Diana Biederman | Naples Daily News

One of JLB’s highest priorities when recommending restaurants is the value factor. Does a restaurant’s pricing correlate with the overall experience and quality?

In Naples, spending $300 on disappointing mediocre dinners for two is, sadly, way too frequent.

But when a well-respected downtown restaurant owner says the best deal in town is Capital Grille’s lunch, my interest is piqued and warrants investigating.

My companion du jour was longtime resident Valerie Miller, whose name may ring a bell because, for the past 17 years, she’s been the author/publisher of the annual Naples Restaurant Guide, our local Zagat-like directory sans the sarcastic quotes.

Shameless plug: The new edition arrives at Paper Merchant and Bruno’s on Third Street South (the most fun, super high-end store in town if you’ve never been) in November.

She’s dined everywhere in town but seldom visits Capital Grille.

It was JLB’s first visit to the Naples location. I’ve not been inclined to go despite enjoying the Darden-owned chain’s sisters in New York City and Washington, D.C., seen as the backdrop for scenes in “Special Ops: Lioness” ― a must-watch ― and “Jason Bourne” (2016).

If JLB opened a hospitality college in Southwest Florida, one of her first hires as a distinguished professor would be Aldo Mazreku, Capital’s captain of gracious service who lends professional polish and old-school panache to a simple lunch outing between friends.

Aldo doesn’t hover.

Instead, with a sense of anticipation and intuition, he miraculously appears seconds before we even think of summoning him with various requests.

Since Friday was my day off, why not indulge in cocktails, request number one?

Read about the Capital Grille meal on naplesnews.com

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.

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.