Naples, FL Trip Report (mostly about food)
May 5th, 2008, 09:40 AM
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Naples, FL Trip Report (mostly about food)
Special thanks to Honoria and NeoPatrick for your great advice on Naples. We just got back from a glorious weekend in Naples. the weather was perfect- warm, sunny, low humidity- really just perfect.
We stayed at the Ritz on the beach which was also perfect. The spa there is simply amazing. We got several spa treatments during our stay and really felt pampered. The spa has a separate, private mineral pool area where you can get some sun without kids around, which was very nice, but i must say, the hotel did not seem overrun with kids. those that were there seemed very well behaved. The beach at the Ritz is also beautiful -- the water was so warm, really just perfect.
My big question for this trip was where to dine. We had planned to eat at TruLucks on friday night and Cafe Lurcat on saturday night, wehich was the night of our anniversary. We did go to trulucks and it was good , not outstanding, but good(we had been in Boca and that was good too). My husband's scallops were excellent, but my snapper, while very fresh, had an overpowering mesquite flavor to it.
The next day we went into naples and had lunch at Campiellos. One of the main reasons we love Naples is Campiellos and we always look forwward to our meals there. This lunch, however, was a little disappointing. The chicken/pear salad, which i usually crave for months after having, was ok-- a little sparse on much of the ingredients (gorgonzola, chicken salad, pears...), and a lot of dark meat in the chicken salad. It did not have the same amazing flavor as before. The sopresatta pizza, also a favorite, was just OK and didn't have much of sopresatta on it. It wasn't a bad meal, but it wasn't what it was in the past, at least for us.
That day as we were looking around the Ritz we came across one of their high end restaurants- Artisans. It looked amazing, and the menu looked incredible. It had received a AAA 5 diamond rating (very rare) so we decided to forego another drive into Naples, having just been there, and decided to have our anniversary dinner at Artisans. We wished we had done Lurcat on friday night instead of Saturday, but it was what it was. In any even, Artisans was incredible- very special, very unique, excellent food and service-- truly a perfect special occasion place- we loved every minute of it. It definitely deserved the 5 diamond rating that it received from AAA.
We had a very late flight home, so we decided to have dinner at Chops in Bonita Springs on the way to the airport- it was good- not as great as I remembered it from the past- my sea bass was a little tough and my husband's steak wasn't the most flavorful steak, but it was still pretty good. Excellent service there that night.
We didn't rent a car this trip b/c we were only going to be in town for the weekend, so we used a car service to get us where we needed to go. It was pricey, but convenient, but I can see what you mean Patrick when you advise people to rent cars in that area.
Thanks again for the fodorite help. We had a wonderful anniversary getaway.
We stayed at the Ritz on the beach which was also perfect. The spa there is simply amazing. We got several spa treatments during our stay and really felt pampered. The spa has a separate, private mineral pool area where you can get some sun without kids around, which was very nice, but i must say, the hotel did not seem overrun with kids. those that were there seemed very well behaved. The beach at the Ritz is also beautiful -- the water was so warm, really just perfect.
My big question for this trip was where to dine. We had planned to eat at TruLucks on friday night and Cafe Lurcat on saturday night, wehich was the night of our anniversary. We did go to trulucks and it was good , not outstanding, but good(we had been in Boca and that was good too). My husband's scallops were excellent, but my snapper, while very fresh, had an overpowering mesquite flavor to it.
The next day we went into naples and had lunch at Campiellos. One of the main reasons we love Naples is Campiellos and we always look forwward to our meals there. This lunch, however, was a little disappointing. The chicken/pear salad, which i usually crave for months after having, was ok-- a little sparse on much of the ingredients (gorgonzola, chicken salad, pears...), and a lot of dark meat in the chicken salad. It did not have the same amazing flavor as before. The sopresatta pizza, also a favorite, was just OK and didn't have much of sopresatta on it. It wasn't a bad meal, but it wasn't what it was in the past, at least for us.
That day as we were looking around the Ritz we came across one of their high end restaurants- Artisans. It looked amazing, and the menu looked incredible. It had received a AAA 5 diamond rating (very rare) so we decided to forego another drive into Naples, having just been there, and decided to have our anniversary dinner at Artisans. We wished we had done Lurcat on friday night instead of Saturday, but it was what it was. In any even, Artisans was incredible- very special, very unique, excellent food and service-- truly a perfect special occasion place- we loved every minute of it. It definitely deserved the 5 diamond rating that it received from AAA.
We had a very late flight home, so we decided to have dinner at Chops in Bonita Springs on the way to the airport- it was good- not as great as I remembered it from the past- my sea bass was a little tough and my husband's steak wasn't the most flavorful steak, but it was still pretty good. Excellent service there that night.
We didn't rent a car this trip b/c we were only going to be in town for the weekend, so we used a car service to get us where we needed to go. It was pricey, but convenient, but I can see what you mean Patrick when you advise people to rent cars in that area.
Thanks again for the fodorite help. We had a wonderful anniversary getaway.
May 6th, 2008, 08:19 AM
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Glad to read your report. I love that Ritz and I am glad you enjoyed Artisans. I only ate there once and the bill was staggering (at least to me): almost $500 for the two of us. It was superb however.
Did you mention the mesquite flavor of your fish to your server at Trulucks? In my experience, they want everyone to be happy and they would probably have replaced your entree and given your husband a fresh one.
I had a similar experience with Campiello's about two weeks ago. My chicken salad was very pedestrian. All restaurants are under terrific pressure to cut costs to avoid raising prices too high. So now, instead of organic chicken breast in the salad, you get regular chicken, both dark and white. Instead of many slices of carmelized pear, a few as a garnish, a few candied walnuts and very little gorgonzola.
All the restaurants in the area seem to be under the same pressures.
I fully expect for restaurants to keep cutting through the recession.
Steak houses in particular. HG
Did you mention the mesquite flavor of your fish to your server at Trulucks? In my experience, they want everyone to be happy and they would probably have replaced your entree and given your husband a fresh one.
I had a similar experience with Campiello's about two weeks ago. My chicken salad was very pedestrian. All restaurants are under terrific pressure to cut costs to avoid raising prices too high. So now, instead of organic chicken breast in the salad, you get regular chicken, both dark and white. Instead of many slices of carmelized pear, a few as a garnish, a few candied walnuts and very little gorgonzola.
All the restaurants in the area seem to be under the same pressures.
I fully expect for restaurants to keep cutting through the recession.
Steak houses in particular. HG
May 8th, 2008, 06:43 PM
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Speaking of steak houses I would avoid Shulas in the Naples Hyatt at all cost. It is absurdly expensive for very ordinary food. I spoke to other people in Florida and they had the same thing to say about Shulas at PGA resort near Palm Beach.
May 9th, 2008, 03:46 AM
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I understand the recession, but if otherwise GOOD restaurants start cutting down on quality that noticeably, it's going to be a vicious cycle. I think they will lose a lot more when people stop frequenting them b/c they're just not up to snuff. Had our lunch been as amazing as it had once been, we would have likely gone to Lurcat for dinner that night.
You are right, Honoria, I should have said something about my fish at Trulucks- that was my fault. Trulucks does seem to value its customers-- they even called the next day to see if we enjoyed dinner- a very nice touch.
Our dinner ar Artisans wasn't quite as pricey as yours- close, but not quite there, but we had had champagne on the balcony before dinner and then chose a nice bottle of Turley with dinner that didn't break the bank. Considering the prices on the wine list, we could have done a lot of damage, but we loved the bottle we chose.
You are right, Honoria, I should have said something about my fish at Trulucks- that was my fault. Trulucks does seem to value its customers-- they even called the next day to see if we enjoyed dinner- a very nice touch.
Our dinner ar Artisans wasn't quite as pricey as yours- close, but not quite there, but we had had champagne on the balcony before dinner and then chose a nice bottle of Turley with dinner that didn't break the bank. Considering the prices on the wine list, we could have done a lot of damage, but we loved the bottle we chose.
May 15th, 2008, 02:00 PM
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Honoria, the gossip on the street is that Ruth Chris will close soon -- but I understood the Coastland Mall location will be the first to go.
emcash, I must have missed this report when you posted it. Glad to see it all worked out. I had not even heard of Artisans at the Ritz. I'm trying to figure out if that's what had been the main dining room and the Grill Room is still there as well -- or if it is a third restaurant?
emcash, I must have missed this report when you posted it. Glad to see it all worked out. I had not even heard of Artisans at the Ritz. I'm trying to figure out if that's what had been the main dining room and the Grill Room is still there as well -- or if it is a third restaurant?
May 20th, 2008, 04:38 AM
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OK. I missed that "new" name for the Dining Room, I guess. I mentioned Artisans to clients who actually eat at the Ritz maybe once or twice a month and they had never heard of it either -- they just call the two places The Grill Room and The Dining Room. Some old habits are hard to break, I guess.
