A new restaurant and bar fuses Latin cuisines where the north meets the south in downtown Naples.
Unidos, which labels itself as a modern Latin kitchen and bar, opened Jan. 8 on the southeast corner of U.S. 41 and Central Avenue, combining the longtime former spaces of Starbucks Coffee and Valento’s Pizza & Hoagies.
The new upscale restaurant includes more than 150 seats inside with a full bar, an open kitchen, a ceviche bar, an outside patio and a private dining room. Unidos’ menu is similar to Unidad, a sister restaurant in the Chicago suburb of Evergreen Park that also is family owned and operated by Sal Muñoz, Sal’s wife Jaime Muñoz and business partner Carlos Angel.
“Unidos (pronounced oo-nee-dos) means united in Spanish. Our restaurant is a testament to the global nature of food and the endless possibilities that arise when different culinary traditions come together,” Sal Muñoz said. “Our food is definitely inspired by some of my mother’s dishes. It means a lot to me having some of her dishes on the menu. We are not just focused on one cuisine. I grew up eating dishes from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Peru and Argentina.”
Unidos’ soft opening menu—featuring dishes influenced by cuisines from South American countries, Cuba, Mexico and other Latin American locales—includes dinner specials, such as potato gnocchi with ricotta and ropa vieja, a Cuban-style shredded beef; shredded chicken enchiladas with Chihuahua and cotija cheeses, salsa verde, crema, cilantro, onion and avocado; and Unidad Risotto, a spicy signature dish featuring creamy Huancaína sauce with a choice of grilled portobello mushroom, skirt steak or passion fruit salmon.
Other entrees include a variety of ceviches, blue crab taquitos, pork shank tacos and wood-grilled steaks and short rib with chimichurri sauce. Appetizers include corn guacamole, empanadas, elotes fritters and a chorizo platter.
Chef Melina Martinez combines traditional Latin American cooking methods, such as grilling, roasting and braising with techniques from other cultures, including stir-frying, smoking and sous vide. The restaurant’s management team includes general manager Jason Unger and co-owner Carlos Angel overseeing day-to-day operations.
“Unidos intends to become an extension of the family home,” Angel said. “Whether it’s a girl’s night out, a birthday party or an after-work gathering, Unidos is prepared to accommodate all groups—big or small.”
Co-owner Sal Muñoz, an East Naples resident, has 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He previously was the banquet captain and floor manager at Sepia, a Chicago West Loop restaurant; and a server and magician’s assistant at Caesars Magical Empire at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
Unidos, 1 Ninth St., is open 4 to 8 p.m. daily. Later this month, the restaurant plans to expand its hours and services with the addition of a lunch menu, weekend brunch and takeout.
