January is an opportunity for reflection.
With the start of visitors season, the last part of 2021 saw a spate of new restaurants open, while early 2022 should see even more.
Here’s a look at recent openings and what’s to come.
The restaurants we lost:A look back at 2021's closures in Fort Myers, Naples
JLB's best of 2021:14 SWFL restaurants that deliciouslyimpressed
New restaurants Fort Myers
Milky Whey Food Truck: This Fort Myers-based food truck from couple AO and Christin Hileman opened in November and includes waffles from traditional, corn and coconut bases. (milkywheyfoodtruck.com; instagram.com/milkywheyft)
Shift Coffee Bar: Shift opened in West End at City Walk Dec. 10. The space, from owner Donie Schepp, is open to the public and serves espresso, cold brew, teas and light pastries. (2250 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers; shiftcoffeebar.com)
MORE:Milky Whey serves interstellar waffles
AND:Shift Coffee Bar to open Fort Myers location
Jonesez BBQ Takeout: The Joneses BBQ family is back with a physical takeout spot that also serves as a hub for their three food trucks. The takeout location had a soft opening Dec. 24 with a bigger opening the first week of January. (13438 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers; 239-226-6262; jonesezbbq.com)
Shojin Ramen & Sushi: Opened near the beginning of December in the former Saigon Sandwiches space, this restaurant dishes dim sum, ramen, stir-fry and more. (4460 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers; 239-936-2002; shojinramensushi.com)
Matinique Cafe: This upscale bakery cafe in Bell Tower opened in December and imports coffee from Turin, Italy, and bakes pastries and sweets daily. (13499 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers; 239-489-1221; belltowerfl.com)
Coldwater Oyster Market: With oysters by the dozen, clam chowder, calamari, crab cakes and more, this spot has featured food, drink and live entertainment in south Fort Myers since late November. (5611 Six Mile Commercial Ct. Fort Myers; 239-220-5918; coldwateroystermarket.com)
Lala Reference Restaurant: Serving fried goat, fufu, macaroni and plantain, among many other dishes, this Haitian restaurant opened in late November/early December. (377 Fowler Street, Fort Myers; 239-400-4640; lalareferencerestaurant.com)
Harold’s: While Chef Harold Balink is hardly new to the area, his reimagined and vastly expanded restaurant is. After closing over the summer, Harold’s underwent a major renovation and expansion, reopening in mid-December with more than quadruple its original 34 seats. The new Harold’s offers a full bar and more extensive menu, as well as an opportunity for Balink to once again mingle with guests. (15250 S. Tamiami Trail, south Fort Myers; 239-849-0622; haroldscuisine.com)
MORE:Chef Harold Balink almost left the industry, instead he's growing
Pho Bowl: This Vietnamese restaurant opened Dec. 2, serving spring rolls, pho, banh mi and more. (12951 Metro Parkway, south Fort Myers; 239-768-0051)
New restaurants Cape Coral
Grazing Haus: Charcuterie? Check. This spot opened Dec. 23 as a hub for owner Ali Strauss to not only make her meat-and-cheese catering boards, but to offer pre-made platters and other charcuterie supplies, too. (821 Cape Coral Parkway W., Cape Coral; 239-788-4656; grazinghaus.com)
The Spot: Owner Jeremy Bhimji, a partner in Cape Coral’s Big 10 Tavern, is taking over the original Nice Guys location at 1334 Cape Coral Parkway E., Cape Coral. Nice Guys moved a few doors east in March 2021. Bhimji hopes to open soon.
Next Door: From the folks behind Gather and Fathoms will soon come a new restaurant: Next Door. The concept, located next door to Gather at Tarpon Point Marina, centers around homemade pasta, elevating it with creative shapes and colors in a cozy, sit-down setting. Next Door is scheduled to open this month. (5971 Silver King Blvd., Cape Coral; nextdoorcape.com)
MORE:In Cape Coral, Gather and Fathoms chefs to open new Next Door
New restaurants Sanibel
Bamboo Pan Asian Kitchen: Serving dishes such as shrimp fried rice, pok pok wings and chili dumplings, Bamboot opened in December from the same partners behind Sanibel’s 400 Rabbits: Debra and Jeramie Campana, and Don and Cleta Yamauchi. (751 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel; 239-558-8189)
The Sanibel Sprout: More than 10 years after founder Nikki Rood opened this plant-based, vegan friendly cafe on the island, the Sprout closed in October and reopened in mid-December with new owner Jianna Senkeleski at the helm. The menu — coffees, smoothie bowls, salads and hand-crafted vegan and vegetarian fare — remains mostly the same at the cozy, takeout-focused space. (2407 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel; 239-558-4003; find it on Facebook)
ALSO:Teenage owner breathing new life into The Sanibel Sprout
AND:On Sanibel, out with the old (Matzaluna, East End Deli, Il Tesoro) in with the new
Tutti Pazzi Italian Kitchen: Slated to open this month in the longtime former Matzaluna space, expect the restaurant to be family friendly and thoroughly Italian but with modern twists. The new concept is led by owners Leanna and Pasquale Russo in partnership with Debra and Jeramie Campana, who also ownPaper Fig Kitchen and are partners in 400 Rabbits and Bamboo. (1200 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel; tuttipazzisanibel.com)
New restaurants Bonita Springs
The Bohemian: From the owners of Downtown Coffee and Wine Co., this chef-driven concept should open in early 2022 and feature items like Gulf shrimp and grits, chicken chicharrones tossed in lime salt, and more tapas-style dishes fired on an Argentinian-style wood grill in the open kitchen. (27975 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs; thebohemianbonita.com)
MORE:Bonita Springs restaurants: This town gets tastier by the day — JLB
The Rabbit Hole Kava Bar: This spot is planned to open in 2022 in the same development as The Bohemian, serving kava and kratom beverages. (27975 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs; instagram.com/therabbithole.kavabar)
The Causeway: This food hall, with a projected opening later this month, will feature vendors such as El Local and Jewban’s Deli Dale in addition to a craft beer wall and live entertainment. The space retrofits a former software company office space that used shipping containers as cubicles. (28280 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs; thecausewaybonita.com)
Vichino’s Cafe and Wine Bar: This spot is set to open in early 2022. (25987 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs; vichinos.com)
New restaurants Estero
El Local: Previously operating out of a food trailer, El Local will expand to a physical storefront in San Carlos park in early 2022 in addition to a spot at The Causeway in Bonita Springs when the food hall opens. (18911 S. Tamiami Trail, San Carlos Park; 239-237-2903; instagram.com/ellocalfoodtrailer)
Mr. Tequila Mexican Restaurant: The area’s fifth Mr. Tequila opened in December in the former Applebee’s space on Corkscrew Commons Drive. The new spot joins three locations in Naples and one on Fort Myers Beach. (10391 Corkscrew Commons Drive, Estero; 239-319-5117; mrtequilasrestaurant.com)
New restaurants Naples
Del Mar Naples: One of a handful of recent openings on Naples’ Fifth Avenue South, this Mediterranean-inspired restaurant launched Dec. 21 in the former Cafe and Bar Lurcat space. Owner Cameron Mitchell, under his Columbus, Ohio-based company, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, runs almost 20 different hospitality concepts across the U.S. including nearby Ocean Prime. Del Mar’s menu includes snapper crudo, Turkish flatbreads, lamb meatballs, citrus couscous and tomato chutney. (494 Fifth Ave. S., Naples; 239-350-0134; delmarnaplesrestaurant.com)
MORE:Del Mar Naples opening soon
AND:The Vine Room is a 'toast to the past' in Naples
The Vine Room: This Fifth Avenue South speakeasy opened Nov. 23 and embodies a vintage tropic vibe that owner Philip McCabe dubbed a “toast to the past.” Beyond its 150 wine labels, co*cktails include an espresso martini guests can sip surrounded by green velvet and moody warmth. (645 Fifth Ave. S., Naples; 239-316-1202; vineroom.com)
Cafe Crème de La Crème: This cafe, serving wraps, sandwiches, gelato, coffee, fresh squeezed juices and more in the Park Shore Plaza opened in early December. (4339 Tamiami Trail N., Naples; 239-276-7962; cremeofnaples.com)
Nosh on Naples Bay: Set to open this month, Chef Todd Johnson of the former Rumrunners in Cape Coral is bringing his talents to the Naples Bay Resort with this new concept. The restaurant took over the unit that previously housed 1500 South and Mereday’s, and will feature tapas with international influences. (1500 Fifth Ave. S., Naples; instagram.com/noshonnaplesbay)
The News-Press staff writerAnnabelle Tometich contributed to this report.
Andrew Atkins writes about food and features for the Naples Daily News. Contact him via email at andrew.atkins@naplesnews.com.To support work like Andrew's,please consider subscribing:https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/
