Let me tell you about our hotel in Fort Myers. We were spending a couple of extra days after a Friday to Friday stay at the Marriott Crystal Shores, probably our favorite vacation spot. Where to stay? In February, beachside hotels cost a king’s ransom. We settled on the Luminary Hotel in downtown Fort Myers, and it was a great choice. The Luminary is part … Continue reading The Luminary Hotel, Fort Myers, Florida
Like the title says, Panera is almost everywhere in the United States, all the lower 48, DC, and Ontario. There are 190 in both California and Florida alone. There are seven here in DC — the closest to me is in Tenley — and a bunch in the suburbs, including one in Prince Frederick on the way down to our corner of the Chesapeake Bay. … Continue reading Panera, Everywhere (Almost), USA
When I reviewed the Lazy Flamingo, I mentioned that I got the recommendation from a blonde woman whose first recommendation had been a place I rejected because I figured it was so nice I’d nice have to wear big boy pants. That restaurant was Traditions on the Beach, and here I was, years later wearing long pants and shoes rather than flip flops for the … Continue reading Traditions on the Beach, Sanibel Island, Florida
IMPORTANT UPDATE: As if one were needed, here’s yet another reason to go to the Steak N Egg Diner. Nancy, Liza, and I went there for breakfast this morning. We ordered, and our food was brought to the table by a robot! Remember those little carts that I’m Eddie Cano and the Broad Branch Market used to deliver food to homes in the early days … Continue reading Still More on the Steak N Egg Diner, Washington, DC
Friday was our last day in Marco Island. Joyce was taking a late afternoon flight home, and Nancy and I were headed to Fort Myers for a couple of nights before our trip home. We decided — actually I decided — to skip our usual exit meal at the excellent Rumba Cafe in Naples in favor of a waterside restaurant. We looked at Yelp and … Continue reading EJ’s Bayfront Cafe, Naples, Florida
Were you in Chowhound? You should have been, back in the day. Chowhound was a food discussion group, with members all over the world. Whether you were going to Vienna, Austria, or Vienna, Georgia; Paris, Texas, or Paris, France, you could find people who’d been there and found good places to eat, and some well known places to avoid, both near your hotel and farther … Continue reading Chowhound is Dead. Long Live Hungry Onion
I need to get back down to Mississippi more often. Back in my working days, I probably drove on every paved road in the Delta and half of the rest of the state. Recently I’ve lived vicariously through our Senior Mississippi and Idaho Correspondent, Doug Herbert, a son of Mendenhall, Mississippi, home of the legendary Revolving Tables Restaurant. You’ll recall Doug from his report on … Continue reading Pleasant’s BBQ, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
UPDATE: For further thoughts on Steak N Egg, see here. Steak and Egg Kitchen has a new location and a new name: Steak N Egg Diner. As a result of a complex real estate deal, Steak and Egg moved from its tiny little house to the ground floor of an adjacent brand-new four-story box next door. That means a lot more indoor space and additional … Continue reading Steak N Egg Diner, Tenleytown, Washington, DC
All good things must come to an end, and for our last night in Marco, Nancy, Joyce, and I went to Arturo’s Bistro for an early dinner. Arturo’s is tucked into a shopping center on North Collier. We sat outside at one of a handful of tables, but I managed to get a shot of the interior, which was very pleasant, as you can see. … Continue reading Arturo’s Bistro, Marco Island, Florida
After a lively dinner at Cocomo’s Grill, Nancy and I shifted gears and went to The Boulevard. The Boulevard is nicely decorated with pleasant lighting, with staff that seems to glide about. If the defining words for Cocomo’s are “fun”and “delicious”, the words for The Boulevard are “elegant” and “delicious.” The Boulevard was very accommodating, and allowed us to reserve a table they usually keep … Continue reading The Boulevard, Marco Island, Florida
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