Article: Twins 2013 Spring Training Guide Part III: The Food

[Thrylos]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1364-2013-Spring-Training-Guide-to-Fort-Myers-Part-III-The-Food

[Squirrel]

A lot of these places aren't exactly 'close' to the stadium, esp. anything downtown or in N Ft Myers. The things on McGreggor I'd say aren't close but also aren't far.

 

Good list ... I've been to some of those places ... a little more info, though ...

 

The Veranda is very nice. It's a dining experience. While no place is 'fancy dress' in Florida, I wouldn't show up there in shorts and a tshirt. And if you are going to head downtown for a meal, you might also want to try the Morgan House. Or, for breakfast, head to Bennett's Fresh Roast ... great coffee and even better donuts; they have other stuff, too, and have lunch items as well. (2011 Bayside Pkwy).

The Veranda: The Veranda Restaurant - Ft. Myers Florida

The Morgan House: The Morgan House Restaurant Fort Myers Florida

Bennett's: http://www.bennettsfreshroast.com/

 

Over by the 'old' Sox stadium (City of Palms Park) is a restaurant called the Farmer's Market Restaurant. Great southern cooking (fried okra, chicken fried steak, biscuits, grits, etc) ... very reasonable and huge portions. You could eat a late breakfast there and not need to eat again until supper. Very not fancy, but very filling. Farmers Market - Welcome

 

Closer to the Twins stadium, there are plenty of options at Bell Towers Mall both chain and non-chain; lots of variety and levels of experince ... Daniels and Cleveland. And the service road stretch across Daniels from there, too. Depending on where you are staying, the Gulf Coast Mall and Coconut Point Mall also have tons of options.

Bell Tower: http://www.thebelltowershops.com/directory/restaurants

 

One of my favorite places near the stadium is the Shrimp Shack. (13361 Metro Blvd ... just off Daniels). Love the hush puppies. It gets very crowded this time of year, so call ahead and put your name in before heading out. (And they don't serve just shrimp, but other seafood as well.) Is a very casual hang out.

Welcome to Shrimp Shack!

 

Bonefish Grill is a chain place I like ... 14261 S Tamiami Tr ... between Daniels and 6 Mile Cypress.

 

CRaVe is also a very good breakfast spot; First Watch is also great for breakfast, and there are few locations in Ft Myers ... one in the same plaza as CRaVE. Another nearby is in the plaza on College Pkwy at Cleveland.

 

If you like Prawnbroker, the University Grill (Cypress Lake and Summerlin) is owned/run by the same group and is a little closer to the stadium. Out on Sanibel they also have The Timbers and the Sanibel Grill, both good. Prawnbroker Restaurant Group

 

All of these are easy to find and not off the beaten trail. (Well, Bennett's might be a bit, but worth it.) There are tons of places that open new every year. As the traffic goes this time of year, restaurants are equally busy. Some take reservations, most will at least put your name on the list if you call ahead to lessen your wait time once there.

 

If you want to stop for ice cream, there's a DQ off the Walmart Plaza at Tamiami and 6 Mile Cypress/Gladious intersection. But try the soft serve at Sun Harvest instead ... best chocolate/key lime twist ever! (Basically 4 flavors ... choc, vanilla, orange and keylime, with twist options). Or the Love Boat at 16229 San Carlos. Handmade ice cream ... awesome flavors, all sizes and toppings, delish.

[ltwedt]

All very good -

 

For the first few years coming to spring training we stayed in Naples and made that 30 mile drive to Ft Myers up I75 - being the slow learners that we are, we now stay in Ft Myers - anyhow - if you are interested in local seafood, served by those with a heavy southern drawl, take the drive South on I75 to Naples, exit on Collier Blvd, and go South to Cracklin Jacks. Small, cozy, local, . . . but great food. We like the Gator/Shrimp/Scallops platter. Oh - but get there early for the evening meal - the place fills up rapidly the closer to 6 PM you get - they have a 3-4 person group of roving minstrels, that do real foot-stomping, kinda like Cajun music -

 

It's so good that as you enter the door, your arteries start to cinch up.

 

Check it out!