Where else could I have the following exchange:

Inebriated bar patron: “O.K. man, what do you do for a living? What is your line of work?”

Me: “I’m a baseball writer down here for spring training.”

I.B.P.: “Wow, you have a pretty sophisticated job.”

Ah, Florida. Every once in awhile you run into someone like that.

Anyway, several fans have asked me for dining suggestions in Fort Myers for when they come here to watch the Twins play. I finally have a few moments to write about some of the best spots down here - Joe’s with the team in Bradenton while I’m at Strib spring headquarters.

This isn’t a complete list, only places I’ve been to or have been suggested to me. Some restaurants have closed down here but there are still a LOT of options!

Just doing some quick math. After this spring, I will have spent over 550 days of my life in Fort Myers. That’s more than 1,600 meals. Whew! I was trying to figure out why I’ve been to so many places down here!

 Breakfast

There’s an IHOP and a Perkins off Cleveland Ave. (it’s also called US 41 and is the main north-south drag in town). But one of my favorite breakfast places I’ve ever been to is First Watch, 7901 College Parkway.  If you look at the menu, it offers more than the standard breakfast options. 

Italian

There’s only one place I go to down here - Nino’s. Great service. If you see a round, smiling Italian man walking around, that’s the owner, Graziano.  He treats every customer well. The menu is great. Shrimp Aurora, mmm. Lobster Ravioli, mmm. The trap is eating all the salad and a couple pieces of bread before the main course arrives. You’ll end up taking half of it home. The preferred location off Daniels Road has expanded and is right down the road from Hammond Stadium, too!

Seafood

The Blue Pointe. This place  is a little pricey but very. very good. Located in the Bell Tower Shopping Center, located at the intersection of Daniels Road (the main road coming out of the airport) and Cleveland. About three miles from the park.

The Prawnbroker. This spot and Nino’s were the first places I was told to go to during my first spring training here ten years ago. Here’s the menu.

The University Grill. There’s actually a little bit of everything here - plus a good martini menu.

The Bonefish Grill. I’ve been here once and liked it. Don’t know why I haven’t been back.

Sushi 

Tim’s Magic Wok . Located next to Nino’s. Very friendly staff.

Blu. Good sushi. Has become a trendy evening spot.

Mexican

Cantina Laredo. Excellent. One of my favorite places in the area. You can order the guacamole to be made right at your table!

Iguana Mia. It’s no Cantina Laredo but very, very good nonetheless.  

BBQ 

If you want something in town, Rib City has a few locations to visit. And Wednesday is quarter beer night.

But if you want top BBQ, I strongly urge you to head down to Naples one night and dine at Michelbob’s.

They import their ribs from Denmark, and it comes off the bone so easily and I’m salivating as I write this. The owner is from Minnesota and I’m friends with his son-in-law, Lou Bavaro. Lou has worked hard the past couple of years to get Michelbob’s available at Byerly’s and Lund’s in the Twin Cities, so some of you might recognize the name.  As far as BBQ goes, this comes with my highest recommendation. And there’s a certain slightly-husky, gravel -voiced columnist/talk show host who agrees with me.

Sports Bars..or sort of

The Beached Whale. This was the first place I visited the first time I drove over  to Fort Myers Beach. Looks like a burger joint but is a little more than that. The daily dinner specials usually are pretty strong. I love the Oysters Rockerfeller. The writers from the Associated Press like the Cuban Whale sandwich. The deck is a great place to hang out. There are TV’s everywhere to watch sports. Some of my favorite staff members have left The Whale, but it’s still worth a visit, especially if you are on the beach during the NCAA hoops tournament. If Tico is working there on the day you visit, watch out. He’s nuts.

Stevie Tomato’s. To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of the food here. The only purpose it serves is that it’s a good place to watch sports.

Pott’s Sports Cafe. Definitely better food than Stevie Tomato’s. And they have even more TV’s than last year. Watch out on Wednesday’s - that’s Karaoke and Beer Pong night. Eek.

Shoeless Joe’s. This is located in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Bell Tower Shops. Had a personal pizza there last week while watching Illinois beat the Gophers in men’s basketball. It was pretty good - the game and the pizza. Fritz is the manager there. Good guy.

Cigars

I enjoy a good cigar now and then. And there’s no better place to have one than The Cigar Bar. There are two locations in town. In recent years, I can be found at the Gulf Coast Town Center location. I prefer Rocky Patel cigars, in case anyone wants to buy one for me! Actually Rocky lives down here and has been know to stop by The Cigar Bar. Dino is one of the managers there and is a great guy.

I’ve been told about this place but have never been there.

More options

If you are looking for dining, shopping and other things rolled into one, here are a few places to remember:

Belle Tower Shops. This is where the Blue Pointe is, but there are other options as well as a movie theater.

Coconut Point. Opened a couple years ago and is south of Fort Myers. Lots of shopping. The Blue Water Bistro is excellent.

Gulf Coast Town Center. A very popular place just one exit south of Daniels Road off of I-75. There’s a movie theater, plenty of dining (I like P.F. Chang’s and Carraba’s but not big on the Miller Ale House) and evening activites. There’s Bar Louie, where the beautiful people go to. Blu sushi is across from Bar Louie, so the beautiful people bounce between the two locations, then the older members of the beautiful people club wander around the corner into The Cigar Bar.

One place to stay away from: You might be around the intersection of Daniels and Cleveland and see a place called, `Cheeseburger in Paradise,’ Don’t go! I know two people who have been there since camp opened and were far from satisfied.

I hope this helps. If you stumble upon something you like, let me know.

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