Two lifelong restaurateurs, including a former Mario Batali GM, are bringing The Backyard Beer Garden to Cape Coral, plus more food news in A La Carte.
The old Two Amigos space in Cape Coral has a new tenant that's fired up and raring to go.
The Backyard Beer Garden has taken over the recently closed Mexican restaurant at 1339 Cape Coral Parkway E. With two owners who have more than 50 years of combined restaurant experience, Backyard hopes to open by late June.
"We took it over last week," said Chris Ilardi, a partner in the new concept with longtime friend Gabe Ferraro.
"We're used to opening things quickly. We once opened 15 restaurants in 38 hours, so this isn't new for us."
It's not new at all.
Ilardi said he served as the general manager for famed chef Mario Batali and restaurateur Joe Bastianich when they opened the acclaimed Babbo Ristorante in Manhattan in 1998.
He was a premium food services director at Shea Stadium and Nassau Colosseum in New York. Most recently, Ilardi worked as a food concessionaire within airports, helping to open close to 250 restaurants — from coffee shops to gastropubs to fine-dining establishments — at more than a dozen airports throughout the U.S.
Which is how he met Ferraro.
"As Chris's wife would say, we became best friends in that first week we met," Ferraro explained.
Ferraro's restaurant history goes back to his youth, when he cooked for Carrabba's and Outback Steakhouse. Following the airport work, he consulted on restaurants in Miami and his native Philadelphia, a place where beer gardens are synonymous with summertime.
Ilardi, who moved to Cape Coral a year ago from New York, convinced Ferraro to join him there earlier this year. The two loved the year-round warmth, and were surprised more restaurants weren't taking advantage of it.
"In Philly, the whole gastropub scene blew up because of beer gardens. That's how it all started," Ferraro said.
"I've always wanted to do that, and now we have the perfect location."
The partners are already hard at work at this 5,700-square-foot indoor/outdoor space. They're transforming the 60-seat patio along Cape Coral Parkway into a lush beer garden complete with shady pergola. Seating will include lounge-like clusters of chairs and communal tables that encourage conversations. They plan to string lights throughout the space, to give it an enticing glow come dusk.
Backyard Beer Garden will feature 20-some craft beers on tap, with several more available in tall-boy cans befitting the restaurant's backyard-house-party concept.
It will have a full bar of craft cocktails infused with fresh fruits and hand-made syrups. The menu will be short and sweet, with just a couple dozen items, all made to Ferraro and Ilardi's exacting standards.
Think shishito peppers, steamed bao buns filled with pork belly, made-to-order guacamole and specialty tacos that will change night to night.
Appetizers, mostly $7 to $12, will be built for sharing. Main courses will be in the $10 to $25 range according to Ilardi.
Ilardi's favorite dishes include a sandwich made with chicken and broccoli rabe, and his Carpetbagger Oysters, slices of steak topped with bacon and fried oysters finished with hot sauce and Roquefort cheese sauce.
Ferraro is bringing a true-to-Philly cheesesteak to the lineup, as well as a couple of burgers, some composed salads and fries.
"The key to success is to perfect those items," Ferraro said. "This isn't going to be a diner where you've got pages and pages of stuff. We want to do a few things and do them really well."
Service is another way Backyard Beer Garden hopes to set itself apart.
Ilardi said service will be the main focus when the restaurant's 25 or so employees start training.
"I've always lived by that. I don't care if it's fast or fine, it's all about service," Ilardi said. "We want to be top notch in that area. That's something we haven't seen very often around here."
Backyard's 4,300 square feet of interior space will be accented by stainless steel and copper, for an industrial look that Ilardi said will still be warm and welcoming. An extra 20 to 30 seats will be available on the back patio facing SW 47th Terrace.
Ferraro and Ilardi said a Sunday brunch menu is in the works, featuring eggs Benedict built on a base of crisp tater tots, as well as bottomless mimosas and sangria. The restaurant will be kid friendly, and dog friendly on certain days, as well.
"We're a step between a dive bar and a fine dining restaurant," Ilardi said.
"We want to be the place where everyone can put their phones away and actually converse with people face to face. We want to believe that can still exist."
Ninja Thai & Sushi Bar has opened in the former Koreana space at 13550 Reflections Parkway near Jason's Deli in south Fort Myers. Ninja held its grand opening May 10 and is open 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily featuring Thai noodles and curries, salads, soups, and hot and cold sushi offerings. Call 433-0508 or find Ninja on Facebook for more.
University Grill has stopped serving lunch. The 21-year-old south Fort Myers restaurant is now open 3-9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 3-9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Owner Mark Blust said the change may be just for the summer or may become permanent. Find the restaurant at 7790 Cypress Lake Drive; call 437-4377 or visit universitygrill.net for more.
Fusion 212 opened last week at Miromar Outlets in Estero. The new restaurant offers Venezuelan fare that's infused with flavors from the many regions of the world that have influenced this South American country. Fusion 212 is located in suite 81 near Bloomingdale's Outlet. It's open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; call 317-2174 or visit facebook.com/fusion212 for more.
The Lani Kai Island Resort and Salty Crab Bar and Grill on Fort Myers Beach are joining forces to help two of their own.
Mireya Lopez Ramos and her two sons, Antonio and Joel Lopez, all of whom worked at Lani Kai and Salty Crab, were in a serious car accident killing Joel and critically injuring Mireya.
"Knowing the terrible hardship that this family has to go through, the Lani Kai and Salty Crab are doing what they can to raise enough funds to help," a press release said.
Thursday through Memorial Day the businesses will host a 50/50 raffle to benefit the family. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20, and may be purchased at the Lani Kai's front desk, in the Island View restaurant on the top floor, or during the A200 show in Club Ohana Friday and Saturday night. Find Lani Kai at 1400 Estero Blvd. Tickets are also available at Salty Crab at 1154 Estero Blvd. Winners will be announced at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Lani Kai's beach stage, with drawings for additional prizes, as well.
Also, Island View will donate the proceeds from each Razberri Lemondrop martini sold during its Thursday Seafood Spectacular to the family, and all servers that night are donating their tips, as well. Donations can also be made through the family's GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/5jglmbs.
Find more at lanikaiislandresort.com and saltycrabbarandgrill.com.
3 Pepper Burrito Co. opened its fourth location at The Forum in Fort Myers last week. The locally born chain took over the former Bajio Mexican Grill space in the shopping center.
The Forum store marks the beginning of a major expansion for 3 Pepper, which opened its original restaurant in Cape Coral in November 2014 and has stores in downtown Fort Myers and south Fort Myers. The fast-casual Mexican chain plans to open three more locations this year, with Lehigh Acres next on its list. 3 Pepper has taken over the old New York Pizza space in the Publix-anchored plaza on Homestead Road, with plans to open there in August.
A store is coming to 14 N. Lemon Ave. in downtown Sarasota in September. Also in September, 3 Pepper is opening in Port Charlotte in a new outparcel it will share with Tropical Smoothie Cafe on Peachland Boulevard off Kings Highway. In 2019, 3 Pepper plans to open a restaurant in Naples and near Germain Arena in Estero.
"It's really extremely exciting," co-founder Justin O'Brien said. "It's nice to be able to continue to grow this in the community where we grew up."