnow, $12
Oh that bread! Each bite was better than the next but don’t just take my word for it.

Do you want to find a home near these wonderful restaurants? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.