WHY WE LOVE IT: It’s been about a year since this modern American open kitchen and lounge exploded with the star power of a dozen fireworks. It marked the return of chef David Nelson, who had spent a decade helming Truluck’s and the brief-lived Avenue5. Eager to exercise his creative instincts in an everyday setting, he’s nailed it with big-city-style Saturday and Sunday brunches, ultra-thin pizzas with oddly complementary bedfellows (think: sopressata, garlic and spiced honey), whimsical promos like the summertime grilled cheese menu—plus dinner entrées that go toe-to-toe with those from any restaurant on Fifth Avenue South. He and Timeless’ owner, architect Matthew Kragh, continue to make improvements, like expanding their in-house delivery service, launching an app for online orders and upgrading to a full liquor license.
IDEAL MEAL: Chef Nelson’s roots at one of the town’s leading seafood palaces can be seen at dinner in the ethereal shrimp and grits and a rock crab- and brie-stuffed salmon with tomato-sherry butter over a Jenga of asparagus spears. Some sandwiches and salads pull double duty on the lunch and dinner menus, and one we’ve been fixated on is the bright Thai-inflected mélange of noodles, bok choy and Napa cabbage finished with slices of seared sirloin, mango, peanuts and chilies.
VIBE: Its new construction exudes coastal chic without being beachy. Half of the white-washed space feels like a living room where you can sit on a couch with a beer and “drummies” (wings)—or a Moscow mule and truffled mushroom pizza. The other half is covered in tables, with added panache from floor-to-ceiling windows. Kragh envisioned Timeless to be an after-work gathering place; he and Nelson have made it that and so much more.
Timeless – an MHK Eatery, 90 Tamiami Trail N., Naples, (239) 331-4325, timelesseatery.com