This week’s column spotlights many of the restaurants that opened for the first time during the first three months of 2023.
As expected, the first quarter of the year introduced many new dining spots in the Naples area. Many newcomers joined a lineup of established places that finally reopened after being damaged by Hurricane Ian last fall.
Target opening dates remained a moving target for local restaurants, of course. Some that had planned to launch in season during January, February or March are setting their sights on the second quarter this spring.
Behind the walls
Restaurants opened last quarter in two different sprawling, gated communities in North Naples. One of the secluded restaurants is open to the public for patrons who make reservations online and check in at the guardhouse at the community entrance.
Casa Cotzelli, an old-school Italian restaurant, launched Feb. 22 in Island Walk at 6175Towncenter Circle, Suite 201, off Vanderbilt Beach Road. The restaurant is in the residential community’s Town Center, which also has a post office, gas station and hair and nail salons.
The restaurant uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create house-made fare such as tuna tartare, pasta carbonara and whole branzino. Lunch and dinner are served 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and the full bar remains open later, said Gabriele Cotza, a native of Milan, Italy, who co-owns the restaurant with Filippo Butelli, a Tuscany native. The Cotzelli restaurant name is a creative combination of both surnames of the Naples residents.
The new restaurant at Pelican Marsh is open only to Pelican Marsh members and their guests. As its name implies, Courtside at Pelican Marsh opened Jan. 16 near the tennis courts at the Foundation of Pelican Marsh community center, 1504 Pelican Marsh Blvd. The patio bar and grill serves lunch, dinner and happy hour specials. Menus feature appetizers, salads, flatbreads, tacos, sandwiches, wraps and a variety of surf and turf entrees.
Courtside, open daily during season, is a new offering by the Phillips Restaurant Group, the folks behind South Beach Grille and Oliver’s Place, two Fort Myers Beach venues severely damaged by Hurricane Ian. The business owners plan to rebuild their Lee County venues.
Business models
A couple of new restaurants this quarter are business models expected to grow elsewhere.
PJK Neighborhood Chinese, the latest from Paul Fleming Restaurants in downtown Naples, is the first of what could be many locations. The restaurant and full bar launched in March on Fourth Avenue North.
Old Vines Supper Club opened on Valentine’s Day in a Davis Boulevard retail strip in East Naples. Old Vines already plans a larger location with a full bar and restaurant this summer at Mercato in North Naples.
Other uniquely inspired new places to grab a bite to eat and drink include The Mother Trucker Cafe, which offers Chicago-based creations in a casual, colorful eatery on U.S. 41 East in East Naples; Forever Fiore Tea Lounge, a high-end tea room that opened in February on Fifth Avenue North in Naples; and Mercato at Ave, an indoor marketplace that opened in March in Ave Maria with a variety of options for food and beverages.
Branching out
Many local places that recently opened after encountering delays are an additional location for the dining concepts.
Shea’s Lansdowne Street launched its new location in late March on Naples Boulevard in North Naples. The Boston-themed venue previously had been in downtown Naples and has a longtime sister location in Bonita Springs.
Carole’s House Café & French Bakery, which launched its concept last year in East Naples, opened its second location in February in the Strand shopping center off Immokalee Road in North Naples. Thai Thai Sushi Sports Bar, which opened in early February in Marco Town Center on Marco Island, is the area’s third Thai Thai restaurant.
Sammy’s Pizza, which opened in late February in Naples Towne Centre on U.S. 41 in East Naples, is the first restaurant in Florida for a couple who operates three other Sammy’s near Chicago. Naples-based Pelican Larry’s Raw Bar & Grill and sister concept Off the Bone BBQ + Ribhouse opened additional locations in January at University Village near Florida Gulf Coast University.
Key chains
Many popular chains provided additional regional locations for their eateries this year.
Nautical Bowls debuted in early January at the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt in North Naples. Florida-based sports bar Miller’s Ale House opened its second Collier County location in February in the middle of Restaurant Row on Collier Boulevard in East Naples. Jersey Mike’s Subs opened its fourth Collier location in March in a former Cricket Wireless store off Collier Boulevard in East Naples.
After being closed for renovations for six months, Chick-fil-A reopened in late January in North Naples. Popeyes delivered its chicken competition to Naples’ Coastland Center mall’s food court in March.
Decadent cookie creators brought their bakeoff competition to Lee County with the addition of Insomnia Cookies at University Village in February and Crumbl Cookies in Cape Coral in March.
Quick Lee
Taking a quick look at some of the other Lee County restaurants debuting during the first quarter, January newcomers included Habaneros Mexican Grill in Bonita Springs, Dim Sum King off Alico Road near Gulf Coast Town Center, Fat Katz Slider Bar at University Village Shops, Cava at Daniels Marketplace in south Fort Myers, and Hooked Island Grill, which relocated after the storm from Matlacha to Gulf Coast Town Center.
Openings in February included The Cave in Estero, Chips Sports Pub at the Luminary Hotel in downtown Fort Myers and Junkanoo Below Deck and Fresh Catch Bistro relocated to a new spot on Fort Myers Beach after the longtime original location was destroyed by Hurricane Ian.
New dining spots launching in March included Rosalita’s Cantina on Sanibel and Jordan’s Wine Bar & Cellar in Fort Myers.
The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com.
