New restaurants include Sanibel gem in Fort Myers; tastes of Brazil, Mexico, India in Cape
Cape Coral gained three restaurants and a doughnut shop, while Fort Myers is up a brewery and a gem of a restaurant.
Estero, meanwhile, is plus one with a bar & grille in Miromar Outlets.
Here's a quick look at what's been happening:
We were thrilled with the March 28 opening of Melissa Donahue's south Fort Myers restaurant. Donahue is a 2019 James Beard Awards nominee and owner of Island Pizza on Sanibel. Her Sweet Melissa's Café was an island favorite for 14 years when Hurricane Ian hit and destroyed the restaurant in 2022. After doing pop-ups on select nights at Island Pizza, we're delighted to see her back full-time. Her new off-island location is in Uva's Vino & Tapas' old spot.
We were so excited to have a taste of her famous fish stew (shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, fish and house-made chorizo in a tomato saffron broth with Pernod aioli) that we stopped by on opening night. It. Was. Amazing. Welcome back, Melissa. 16230 Summerlin Road, Fort Myers; (239) 990-6889; reservation strongly requested via OpenTable; sweetmelissasrestaurant.com or on Facebook.
Marco Gonzalez and Horacio Mendez opened this Mexican restaurant April 1 in Sip & Dine and Slate's old spot in South Cape. It's been completely redone inside, including a decorative fountain in the entry, murals on the walls and heavy wooden furniture crafted and shipped from Mexico. According to Gonzalez, who also owns Tacos Mexican Restaurant on Hancock Bridge Parkway and La Fondita on Pine Island Road with Mendez, tradition is big here.
'It's more traditional Mexican food,' he said. 'Like you would get at grandma's house in Mexico.'
It's all here, from caldo de res (beef soup), street tacos and papa loca to enchiladas, fajitas and burritos. Customers have been dropping by for quick lunches and leisurely dinners.
'Everyone has been loving our food,' Gonzalez said.
It's open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. 4820 Candia St., Cape Coral; (239) 257-1560; follow on Facebook
This former 1950s church (followed by lots of small businesses) made its long-awaited debut in downtown Fort Myers on March 26. And we're happy to say it's all we were hoping for. The brewery, on the northeast corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Fowler Street, has a clean, modern look highlighted by the inviting indoor/outdoor open-air bar with plenty of seating. It blends nicely with the historic charm in the original wood tresses and church pew seating. The 12 Swamp Cat beers on tap (plus a few collaborations) are offered along with a variety of food from three on-site vendors — Dynamite Street EatZ, La Playa 787, and Tiny Bites Good Eats. Enjoy it all in the cool (physically and vibey) taproom or in the (dog friendly!!!) outdoor 5,000-square-foot beer garden, aka The Refuge. There you'll find umbrella-covered picnic tables, a lawn, a stage area for upcoming live bands and a fire pit.
More: New brewery in downtown Fort Myers welcome refuge in former 1950s church
'You can't just open a brewery and have decent beer nowadays,' co-owner Chris Gutierrez said. 'You have to have more. People have been waiting a long time for this. Everything has to be fantastic to keep people coming back. We know that. Hopefully, this will become one of the best destinations in Southwest Florida.'
We know we'll be back. 1943 Fowler St., Fort Myers; opens at 11 a.m. daily; some parking is available on site (enter from Hough Street) but more is offered a short walk away at Royal Palm Avenue and Thompson Street; (239) 887-3223; swampcatbrewing.com or follow on Facebook for more.
This new Indian restaurant in the ever-capable hands of Suman Chaniyil opened March 22 in South Cape. Two days later, we were there, happily chatting with Chef Sam himself in what used to be the raised Subway next to Nice Guys along Cape Coral Parkway. The transformation is simply stunning. All traces of the fast-food sub shop have been replaced by modern elegance and a menu to match. All the traditional Indian favorites are there too, with the flavors and sauces we've come to love from Chef Sam. It's open 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for lunch; 4:30-9:30 p.m. for dinner Monday to Thursday and 4:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reservations preferred. 1414 Cape Coral Parkway E; (239) 848-5756; Indianbreezeusa.com and on Facebook and Instagram.
Owner Jairo Rodriguez started serving Cuban and Brazilian food from his new restaurant in Pi Theory Pizza's (and IRagazzi's) old spot on March 14. Open for lunch and dinner, it specializes in Brazilian steakhouse cuisine with grilled lamb, steaks, chicken, pork tenderloin, chorizo, octopus and more. With two similar restaurants up and running in Miami, Rodriguez certainly knows what he's doing. Check it out for lunch or dinner. It opens at 11 a.m. daily. 159 Hancock Bridge Parkway, Cape Coral; (239) 766-3663; thecapebraziliangrill.com or on Facebook and Instagram
This bar & grille made its Miromar Outlets debut on March 23. Based out of Northern Cleveland, the family-style restaurant features shareable appetizers, burgers, wings, pizza, wraps and specialty entrees served in a fun environment with live music.
'We're thrilled to welcome Rush Inn to Miromar Outlets,' Jeff Staner, vice president of Miromar Outlets, said in a news release. 'Their incredible food and welcoming atmosphere will be a fantastic addition to our diverse lineup of dining options.' 10801 Corkscrew Road, Unit 428, Estero; (239) 319-5816; miromaroutlets.com or follow on Facebook
Husband and wife Cedric Willis and Arlene Noboa opened their ultracool and friendly doughnut and ice cream shop March 24 in the Publix and Rib City-anchored plaza at Hancock Bridge Parkway and Santa Barbara Boulevard in Cape Coral.
"It's always been a dream of mine to own a franchise," Arlene said. "And doughnuts and ice cream are the best of both worlds. Everyone loves it and I want to spread that feeling throughout the community."
Yonutz features more than 40 flavors of mini, classic and deluxe doughnuts, ice cream, milkshakes, refreshers and more. It's best known for its smashed donut — an ice cream-filled, hot-pressed doughnut that's warm on the outside and cold inside. We have to admit, we're kind of-sort of-extremely excited to try it. 106 Hancock Bridge Parkway, Suite C-11, Cape Coral; (239) 471-7994; yonutz.com or follow on Facebook
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Sweet Melissa's, Hacienda Jalisco lead list of restaurant openings
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