Tucked at the end of the Summerlin Crossings shopping center you will find this neighborhood favorite Minerva’s Bar & Grill. Over the years this location has hosted other restaurants however Minerva’s has been successful for 11 years.
We were warmly greeted by Minerva herself as if we were friends she has not seen in a long time. Throughout the evening she would keep checking on us. We also noticed she would often sit and chat with the other patrons that we assumed were regulars. We also notice that patrons also knew each other. The décor is warm and elegant, and you can tell they payed attention to detail. From the décor to the service, to the food and the plating they have it all down professionally but friendly and warm.
The entertainment for the evening was Dusk Duo. It was very enjoyable to be out for dinner and enjoy live music. They too knew many of the bar patrons. The played a variety of classic rock, pop and jazz songs with a little country thrown in. Towards the end of the evening people would be singing along with Dean and Kathleen. We could tell that Minerva’s is popular with the boomers, but all age groups were there dining and enjoying the evening.
Our server was Jamie who was also the bartender that evening. They had one other server and he had several tables that were seated all at once. We started out with a Chocolate and Pearadise martini ($10.50) which were both very good and well made, if you know what I mean.
For our appetizer we chose the Coconut Shrimp ($13.99) – (4) Jumbo premium shrimp hand dipped in egg batter with coconut and deep fried to a golden brown. Served with island sweet sauce. The island sauce was excellent. Minerva told us it is made by the chef and husband George.
Each entrée comes with a choice of soup or salad. We chose the soup as it was New England Clam Chowder. It was the best we have experienced in sometime. Finding a good NE Clam Chowder is not always easy to do. For Entrees we chose Veal Scallopini With Gorgonzola ($26.99) – Tender veal medallions, pan seared, sautéed in a creamy Gorgonzola wine sauce with portobello mushrooms. Chicken Marsala without mushrooms ($22.99) – Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts sautéed with mushrooms and garlic complimented with Marsala wine sauce.
The Veal was so tender you could cut it with a fork. It was the best scallopini I have had in a very long time. The Gorgonzola sauce was outstanding. The Chicken Marsala was also perfection. Marsala sauce is not easy to do correctly and this one was exceptional. It was moist and you could also cut the chicken with a fork. The portions were very large so plan on taking some home.
There was only one hiccup in an otherwise perfect evening. Each entrée comes with a choice of pasta. My dining partner chose spaghetti but arrived with angel hair. Jamie explained they ran out of spaghetti and substituted the angel hair. The only issue was that my dining partner did not like angel hair. She offered to take it back and have another choice added but my dining partner declined. My recommendation is that they should have asked her what other pasta she would have liked before making her dish.
For dessert with chose to share a Crème Brulee. We were told it was a small portion, but it really was a moderate portion that we could not finish despite it being outstanding. We also had coffee and they serve it in glass mugs with the cream/sugars on a plate. This just made the perfect ending to a perfect meal.
This restaurant is perfect if you are looking for a fantastic dining experience that is warm and friendly. Plan on being there a while because everything is cooked to order. However, with the entertainment (Thursday, Friday and Saturdays) why would you want to rush anyway.
Overall Rating: Exceptional
Minerva’s Bar & Grill Fort Myers
15880 Summerlin Rd #101, Fort Myers, FL 33908
