Author Archives: Xsivjosh

Our friends Ken and Brynna turned us onto Alexander’s two years ago. Ken is hyperaware of my love for duck and byobs. He said they have the best duck dish in Naples. As far as I’m concerned, he is still correct. ( But there are still plenty more places to check out.) This chef hasContinue reading “Alexander’s in North Naples”

For the last three years we have been meeting our friends Bobby and Debbie for dinner at this restaurant. Gourmet? Certainly not. Clubby and steak house-ish? Very much so. The service is always on point. Food is very good. Meat is choice, not prime. We let them know that we’ve all shlepped an hour justContinue reading “Connor’s Steak and Seafood in the Gulf Coast Shopping Center…Where Naples Meets Venice (Florida, that is.)”

We haven’t eaten on 5th Ave at all this year. Whenever we drive by it looks really crowded. The traffic barely moves. Whenever I’ve called, all the tables have been booked. The online menus show much higher prices than in the past. Less places offer reasonable corkage fees. Yet lots of good places remain openContinue reading “Bistro 821 in Naples, FL”

We heard about an older French restaurant in Naples that had recently changed hands. The new owners are a young couple from Nice, France. The chef/husband has done time in some of the very good kitchens that I have visited and so we decided to check out Cafe Normandie in North Naples. We initially wentContinue reading “Cafe Normandie in Naples, FL”

Empire Bagel has been around for several years, located on Marco Island. Their bagels have been chewy in the middle and crispy on the outside. These are the two requisite qualities that make a bagel edible. The various degrees of crunch and chew, as well as size, are what differ one bagel from the next.Continue reading “Empire Bagels in Naples/Marco Island”

When going out to dinner, choosing a place gets more difficult as your group gets larger. Factor in the search for places that serve al fresco, a cold snap in the weather and different preferences in favored dining times, making a choice can become almost impossible. It’s a good thing that Vince and Claudia, TonyContinue reading “Parmesan Petes in North Naples”

I’ve been driving by Kretch’s for several years and have been wondering what kind of restaurant it might be. Nobody I’ve asked has been there or heard anything about it. Last month my friends Sol and Carin told me they have eaten there several times and enjoyed it. They said the food was sort ofContinue reading “Kretch’s on Marco Island”

The night before Sol and Carin returned to New Jersey we decided to have dinner at Verdi’s on Marco Island. We ate there several times last year and enjoyed all of our meals. They have comfortable seating outdoors with heaters. They permit me to bring wine for a $20 corkage fee. They also have aContinue reading “Verdi’s American Bistro on Marco Island”

We chose to have dinner at Kareem’s a few nights ago. They have a nice outdoors setup and excellent Lebanese cuisine. Their wines by the glass were good and I’ve always enjoyed a Lebanese Bordeaux blend that they always have on the menu. We also ordered a plate of three different Hummuses, which I didn’tContinue reading “Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen in East Naples”

This is the first time I’m following up on a place that I have previously posted. Thai Sushi by KJ has been our favorite local spot for sushi since we found it. The sushi is always fresh, delicious, creatively and beautifully presented. The servers are nice and the ambiance is very pleasant, sometimes loud. TheContinue reading “Return to Thai Sushi by KJ on Marco Island”