We have lots of friends in Florida who enjoy dining with us. Most of them expect us to come up with great places to dine. Which means we must act as taste testers and weed out the not-so-good restaurants.
Thank goodness for Doug and Debby, friends who are eager to check out new places and take a chance. Last week we decided to visit Bicyclette Cookshop. It promised to be a sure thing because the chef had just won the last season of Chopped on the Food Network.
Doug and Debby enjoying the Al fresco scene.The menu for our meal.We had two orders of these Zucchini Blossoms filled with Njuda and cheese, coated and fried. Each order had two blossoms. I loved mine.This Roasted Octopus app was both gorgeous and delicious.It included some chiles, avocado and Oaxaca cheeses.The Snapper Ceviche was delish and garnished with a nice pile of sweet onion. Barb loved it.The six oysters on the half shell were delicious, but an indulgence at $19. They were cleanly shucked and served with some nice Mignonette.The Beef Tartare was a generous portion served with a horseradish aioli and sizable cracker.The Braised Leeks were a big hit topped with Raclette cheese and oreganato vinaigrette.These Veal Short ribs were wonderful. Doug shared them and gaveme one of the ribs. I’ll probably order them next time.Debby ordered the Chicken Shnitzel. This was the real deal. Nicely coated with a delicious crust, tender chicken inside, juicy and I believe those were sweet radish slices on top.I ordered a Smashburger which I thoroughly enjoyed. The fries were crispy crunchy, a perfect side. My pix didn’t come out well,so I took a picture of someone else’s before it was served.
S
This Chinon is a Cabernet Franc grown in the Loire valley in an adorable town called (get this) Chinon. The grape is most often used to blend with Cabernet Sauvignon, but has been made unblended in Chinon forever. It is now being produced alone in California and the Finger Lakes of New York.This dessert was a home made soft serve ice cream adorned with a flavored olive oil which made it unusually lush.Our server, Candice, was a real pleasure. She gave us good guidance through the menu and was very nice to chat with.
Bicyclette promises to be one of the future hot spots in Naples. The chef is truly talented. She has put in time at several great establishments and grew up in the business.She was trained at CIA, the school that has turned out so many great chefs, writers and entrepreneurs.I hope she hangs around Naples for many years to come. I’m looking forward to my next experience.
JoshEatsandDrinks 