Local Interest | David Critzer, REALTOR®

‘Farmers of the sea’: A Florida stone crab’s journey from the Gulf to SW FL restaurants

Diana Biederman | Naples Daily News

Murky. Messy. Tedious. Physically challenging.

These are the words I’ve used when describing stone crabbing to friends.

Until recently, this reporter held a fishing license with official recreational stone crab registration. I didn’t renew for 2023-24 as we no longer have a boat. A friendly neighbor is the beneficiary of our traps.

True confession: I’ve never eaten Florida stone crabs at a restaurant, given they’re so expensive and because we often had plenty plus extra claws in the freezer. For years, dinner chez Diana was a coveted invitation because that’s what we usually served.

While most area restaurants start serving these gems Oct. 16, how does one restaurant group with 25 locations spanning Tampa south to Key West get claws for their guests on Oct. 15, day one for legal harvesting of this pricey delicacy?

For answers, I headed to Pine Island on Oct 15.

Fresh off the boat
“Suits Me” Capt. Jason Bigler unloaded his catch around 2 p.m. while his crew cleaned his charter boat after docking. Their workday started at 5:30 a.m.

Windy weather made for a choppy day on the water. A peek inside Bigler’s stone crab basket looked like it was three-quarters full. He estimated it was 40 pounds.

Some traps had two or three crabs, but he said “quite a few had zero.”

Bigler has 2,700 traps in the Gulf and pulls (fishing lingo for checking) about 300 to 400 each trip. Diesel fuel, bait (pigs’ feet) and labor costs are among his expenses.

Read the full story on naplesnews.com including How Pincher’s Crab Shacks get their stone crabs, and more fisherman stories and photos.

Naples Airport Authority to study move to east Collier County

Whether to keep airport where it is also will be studied; public forums will be held

J. Kyle Foster | Naples Daily News

For the second time in 30 years, the Naples Airport Authority will study whether a move from its current location is feasible.

The Airport Exploratory Study will look at possible locations in Collier County, cost and timing, along with whether maintaining the airport in its current location along the west side of Airport-Pulling Road is a possibility given community needs and future growth expectations. The Airport Authority board approved a contract Oct. 19 with consulting group Environmental Science Associates for $438,321.

“There’s a lot of reasons to consider the feasibility of a new airport,” Airport Authority Executive Director Chris Rozansky said in an interview. A major one, he said, is expansion constraints.

“We’re never going to grow in footprint any bigger than we are today,” Rozansky said. “And we’re very constrained and we have a lot of demand, tremendous demand for hangar development and aeronautical business. We have a waiting list of 100 potential customers who we currently cannot accommodate.”

Read the full article on naplesnews.com including the reason Hurricane Ian is a factor.

Contact David to find your home in Southwest Florida. Email or call David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

Hoffmann family sells group of downtown Naples properties

…remains committed to SWFL

Steve McQuilkin and Laura Layden | Fort Myers News-Press

In a strategic move, Hoffmann Commercial Real Estate has sold virtually all of its real estate holdings in downtown Naples.

The company confirmed the sale of 27 properties in its portfolio to M Development, a high-end developer headquartered in Aspen, Colorado, on Friday, as rumors swirled about the pending deal.

The historic sale is expected to close Monday. The purchase price wasn’t disclosed, but it’s sure to be huge, with some observers speculating the deal could be valued at upwards of $250 million.

“We made a lot of money. The company was well capitalized before. We don’t have any immediate plans for the capital. We’ll probably put it in a treasury bond,” commented David Hoffmann, the founder of Hoffmann Commercial Real Estate, and the Hoffmann Family of Cos., headquartered in Naples.

The Hoffmanns, however, do plan to continue their investments in Naples and Southwest Florida, and in other parts of Florida, and the rest of the country and world. The focus has shifted more toward buying up businesses, which often come with real estate – sometimes significant real estate.

The family still has significant real estate and business holdings in Southwest Florida, from the Hertz Arena in Estero to the Old Collier Golf Club in Naples.

Read the full article on naplesnews.com.

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

Condé Nast Traveler readers have spoken: They are big fans of these two Naples resorts

Mark H. Bickel | Naples Daily News

As far as feathers in the cap go for Naples hotels and resorts getting national and international recognition, it’s getting a little crowded.

Yes, it might be time for a new cap after the latest accolade.

The Naples Grande Beach Resort and LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort have been recognized by Condé Nast Traveler’s as two of its Top-15 resorts in Florida based on results of its annual Reader’s Choice Awards. The list was revealed on Thursday (Oct. 5).

According to a press release: “More than 520,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers submitted responses rating their travel experiences across the globe to offer a comprehensive look at the places they eagerly anticipate revisiting. The Readers’ Choice Awards, with their unparalleled legacy as the travel industry’s longest-running and most prestigious accolades, remain the ultimate symbol and acknowledgment of excellence within the travel sector.”

Read the full article on naplesnews.com.

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

Best value in Naples? JLB investigates a fancy steakhouse’s $28 deal

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

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

Rod and gun club proposed as first compact rural community in eastern Collier County

Laura Layden | Naples Daily News

It’s a sometimes overused word, but a new community planned in eastern Collier County is unique.

It’s not a town, or a village.

It’s a compact development, the first one proposed under the county’s Rural Lands Stewardship Area, or RLSA, program.

The community’s name reflects its rural character. It’s dubbed the Collier Rod and Gun Club at the Preserve, with an emphasis on the word preserve.

Naples-based Barron Collier Cos. is behind the proposed development, about five miles east of Ave Maria and 10 miles south of Immokalee.

The project is still winding its way through the regulatory channels. It will go before county commissioners for final approval on Tuesday, but remains under review by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District, for its required permits.

The long-time local developer has proposed a seasonal, nature-inspired retreat, with no more than 225 single-family homes, or “cabins,” on about 260 acres, with a main entrance off State Road 29.

Rod and gun club proposed as first compact rural community in eastern Collier County
The retreat has been designed around nature and the topography of the land as it has been for “thousands of years,” said Blake Gable, CEO of Barron Collier Cos.

Read more about the proposed Collier Rod and Gun Club at the Preserve.

Contact David 239-285-1086 for more information on new construction homes in Naples, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, new construction floor plans variations, and to arrange a visit to The Preserve in Naples, Florida.