The Kearns Restaurant Group and its partners continue transforming the restaurant scene in downtown Fort Myers with their latest dining option: Izzy’s Fish and Oyster at the corner of First and Jackson streets. Scheduled to open by the end of May, the New England-style seafood restaurant and raw bar... Read more

Excellence is not an option for dining establishments along downtown Naples’ world-class restaurant row; it’s expected. That’s why it takes an extraordinary establishment to generate the buzz that Ocean Prime has enjoyed since opening in December. Located at 699 5th Avenue South, the restaurant is the latest among Ohio-based... Read more

When you consider that Lee County alone boasts an estimated 300+ pizza restaurants, there’s no question that Southwest Florida is a pizza lover’s paradise. However, many questioned whether the area could support yet another pizzeria when Blue Moon Pizza made its Florida debut in Fort Myers in 2013. Apparently... Read more

If you haven’t dined at Twisted Vine Bistro in downtown Fort Myers lately, you’re in for some pleasant surprises. In addition to a new chef and revamped menu, the Bay Street establishment recently expanded next door to open The Barrel Room, a bourbon and blues bar. Together, they provide... Read more

While fast-casual restaurant chains continue to proliferate in Southwest Florida, fine dining establishments are becoming all but extinct. Of the few local survivors, none is as elegant or as celebrated as the Veranda in downtown Fort Myers. Now, just two years shy of its 40th birthday, it remains as... Read more

Have you ever been to a restaurant that was so outstanding you wanted to keep it all to yourself? Welcome to BLANC, a whitehot fine-dining star on the rise in south Fort Myers. Owned by restaurateur Chris Whitaker and chef Jean Claude Roge, BLANC is arguably the area’s hippest... Read more

Most Southwest Floridians head west to enjoy a day at the beach. But by early next year, they’ll have another option. That’s when a group of local investors and restaurateurs expects to open the area’s newest waterfront dining destination, tentatively named Boathouse31. The restaurant site is situated on an... Read more

The “wow” factor seems to be a common ingredient among outstanding restaurants. This je ne sais quoi is usually based on decor, location, food or service, but rarely all of the above. Bayfront Bistro on Fort Myers Beach is an exception. Located mid-island, behind the Publix shopping center on... Read more

It’s not unheard of for some of the area’s larger restaurants to serve upwards of 500 customers in the course of a day. But to provide as much in a two-hour period, followed by a live theatrical performance twice a day is, literally, a major production. Remarkably, Broadway Palm... Read more

Few local restaurants ever master the art of remaining relevant while staying consistent, particularly in markets like Southwest Florida, where the only constant seems to be change. However, after nearly two decades in business, Bistro 41 has managed to outlive most of its culinary copycats while steadily expanding its... Read more