The Cape Cod Fish Co. is in a plaza in S Ft. Myers, small but very quant! It truly has the look and feel of a seafood restaurant in the North East! Both my dinning partner and myself were pleasantly surprised by this and both commented how we could find this in our home towns, both in the North East! The staff are warm, friendly and very welcoming! As we entered the restaurant, which seats about 30, we noticed they were about half full. This was a good sign! It was a beautiful day so we had decided that we wanted to sit outside before we entered. Cool and breezy, the first real day of fall here in SW Florida so we wanted to really enjoy it! We went inside and were greeted with a very welcoming and friendly “Hello and Welcome to the Cape Cod Fish Co.”. This was a great touch, as already we felt at home! We were told to sit any place and we let the hostess know that we wanted to sit outside. We were told to pick any table, about six outside, and we would be taken care of shortly. We found a table and commented on how much we liked the restaurant so far. We were not sitting down more than a couple of minutes when a waitress brought menus out and told us of all the specials they had for the evening. She then told us to look over the menu and when we were ready to order, come on it to the counter and place our order. Again we both commented on how this is so much like places on our Northern home towns! The menu is filled with lots of North Eastern seafood favorites! From Steamer Clams to Mussels to Fish to Lobstah Rolls to Shrimp to everything you would expect in a Cape Cod Restaurant! My dinning partner decided upon the New England Clam Chowder as a starter and the Lobstah Rolls with “Home Made Fries” for a main course. I decided upon the Rhode Island Red Clam Chowder and Half A House Salad for a starter and the Atlantic Cod Fish-N-Chips for a main course. We went back inside to place our order with the cashier. Easy experience with a very friendly and helpful cashier! All the employees we encountered while there were just that, warm, friendly and always making us feel welcomed and like we were the only ones there and they were quite busy!!! Nice touch!! Now this is where I want to remind you that I am not a fish lover at all, but did want to give the Cape Cod Fish Co. a chance to perhaps move more towards that of having a more “fish friendly attitude”. We then paid, our bill was under $55 dollars. We did think at this point, perhaps a little pricy but we did want to hold off on that thought until we did partake of the bounty that was to come.

We got our drinks and headed back outside to enjoy this beautiful evening here in Southwest Florida. We were enjoying this beautiful evening and noticed the steady stream of people coming into the restaurant. A good sign to both of us as that told us that the food must be good to have patrons coming in such a steady stream. We notice that the ones that order a “to go order” would collect it and then sit at one of the tables outside to enjoy it. We both commented again on how much this truly reminded us of the places we knew in our home towns in the North East and how families would do the same thing, call in an order and then find a table outside to enjoy it at! Again, a good sign to us. We waited no more than 5 minutes for our “Starters” to arrive. Now the Half A House Salad that I ordered was clearly enough for the both of us! The waitress asked if we wanted a plate to share the salad and I said that we would! Now the Rhode Island Red Clam Chowder was “off the hook” delicious!! Now while I do not care for Fish, I do like clams, mussels, shrimp and lobster. There was no shortage of clams and I am most certain that this Rhode Island Red Clam Chowder was made right there!! Lots of clams as I said and the potatoes did not come from a can as they were not totally soft and falling apart, they had some body to them and their flavor only enhanced this red clam chowder! And the heat spice was done to absolute perfection!!! Actually I could go for another bowl as I am writing this!!! My dinner companion loved the flavor of the New England Clam Chowder, making the same observation about the amount of clams and the potatoes coming to the same conclusion that the New England Clam Chowder also had to be made there. They did make one notation that while the flavor was fantastic the broth was not as thick as they would like it to be but the flavor was spot on! So they could take the thin broth as long as the level of flavor was a “10”!!! We then split the “Half of House Salad” as there was more than enough for the both of us. We both commented on how fresh the greens, cucumbers and tomatoes were in the salad. It did not seem that they went to the local grocery store for these items but more like a fresh Farmers Market for these items as they tasted too fresh!!! Blue Cheese was added which was a delightful addition as we both love Blue Cheese! And let me tell you, the house dressing, a vinaigrette, was divinely delicious!! They truly have out done themselves with this dressing!!! We were nearly done with the salad and here comes our entrees. I was told that the Fish was very very hot!!! No worries as I wanted to get every drop of dressing of my plate so I would work at that while my fish cooled a bit. Now remember we commented on the price of everything in the beginning. Well, when you serve very fresh seafood with Healthy Size Portions, the price of the menu begins to get better! My dining companions Lobstah Roll was loaded with Fresh Lobster!! To me it looked like more than a whole lobster in their wrap as it was over stuffed! They indicated that it was not just tail meat, but lots of claw meat as well!! Then they commented on the fries and said that indeed they were homemade and truly a treat with their meal! Now the true test, the Atlantic Cod Fish-N-Chips! I bathed the “five” pieces of cod with the lemon that was provided. Took a piece of the fish with my fork and immediately noticed how it flaked apart. It was not greasy at all!!! Took in the aroma of the fish, no over powering fish smell at all! So far, it is looking good! Took the bite and WOW!!! The flavor was nice!!! I wanted another bite quickly and began to think to myself, has the Cape Cod Fish Co. done it, have they made me into a fish lover? My dinner companion could not believe that I was enjoying the Fish-N-Chips as much as I was and indeed I was enjoying it!!! Bite after bite I was amazed at the flavor, the freshness that I have always heard chefs talk about, that good fresh fish does not have a “fishy flavor” which is the part I never like about fish! I never cared for fish that had a very over powering “fishy flavor”. I was always told that I never truly had fresh fish and that is why I didn’t like it. I just always thought that all fish tasted that way and it was not within my pallet to appreciate fish! But now I fully understand what I had always been told, I never truly had properly prepared fresh fish!! I agreed with the dinner companion about the “Homemade French Fries” that yes they truly had been made there and were an excellent addition to this meal!! I had told my dinner companion that the only thing that would have made the Atlantic Cod Fish-N-Chips better was if they had given a few less French Fries and added another piece of Cod. I was full of the fries but could have eaten another piece of fish, yes you read that right, the “non-fish lover” would have liked another piece of fish!!!!! So yes, the Cape Cod Fish Co. has turned this “non-fish lover” into a “fish lover”!!! Well done!!!!

After enjoying this meal, we began to discuss the prices. When we first arrived we did think that they were a little pricy! The average of an entrée is between $14 and $20. However, after eating the items, we definitely realized that the ingredients used are “fresh” and are “well prepared” and “do make you feel like you are at an establishment in the North East” and now take the stance that the prices are good, as you are getting quality, dam good quality for your money! So don’t let the prices scare you off, you are getting great value for your money at the Cape Cod Fish Co.!!!!!!

This dinning experience will last with me for a long time, as now I know where to go to get excellent seafood, prepared in a manner that truly brings you to Cape Cod right here in our community!!! From the ambiance of the restaurant, to the staff to the food itself, a definite home run right here in Southwest Florida!!! Definitely a place you want to try if you are a seafood lover (especially a Cape Cod style of seafood) and a definite place to try if you are just like I was, a “non-fish lover” as The Cape Cod Fish Co. will turn you into “Fish Lover” bite after bite!!!!

The Cape Cod Fish Co., a Southwest Florida gem, bring Cape Cod home!! Give it a try, you will be glad you did, and when you do, let them know you learned about them right here on the Discriminating Diner from What’s Up Southwest Florida!!!

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First of all, attention to detail is truly what is important, no matter what your gimmick is, and yes Capone’s does have a gimmick. You hear the name “Capone” and you immediately have visions of the infamous “Al Capone”, which is the gimmick of Capone’s. The décor of the restaurant is to give you the experience of being in a place that could possibly be a place Al Capone himself would either patronize himself or himself own. The later seems the most plausible due to the prices of this establishment, but I will get into that!

Before I get to the actual review, I do want to mention the parking situation in Downtown Ft. Myers. I had to park some distance away, and walk in the rain to get to Capone’s. Parking in Downtown Ft. Myers is a strike against any business in the Downtown area as the city planners have done a poor job for Downtown business customers. Is Capone’s worth this parking hassle…………read on and you will find it will all come down to paying attention to the details of the food and the service, all in the details folks!!!!

I and my two dining partners arrived around 1:00pm and were warmly greeted by the Hostess, who is stationed at the front door. Dressed in a period dress that would seemingly have been worn by a Hostess of a Speakeasy during the thirty’s. Nice touch! The Hostess then inquired if we had ever been there before and we stated that we had not. She took us to the center of the restaurant pointing to a glass section of the floor, displaying what looked like an underfloor vault room that had a desk, wall safe, money all over the place and a skeleton in the corner. I guess this was to truly bring home the fact that Al Capone really was not a nice guy in his time, yet we want to glorify him or offer up a gimmick to get people in the door. We quickly figured it was to get people in the door, as the experience that followed would never have gotten us in the door, rather had us look for another establishment to spend our hard earned dollars.

I will say that the uniforms that the Wait Staff and Bus Staff folks wore were a great touch to the experience, with the exception of the Bar Tender, who was in the same dress that the Hostess was in, which to us seemed a little odd. We felt the Bar Tender should have had a different type of period costume. It was perfect for the Hostess, but not the Bar Tender.

We were seated at our table, informed who our Waitress was and encouraged to enjoy our meal. Our Waitress was quickly at our table taking our drink order. Not long after our drink order was delivered, no long wait time at all. I and one of my dinning partners order an unsweet tea. Our downfall was not asking for it cold, as by the time our waitress got it to the table, the ice had melted and we pretty much had room temperature unsweet tea. The other dinning partner ordered a soda product and his glass had a nice amount of ice, so we concluded that the tea was warm to start with, which is fine as long as you provide an adequate amount of ice to keep it cold. The waitress then allowed us ample time to review the menu.

We were a little put off by the prices, high, but then were open enough and thought perhaps the quality warranted high prices. Panino/Sandwiches range from Italian Meatballs – $9.95 to Veggia – $8.95. Homemade Pastas from Capone’s Shrimp Fettuccini – $18.95 to Pasta Marinara – $10.95.   Specialty Pizzas from 12” – $10.95 to $14.95 and 16” $14.95 to $18.95. Additional toppings on the pizzas are an additional charge. They have both “Premium and Traditional” toppings, prices vary depending upon size. While we perused the menu we did comment that attention to detail was definitely the key to any restaurant, especially those that have high prices as you tend to pay more attention to their details as you are paying more for the experience, or in this case the gimmick!

My two dining partners ordered a 16” Pepperoni Pizza – $13.95 for the pizza and $2.95 for the pepperoni, total of $16.90. I ordered a Calzone – 12” $12.95. I always thought a Calzone came with cheeses and a meat. Not at Capone’s, only comes with the cheeses (Mozzarella, Ricotta & Romano). To add anything to it was an additional $1.95. I added pepperoni for a total of $14.90. We also ordered an Antipasti as it said it was “PERFECT FOR SHARING” for $11.95. We thought what a nice way to start off our dining experience.

The Antipasti showed up within mere minutes. When the waitress put it on the table I almost asked what the hell it was!! I was in shock at the size of it or rather the lack of the size!!! There was no lettuce or a green leaf on it at all. It consisted of the following: 3 folded up pieces of Prosciutto, a small pile of small cubes of Sharp Provolone, an Artichoke Heart cut into 4 pieces, 2 stuffed Green Cherry Peppers, 3 rolled slices Sopperssata, 4 Sicilian Olives, 4 small balls of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese and what seemed to be a ¼ of a Roasted Red Pepper. It was served with 4 small slices of bread…….really! Where the hell was the Antipasti!!!!! Had this not been a review, I would have had the waitress remove it from the table as there was no way I was going to pay $11.95 for that!!! This is when I said to my dinning partners that they had the name right for the restaurant as I felt that is exactly what Capone himself would have charged for such an item!! Remember folks, it is all in the details and here the details were definitely lost!

After that dismal show of an appetizer we were wondering what was going to turn up for our lunch course! The waitress came by when she saw the Antipasti plate empty, not long at all, and asked if she could remove the plate and asked my one dinning partner if they needed a refill on their soda. Yes and yes was the answer. I and my other dinning partner wondered if they were rationing the unsweet tea as neither of us were asked if we wanted a refill. And that is a pet peeve of mine, letting my drink glass run empty! Part of your job as a waiter or waitress is to ensure that my drink glass is never empty!! It is all in the details folks. While we were waiting for our lunch to come to the table we did notice that there were a large number of servers and bussers on staff, not a full restaurant and there was a lot of socializing going on amongst the staff. One reason my tea glass ran dry. It is all in the details folks. The waitress finally asked to fill my tea glass and to her credit she did bring me new one, yet the ice was nearly nonexistent once again!!

Finally our lunch meals arrived! The pizza was place in the center of the table. My Calzone was placed in front of me. To the credit of the waitress, she did ask if she could serve the first piece of pizza. Nice touch!! Again, it is all in the details folks! Now the Pizza was a Pepperoni Pizza. My two dinning partners found pieces of onion, mushroom and ham either in the Pizza or “under” the Pizza!! It was brought to the attention of our waitress and she replied that it probably happened when they cut the Pizza! This told us that the kitchen staff uses one pizza cutter to cut every pizza and did not distinguish pizza cutters for different kinds of pizza. Sound picky, well think of this: what if a person that is a vegetarian ordered a vegetarian type pizza, then to receive it and find a piece of pepperoni, ham or sausage on it! Not good at all!! It is all in the details folks!

After eating the pizza, both my dinning partner’s agree that it was lacking spices, as the flavor was not what they were expecting! My Calzone, while it was a nice size, only half of it, the middle section of the Calzone had any cheese or pepperoni! Both ends were just dough! I expect the very ends to be dough, but not half way through it! It did come with a Marinara Sauce, but I guess their idea of a Marinara Sauce and mine are two different things. To me, a marinara sauce is a tomato sauce. Theirs is chopped tomatoes with basil in it, “Stewed Tomatoes”, if you will! Flavorful yes, but not a marinara sauce for a calzone! It is all in the details folks!

We were seated near the back of the restaurant, and next to us was a doorway with a red curtain. That seemed to be a very popular room as most of the staff was in that room several times during our visit. The Bar Tender, when she was not leaning her elbows on the bar was in the “Red Curtain Area”! We even saw the wait staff leave this area while eating something as they were going through the dining area! Really!!! It is all in the details folks! A very busy area indeed!! When we were finished eating our waitress asked us if we wanted any dessert. If this was not a review we would have been heading out at this point, but wanting to share a full experience within the review.

My one dinning partner ordered the Cannoli ($4.95), my other ordered the Chocolate Moose ($4.95) and I ordered the Tiramisu ($4.95). The one dinning partner also ordered an Espresso ($2.50). Also sitting next to the bar area, we could see what the bar tender was doing all the time. When our waitress was going to place the Espresso order with the bar tender we noticed and commented to each other that she was playing with her hair and were hoping that she was going to wash her hands prior to making the Espresso. No hand washing to be seen before making the Espresso!! IT IS ALL IN THE DETAILS FOLKS!!! Since seeing that detail, we all then commented on how they fill their glasses with ice, both bar tender and wait staff. The simply shove the glass in the ice, scoop up the ice and then fill it! No ice dispensing machine or no ice scoop, just shove the glass in the ice bin!! IT IS ALL IN THE DETAILS FOLKS!!! Now we could see that the Espresso was made and sitting on the counter, when was our waitress going to bring it over! We saw her walking in the dining room, eating in the dining room and even kissing someone that was delivering something to the restaurant. It was more than 5 minutes that the Espresso sat on the bar! Finally my dinning partner asked a bus staffer if he could bring it over to him. He quickly went and grabbed it and apologized several times for this happening. We assured him that it was not his fault. It was easy to realize that our waitress had completely forgotten about my dining partners Espresso, as when she brought the desserts she never even inquired about the Espresso at all, as a matter of fact my dining partner had to ask for sugar and by the time that was brought to the table the Expresso was cold! It is all in the details folks!!!!

For the desserts, the Chocolate Moose was tasty, creamy and smooth in a hard chocolate shell. Visually appetizing, which is why my dining partner ordered it. The cannoli was probably the best part of the whole meal, with the only exception being the white water that was left on the plate by the cannoli, to which my dining partner had indicated that it was probably stuffed a while before it was served and it sat for a while. Flavorful yes, however, the left over water was not appetizing that at all! My Tiramisu was lacking flavor. There was flavor in the coffee soaked sponge cake was nice, however the cream on top was lacking any flavor at all. Very disappointing to say the least! Again, it is all in the details folks!

It seems to this Discriminating Diner that Capone’s is using the “GIMMICK” to get the people in the door, but is doing little to get them to come back!! The total price of our lunch was $72.72!! Was the food quality and our overall experience worth that price, most certainly not!! Was the vault in the floor worth our coming back, most certainly not! Was Capone’s “attention to detail” worth our coming back, definitely not!!! So while the quality of one’s food is important, equally important, at least to this Discriminating Diner, is “the attention to details”!! That is just as important to one’s dining experience!!

If you like gimmicks, try Capone’s, but if you like good food and the staff to pay attention to the details, find someplace else!

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Once finding it, we were welcomed and invited to sit any place we like. There are tables, both large – seating a group of 6 to 8 and small – seating 2 to 4. The décor is warm and welcoming, truly indicating the restaurant is a family operation. You almost have the feel that you are in a friend’s home, as myself and my dining partner had never been there before, but were welcomed as though we were old friends. We liked that very much! Menus were on the table and while we were looking them over our waiter came over and took our drink order, two unsweet teas.

We noticed they were open for breakfast and lunch, with breakfast from 6:30am to 11:00am and lunch from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Their lunch menu ranges from sandwiches, salads, soups and a section called “Mrs. Anita’s Taste of Belize” which included dishes that were of a Belize fare. Anita’s Stewed Chicken with Beans and Rice ($7.50) and Anita’s Pulled Pork with Beans and Rice ($7.50) to mention two of the items listed there. We were not too hungry so we were looking for something slightly lighter. My dining partner decided upon the Roast Beef Club which had Roast Beef, Turkey, Bacon, Provolone Cheese, 1000 Island Dressing on French Bread, ($6.75). I decided upon the Italian which has Man, Salami & Provolone Cheese with Roasted Onions & Mushrooms, Black Olives, House Dressing & House Mayo on French Bread, ($6.25). Both were served with a Dill Pickle Spear. I inquired about the soup of the day, which was Navy Bean and Ham Soup. I ordered a cup of that, ($2.25).

It did not take long to get the cup of soup. It was truly served in a large coffee cup, nice touch! The soup was hot and beyond delicious!! This was a soup that truly was created in the kitchen of The Gathering Place!! The flavor was what I would expect if my mom had made the soup, flavorful, lots of navy beans and ham and did I mention very flavorful!! Just the right amount and hot, no lukewarm soup here, nice and piping hot, the way soup is made to be eaten. I enjoyed every bit of it! As I was finishing my wonderful cup of soup, our sandwiches came out! A large size to me, which is a good thing!! They both looked delicious, making both of us want to dive right in and see if the flavor was as good as the look. Let me tell you, YES, the flavor matches the look!! Both sandwiches had been toasted, and toasted to perfection we must say! The French bread was nice and hot, good crunch to it, cheese nice melted and the middle of each sandwich was nicely cool, so that the lettuce that was on each was not soft and mushy but still crisp and flavorful!! We were impressed not only with the presentation and the portion but with the way it was made and most importantly the way they both tasted!! Bravo to the chef and staff of The Gathering Place!

While we were enjoying our meals, we noticed the Chef working with a head of lettuce, yes you read that right, a full head of lettuce rather than opening a bag of lettuce that we have seen at some many other places! So we saw fresh ingredients being used and to us, that is of the utmost of importance when it comes to good and delicious foods, fresh ingredients. In looking around, we notice some delicious looking pastries and cookies. We asked if they were homemade as they truly looked like wonderful delights that were made by Grandma and we were told that each morning the pastries and muffins were made as well as the cookies! Well done we say, well done!

The Gathering Place has a wide array of breakfast items, everything from Breakfast Burritos and Breakfast Sandwiches to more traditional fare from Waffles, Scrambled Eggs with lots of different additions! Scrambled egg plates come with a choice of beans or potatoes + Jonny Cake! Average Breakfast price ranges from $3.00 (Scramble – Bacon, Egg & Cheese) to $7.00 (Breakfast Fajitas). Lunch prices are from $5.00 (Tuna Salad on a Croissant) to $7.00 (The Roast Beef). Salad prices range from $6.00 (House Salad) to $7.25 (Specialty Salads including Turkey, Roast Beef or Southwestern Chicken). The prices are very reasonable for the portions you receive and the flavor is well worth the price!!!

You can find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thegatheringplace Look them up, like them and then take the time to find them on Beacon Manor Drive inside the Beacon Executive Suites. You will feel like an old friend the minute you walk in until the time you leave and the food you will experience will all be made with love homemade!!! Be sure and find this unknown gem here in the Fort Myers area, it will quickly be the place that you bring those that are truly special to you!! I know my dining partner and I will be heading back to try some more of the delights prepared and served by The Gathering Place!!! Let them know you heard about them on What’s Up Southwest Florida!!!

On a final note, they do Party Platters and the do Catering as well, looking to bring that home cooked feel to your next event, we are certain The Gathering Place can make that happen for you!

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We arrived at 11:30 and had noticed that there was not a lot of cars in the parking lot so we were certain that we had beaten the lunch crowd!  When we walked into Citrola’s  we were warmly greeted and quickly taken to a table.  There were only two other tables occupied so we were certain that we would not have a long wait before trying their lunch favorites.

Our waitress, who I can only refer to as “our waitress” as she did not introduce herself by name, was prompt to the table and to take our drink order.  During the drink wait time we looked at the menu and thought the prices were a bit high, but if the quality was there we didn’t mind paying the extra.  Average appetizer is $8.  The average lunch meal cost is $9.  The average Pizza cost is $17.  The wait time to receive our drinks was what anyone would expect, not long at all.  Once our drinks were on the table, our waitress asked if we wanted any appetizers to which we replied an order of “Cheese Wedges” and an order or “Fried Calamari”.  Our waitress told us that they did not have the “Cheese Wedges” but did have Cheese Sticks to which we said that was fine.  Once our waitress had the order, she left and returned quickly with a carafe for each of us with our beverage.  This told us right away that they were short staffed as in doing this meant that our waitress did not have to visit our table often to check on our drinks.  We did notice that she was the only one on the floor in the dining room, but then again there were only three tables.

While we were waiting for our appetizers to come out, we took in the décor of the restaurant.  It does have a nice ambiance for the eye with an exception of one element.  There are half walls that separate the dining room into a few different sections.  Nice touch as it adds a bit of privacy for the patrons.  However, placed on top of the walls were wine bottles, again a nice touch, but each bottle was empty, truly taking away from the ambiance they were trying to achieve.  For my own taste it missed the mark as it was like displaying an empty used plate from a previous patron.  It would serve much better to use full bottles of wine as that would add an air of class and sophistication to the overall ambiance.  After all, diners really do not want to look at used items while they are trying to enjoy their meals.

Speaking of meals, by now we had been waiting quite a while for our appetizers to come to the table.  Now keep in mind there were only two other tables in the restaurant so they were not that busy, at least not busy enough to warrant a wait time of more than 15 minutes.  Finally our waitress, still don’t know her name, came by and told us appetizers would be up shortly and would we like to place our lunch order at this point.  We did so.  I ordered a Calzone with Pepperoni, my second dining partner ordered a Stromboli and my third dining partner ordered a Meatball Parm Sub.  With the order given, our waitress was once again away from our table.  We noticed she was delivering lunch to the table across from us in the dining room.  The one patron had ordered pizza, which looked inviting.  The waitress placed the pizza on the table and then quickly left.  We were surprised that she did not serve the first piece to the patron.  We then watched the patron serve himself the pizza.  He put the serving spatula under the piece he wanted and picked up the piece of pizza and placed it on his plate, which successfully gave him the crust as all the toppings slide off the piece and stayed on the pizza pan.  He then scrapped off the toppings onto his piece of pizza.  We thought perhaps that this was just a fluke but no we watched it over and over again with other patrons as our dining visit went on, toppings falling off the pizza while patrons were serving themselves.

Our appetizers arrived.  The Cheese Sticks looked good, served with a side of sauce and the Calamari looked good to the other two who enjoy such items.  I started with the Cheese Sticks, looking forward to something I truly enjoy.  Cheese Sticks with Sauce!  Bite one, something is askew, I need to take another bite and yes indeed, I was tasting something that I was not expecting.  SALT!  I then tried a Cheese Stick alone and it was not that, so I then tried the Sauce and indeed the Sauce was over salted!  I had my two dining partners sample the sauce and they too conclude that it was over salted.  Unfortunately I had to enjoy my Cheese Sticks with limited Sauce, as even though it was over salted I do prefer Sauce on my Cheese Sticks.  My two dining partners were eating away at the Calamari also disappointed with the dish as it was under seasoned, over cooked and just not something that could be enjoyed.  I did try a piece of the Calamari and found it to be tough, rubbery and had an over bearing seafood flavor that really was not pleasing to me.  They both concurred that it really was not the best they had ever had and their sauce too was over salted.  Well at least we had our main courses to look forward to at this point.

Which sitting there, we began to pay attention to the music that was being played in the dining room.  Quite eclectic to say the least.  We would hear Pavarotti, then we would hear an Irish Folk Song, then a Pop Song, then a 50’s Tune, then back to some Italian Song, then to some Indian Sounding Music.  It was as if Citrola’s was playing “spin the dial” with the music!  It would have been much more appealing if they would have just let the Italian Music play to keep with the over theme of the restaurant.  Especially if you are going to keep your patrons waiting to receive their meals.

After another wait, and still the restaurant now has an additional table, so there are 4 tables total, so wait times should not be that long, but for whatever reason they were!  We finally received our lunch entrees and while looking good we were hoping that their taste was on the same level.  Let’s start with the Stromboli.  It was on the smaller side, and for $10 we felt it should have been a bit larger or less expensive.  The ingredients where chopped up inside, giving the illusion that there was a lot of pepperoni, salami and ham inside when there truly wasn’t that much at all.  My dining partner had to truly search for the salami to which he found very little.  Now on to the Meatball Parm Sub.  Two meatballs cut in half with very little sauce (thankfully as we had already realized the sauce was over salted) and skimpy on the cheese.  Again for $8 we would either expect a better sub or a lower price.  However, the flavor of the sub was good according to my dining partner.  My Calzone was much the same as the Stromboli, small in size and I had added pepperoni to my Calzone, which also had been cut up giving the appearance that there was more pepperoni than there actually was, which to me is very disappointing.  Paying $9 for a Calzone I at least expect there to be an adequate amount of ingredients.  The sauce served with my Calzone was even saltier than the sauce served with my Cheese Sticks!  I didn’t need a carafe of my drink, I needed a vat of my drink to quench my thirst!  Once we finished our meals as best we could, our waitress, again still do not know her name, asked if we wanted any dessert.  We were hoping for a saving grace for the meal and ordered the Canoli and the Zeppolis, each $4.  Nothing beats a good Canoli and Zeppolis.

Again, we waited what seemed like an over extended period of time, but the restaurant did gain two more tables for a total 6 tables for their lunch time rush!  Finally our waitress arrived with our dessert items. The Canoli were two small canoli on a single plate.  $2 for each Canoli, well ok if they are awesome!  Awesome they were not, the canoli filling was gritty.  Almost as if regular sugar was used to create the filling, we were not impressed and between the three of us we could not finish the two canolis!  The Zeppolis were buried under what seemed like a quarter pound of powder sugar!  They were over cooked as they were tough, very tough!  I had to pound my Zeppolis on my plate to remove the excess powder sugar and much to my dismay when eating them, towards the end of my chewing was a strong flavor of……….you guessed it, SALT!!!  Enough with the salt!!  You know when you are not having a great meal when your dining conversations turns to other restaurants you need to go to as the one you are at is not all that pleasing to the appetite!

I must add that the whole time we were at Citrola’s,  never once did a manager come over and welcome us, inquire how our meal or service was, no table side appearance at all.  Over all our experience was less than favorable. Our bill was over $60, not including tip!  Many other better places to go for lunch that will not cost you as much and you will get a much better meal!!  I will not be returning to Citrola’s, there are way too many other Italian Restaurants in the area to subject myself to this type of dining experience again!  If you are easy to please, don’t pay attention to the flavors of your food and really are a fan of fair cuisine, this is the place for you, otherwise search beyond Citrola’s.  Bon Appetite…………else where!!!

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This restaurant is closed

The Discriminating Diner had recently heard that What’s Up Southwest Florida was going to hold a Networking Bash at a new venue in Ft. Myers in December, and your Discriminating Diner wanted to sample this venue before the Networking Bash. Reason being, La Grotta is a fairly new establishment here in Lee County and not a lot has been going around the restaurant circuit about the food, atmosphere, service, they are virtually unknown by a majority of residents here in Lee County. Until now……now that your Discriminating Diner has “tested the unknown waters” of La Grotta!

My dinning partner and I arrived in the afternoon, close to 2pm. We wanted to be able to see and enjoy the restaurant outside of any lunch rush. We managed to do this as it was just us and only a couple of other folks inside, so this gave us a great opportunity to really take in the restaurant! We were warmly greeted by a staff member, welcoming us to La Grotta. Taking us inside the restaurant, we were asked if sitting in the bar area at a table would be fine, and we were absolutely fine with this choice. We were seated, handed menus, told of some Chef Specials and had our drink order taken. We perused the menu and were pleasantly surprised at the prices. Very middle of the road. Cold and hot appetizers were averagely priced at around $10 for such favorites as Bruschetta, Calamari Fritti, Polpettine and Burrata. Lunch prices were equally pleasing ranging from $7 to $12 for a variety of Salads to Pizza ranging from $11/$12 for a variety of 10” and $15/$18 for the same variety in 14” size. Stromboli from $10 for both Pepperoni and Spicy Italian and Calzone from $8 with each extra ingredient at $1.25. Full lunch entrees ranged from Cappellacci at $12, Chicken Parmesan at $14 Linguine al Granchio at $20 on the higher end of the pricing spectrum. All other full lunch entrees fall inbetween the $12 and $20 price range. Not to forget the “Grill side of the Menu”, prices range from Beef Burger at $11 to Chicken Breast at $16 to NY Strip (14oz) at $20 to Lamb Chops at $25. These are just a few of the items listed on the menu for your dinning pleasure. There truly is something for everyone’s taste at La Grotta, everyone should have no problem finding something they like to eat!

After allowing us ample time to peruse the menu, our waiter showed up asking if we knew what we wanted or had any questions. We indicated that we knew exactly what we wanted! My dinning partner ordered a full lunch entrée with Orecchiete ($12) and I ordered the Spicy Italian Stromboli ($10). While waiting for our meals to arrive we had the chance to look around and get a feel for La Grotta. We both commented on the grand size of the restaurant, with a large bar/bar dining area, a large dining room in the back with a private banquet area and then a smaller dining room area towards the front. I added that the restaurant definitely has the feel of a “Northern Lodge”, not a Northern Country Club as the feel was not stuffy or pretentious at all, but rather very warm and inviting, almost as if when you walked in you get an instant feel of being at your home of the home of a good friend and to come in and make yourself comfortable as you are truly among friends! Very nice feel, a feel that definitely makes you want to go back and enjoy again and again! The décor was also that of a “Northern Lodge”, not overly stated, but done in a manner that only adds to the ambiance and makes you look all around as again it welcomes you to the exploration of the eye as it is pleasing and in no way pushes you away with being over done! Very nice touch indeed!! Anytime a restaurant is not overly stated with its decorations and enhances the ambiance, it will truly enhance your experience to the fullest! From the floors, to the walls, to the tables, chairs and stools, it is all pleasing to the eye and all gives a great feel to your experience!

Drinks were always topped off, never letting them get even close to half empty! This is important to this Discriminating Diner, as when the wait staff falls short in this area, that lets us know right away that their attention is not on the small details at all, which usually leaves the guest falling short in every other area. Not the wait staff at La Grotta, always on top of all of the details, big and small alike!!! I would like to mention that rolls and an Italian Olive Oil and Spics were delivered for our enjoyment and my dining companion commented on the good quality of olive oil used for the dipping dish. Again, a nice touch as it is the little things that mean the most!!! Having enough time to enjoy a roll and more conversation, we then were presented with our lunch meals. My dining companion was thrilled with their Orecchiete, adding the aroma of the dish was divine and the appearance was delicious to their eyes. My Stromboli looked and smelled wonderful!! I knew I was in for a treat as right away I could notice large pieces of meat resting in a sea of scrumptious melt mozzarella cheese and I could smell the nicely heated banana peppers waiting inside for me to devour! Our taste buds were truly in for a treat with this lunch!!! My dining companion commented on how the garlic was superbly done, the anchovy was done to perfection as it was not at all over powering but a perfect back ground flavor that truly made this Orecchiete perfect on every level! And judging by the amount they ate, it had to be delicious as usually they bring more than half home and this time was less than a quarter in the to go box!! I usually never need a to-go box for my main meal and this was no exception! The Italian Spicy Stromboli was perfect! Just enough dough to enjoy it and lots of filling inside to really satisfy an appetite that sincerely appreciates good Italian food, and this was good Italian food!!!! Ingredients were fresh as you could taste the freshness, appreciate the freshness with every bite, looking forward to the next! Much to our surprise, while we were enjoying our meal, the Chef stopped by our table to inquire how we were enjoying our meal. We both indicated that it was beyond delicious, our level of enjoyment was more than we had expected and were truly enjoying our lunch experience!!! The Chef then thanked us for coming in and was happy we were enjoying his creations!! Now this was a great touch!!! More restaurants in Lee County need to take notes here, as when the Chef visits you table side, on his own, to inquire about your experience. That lets us know that he truly is looking for the guests to have a wonderful experience!! We have said this many times in many reviews, it is all in the details, both small and big and La Grotta definitely understands this aspect!!! When finished with our lunches, the waited came over to box up the small amount my dining companion had left and to ask if we wanted dessert. We asked what they had and the waited gave us a rendition of fine Italian delights! My dining companion decided upon the Tiramisu with Cappuccino and I decided upon the Chocolate Cake and regular coffee. Now this was the real test as I am not a big fan of Chocolate Cake as most times it is too chocolaty and rich beyond measure making it difficult for one to eat. But I thought with a meal this good so far let me chance it and see if the Chef and make this a “touch-down” or whether it was going to end up as a “fourth-down”. The order was in and we again both commented on the delicious meal we had just had. The Manager asked us if we enjoyed lunch and we indicated that it was simply delicious and thanked him for the outstanding meal and service! He graciously said that we were welcome!

Our desserts arrived and they both looked wonderful! My Chocolate Cake did not disappoint, it was very moist with a delightful chocolate flavor but was not over bearing on the chocolate and was not too rich at all!! It is as if they made this Chocolate Cake for my desired palette as I found it to be perfect!! “Touch-Down” as far as I was concerned! My dining companion was impressed with the look of the Tiramisu and could only find one issue, the bottom layer of Lady Fingers had more liquid in them than they cared for, but the flavor was perfection! So for them it was a “Field Goal”, which to me says that start to finish the experience was a great one!!!

So if you are looking for some good Italian Food and are near the I-75 corridor, then La Grotta Italian Grill is a place to try!! When you do dine at La Grotta, definitely let them know that you heard about them from the What’s Up Southwest Florida’s Discriminating Diner!!

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