Hola (and howdy) from JLB: Margaritas and ciabattas
Nothing is as it seems this week.
On a bleak stretch of U.S. 41 in North Fort Myers, I found a bustling Tex-Mex joint where the food's as cheap as it is delicious. Over in North Naples, I hit up a cowboy-themed burger joint run by Estonians who seem to be obsessed with Italian ciabatta buns.
Germans are taking over burger joints and Southern restaurants in order to secure visas. And I've got a dozen delicious reasons to get out to Pine Island and Matlacha.
Here's all the tasty news you may have missed.
Sabor A Mexico finds a way
The view from this North Fort Myers restaurant's front windows is bleak. There's the overgrown Taco Bell and the shuttered Pizza Hut. But turn your back to those windows and the view changes drastically. Sabor is a nonstop party, fueled by good margaritas and Tex-Mex fare. Click here for my review.
Say howdy to Western Prime Burger
Estonia-owned, cowboy-themed and obsessed with ciabatta rolls, this all-American restaurant is like a spaghetti-western with a beefy slant. Western Prime offers juicy USDA Prime burgers on ciabatta buns, a bread choice I'm still wondering about. Find my review here.
Das restaurant
Lehne Burger and Hart & Soul in Cape Coral, Mad Fresh Bistro and Bullig Coffee in Fort Myers — Germans are buying non-German restaurants throughout Southwest Florida. And the reasons are ... interesting. Artis Henderson has the details.
New Kosher-style deli coming
For eaters like me who lament our lack of Kosher delis, there will soon be another option. The West Palm Beach-based Toojay's Deli is coming to Mercato in North Naples. Huzzah! Tim Aten gives us the inside scoop.
What else?
• There's no wrong reason to spend time (and money) on Pine Island and Matlacha these days. The summer's algae crisis hit the area hard. It needs us. And I've got 12 mouthwatering reasons to go.
• Ginger Bistro has softly opened in Cape Coral, bringing its array of daytime dim sum dishes and fresh Chinese fare to the city west of the bridge. Annabelle has a first look.
• A new spot for poke bowls and a new Chinese buffet are coming to the Fort Myers area, 3 Pepper Burrito continues to grow, plus save the dates for downtown's only Oktoberfest and this year's Taste of the Town. Read all about it in A La Carte.
• Shima doesn't sell sea shells, but it's one of the only restaurants serving sushi on Sanibel's seashores. Say that five times fast. Then follow Artis Henderson Off the Eaten Path.
Stuffed? Just wait until next week. There's always something new and tasty happening with me.
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Bon appetit!
JLB
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Why can't we be friends? Follow me at facebook.com/jeanleboeufswfl or @JeanLeBoeuf on Twitter and Instagram.
Jean Le Boeuf is the pseudonym used by a local food lover who dines at restaurants anonymously and without warning, with meals paid for by The News-Press. Email the critic at jleboeuf@news-press.com.