Osteria Celli Dinner and Wine
SOFO Wine Women are back on the scene! After a much too long hiatus, the time seemed right to reboot on a small scale and focus on enjoying some of the shining stars in our local restaurant world. With that objective in mind, our little group of seven women (who were all original participants) – all foodies and wine lovers who also live in the SOuth FOrt Myers area, put together a list of great restaurants in the SOFO area that we wanted to enjoy together. We now gather one evening a month at the restaurant of our choice for that month, then wine and dine and enjoy each other’s company. The result is a win-win for everyone. Here is where we have been so far in 2017:
Azure (3.29.17)
15301 McGregor Blvd. Ft. Myers 33908
Azure features “French-European cuisine with a Southern flair”. Owners Eddie Garces and Lee Riley made us welcome and served up Chef Joe Pittman’s food with class and style. They also have a great little wine list featuring some excellent French wines. The dining room is quite small but tastefully decorated, and you can watch Chef Joe at work.
The Fish and Vine (4.26.17)
12901 McGregor Blvd. Ft. Myers 33919
Owner Amy Abernathy keeps the dining room running smoothly while Chef Rich Montoya prepares fresh local fish and steaks from Colorado. There are specialty cocktails, a small but satisfactory wine list and great happy hour at the bar. The modern decor dining room is quite comfortable and roomy.
Blanc (5.25.17)
13451 McGregor Blvd. Ft. Myers 33919
Blanc offers “a wide variety of impressive flavors gathered from around the globe, drawing on French and Asian culture”. Many of their menu items are cooked on a Robata Grill, and you get to watch the entire kitchen action while you are dining. They are all served up in a really contemporary ambiance in a very small cozy dining room. Owners Chris Whitaker and Jean-Claude Roge know their business!
Osteria Celli (6.22.17)
15880 Summerlin Road Ft. Myers 33908
Chef/Owner Marco Corricelli was born and raised in Milan, Italy and prepares authentic modern Italian food using fresh local ingredients. His pastas, sauces and desserts are all made in-house. He also has an excellent wine list consisting primarily of Italian varietals that are less familiar to most restaurant diners.
Harold’s (7.20.17)
15250 S. Tamiami Trail Ft. Myers 33908
Harold’s is a small upscale restaurant “serving creative American cuisine”. Chef/Owner Harold Balink features local farm-to-table and changes up his menu weekly depending upon what is in season and available.
LYNQ (8.24.17)
16230 Summerlin Road Ft. Myers 33908
LYNQ features seafood, steaks, tacos and noodles linking together a number of cultures in a really upbeat modern atmosphere. They also have several bars with seating both inside and out and live music several nights a week. LYNQ is a relatively new venture by Chris Whitaker and Jean-Claude Roge.
CRU (10.12.17)
13499 S. Cleveland Ave Ft. Myers 33907
Bell Tower Shops
CRU is a modern American restaurant and bar with a very popular happy hour and “sleek, upmarket” dining room. It has been a cornerstone restaurant at Bell Tower for 13 years now. CRU features tapas and small plates in both areas plus creative upscale entrees in the dining room. There is outdoor seating for the bar and the dining room. Chef/Owner Bob Boye can be seen in the open kitchen cooking your dinner while Cesar makes sure you receive great service in the dining room. CRU has a great cocktail menu and a fairly extensive wine list.
