It’s great that my office is at a stadium - especially during spring training. But the days are long. 
We do, however, find ways to blow off steam just so we don’t go nuts down here. Last night was such a night.

After covering the Twins-Red Sox game, I headed out to a place in Fort Myers called The Cigar Bar. I like to smoke a stogie every now and then (I’m on a big Rocky Patel run right now) and I’ve brought all my cigars down to Florida because I refuse to stand outside in 20 degree weather in Minnesota (smoking ban, grrrr). 

The place was packed and it was a verbal banquet. I got into a conversation with a 36-year old woman from New York whose accessories included a boy toy. She’s retired. She was wearing her wealth. And she had the line of the spring.

“I’m 36 and I use Botox,” she said. “Life can only get better.”

Somehow, that reminded me that a few readers have asked for  my list of preferred restaurants and hangouts. So with the help of some locals and one Twins expert (thanks Cuddy) here are some places worth checking out if you’re coming down to watch the Twins.

My favorite Italian restaurant is Nino’s which is located off Daniels Parkway and right down the road from the Hammond Stadium, where the Twins play. I’ve known the owner, Graziano, for years. He makes everyone feel important.

My favorite Mexican place is Cantina Laredo. Continue west on Daniels Parkway for about one-half mile, hang a right into the mall, drive through the mall and Cantina Laredo is on the left. They make the guacamole right in front of you.

That mall, the Bell Tower Shops, has other good spots, like Bistro 41 , Blue Pointe and  Cru (Cru is as trendy as they come).

Another excellent seafood option is The Prawnbroker (Grouper Matanzas!!)

But the new big dog in Fort Myers is a massive food and entertainment complex called the Gulf Coast Town Center. PF Chang, Outback, the Miller Ale House, something called Hurricane Wings that Cuddyer likes, and other spots are located there. The Cigar Bar is there. And there’s a Bar Louie that’s very popular.

If you head to Fort Myers Beach, you’ve got to stop at the Beached Whale. Looks like a dive but the food is very good (try the oysters Rockefeller) and the staff is nuts (in a good way). Sunsets are great. Joe C. loves the place…so does Mrs. Joe C.

Last but not least, if you have time to make the drive over to Captiva, there’s no place like the Mucky Duck. Excellent food. It’s near the ocean, and people gather there to watch (and applaud) the sun as it tucks under the horizon.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but a good start.

Unless there’s breaking news, I’ve going to leave this up for the rest of the day. I may invade Joe C.’s blog with in-game comments.

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 1st, 2008 at 10:29 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.