Over Easy Cafe

While staying in Fort Myers we took a day trip out to Sanibel Island, as we passed several places to eat lunch ultimately we decided on the Over Easy Café.

They offer both indoor and outdoor dining, and this day there was about a 25 minute wait for first available. We got seated outside which turned out to be great because the weather was very nice.

They are open 7am until 3pm and since you could order Breakfast all day I decided on the Farmers Skillet (Grilled Breakfast Potatoes, Mushrooms, Onions, Tomatoes and Bell Peppers with Cheddar Jack Cheese, topped with 2 Eggs your way and your choice of Toast $8.99).

The portion size was good and everything tasted fresh. The Sourdough Toast was thick and hearty. (Sometimes the Toast is my favorite part of the breakfast)

My friend ordered the Summer Salad Wrap (Mixed Greens, Mandarin Oranges, Strawberries, Dried Cranberries, Red Onions, Bleu Cheese, Candied Pecans, Crispy Chow Mein Noodles tossed with Raspberry Pecan Dressing in a Flour Tortilla $8.99). It also came with a side item and he selected the Pasta Salad.

He didn’t love his meal (it was not what he expected it to be) so we switched half way through and I really enjoyed his meal too. It was very sweet and quite messy.

Then for Dessert I got Sticky Orange Roll ($3.99) I loved it! It was very citrusy like I was hoping for, and sweet – but not Cinnamon Roll sweet!

The rest of Sanibel Island was a bit of a let down – but when I look back at it I will always remember the Over Easy Café as being the highlight!

Grimaldi's

Heading out to see a movie while visiting Fort Myers we found a theater that had many dining options around it. We don’t go out for Pizza very often but when we came across Grimaldi’s it seemed to be busy and we were hungry so we gave it a try.

We managed to get a seat right away and as we looked around we saw mostly families dining there so we figured that was a good sign.

We shared a large Mediterranean Salad and it was pretty decent. A small would have been $8 and the large was $11 so we figured that we made the smartest choice.

 Then when it came time to order our Pizza our server told us that we could half it or quarter it or basically design it however we wanted. We went with a large White with Garlic, with Pesto Sauce on one quarter and Tomato Sauce on one quarter. We topped it with Fresh Basil and Over Roasted Sweet Red Peppers.

I found it to be really delicious. My favorite was the Pesto portion, the toppings were great and I really liked the crust.

After customizing to our likings our Pizza came to $26, which comes out to $3.25 per slice. Not bad considering we had leftovers for breakfast the next day, and not bad for taking a risk on a restaurant that we knew nothing about.

Fred's Southern Kitchen

Some friends of mine from Lakeland were telling me how great Fred’s Southern Kitchen was, but for some reason I was thinking they were talking about Buddy Freddy’s (which I think is just OK). Once I looked at their website and realized that these were two completely different places I knew that I had to go there.

There buffet line consists of home style country cooking that are all served right out of the cast iron skillets they were prepared in.

They serve dishes like Fried Chicken, Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes with several Gravy choices, Multiple Vegetable Dishes and homemade Yeast Rolls.

They also have a decent sized Salad Bar and plenty of mouth watering Desserts.

You can choose the full buffet or the vegetarian buffet for slightly cheaper.

 I chose the Vegetarian Buffet and was so pleased with everything that I had.

Some standout dishes were the Corn Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole and the Fried Green Tomatoes.

They also have the greatest feature that I have ever heard of… You get a cheaper price if you clean your plate (about $3 off)! I love this part because every time I have been to any buffet restaurant it always makes me a little angry when I see people pile up their plate and then not finish it. What a waste! So here at Fred’s you are rewarded for finishing your plate, and that alone makes me want to return (and the fact that the food is delicious!)

 

Soup to Nuts

Soup to Nuts Diner in Tavares, Florida is somewhere that I have been several years ago with my mother. They have been recently featured on Restaurant Impossible and have had the Robert Irvine makeover, and I went back to visit it before the show aired, but after the renovations. 

 

I must say that although it does look a little better inside, the improvements they made to the décor of the place appear to be “thrown together” and unimpressive.

The “new look” also doesn’t really fit the clientele of Soup to Nuts. On a side note the bathrooms have not been upgraded at all.

We went for Breakfast, and we seemed to be the only ones there under the age of 65 (other then the staff).

I had the Veggie Omelette (Broccoli, Mushrooms, Tomatoes and Onions) with Home Fries and a Biscuit ($5.89)

and my friend had the Country Boy Omelette (Bacon, Ham, Cheddar Cheese, Onions and Hash Browns Inside an Omelette and topped with Sausage Gravy) with Home Fries and Toast ($7.59) and we each had a drink. 

I must say that the food was really good. We both thoroughly enjoyed our breakfasts and both meals with tax came to less then $19. At most Diners breakfast for two is usually around $25 so that was a definite bonus.

Overall this is not a "great dining experience" however for a "Diner" I can say that the food is good and the price is right!

You will definitely get your moneys worth and you will leave full and happy, so who cares about the rest?

Peter Pan Diner

On a recent trip to Fort Lauderdale I asked a local where would a good place to get late night food. She sent me to Peter Pan Diner, saying they had large portions and consistently good food and she was right on the money.

It is a large Greek diner that serves Breakfasts, Sandwiches, Dinners and Desserts.

The portions are indeed large, yet the prices are not overly expensive. 

We started with the Fries with Gravy and Cheese aka “Disco Fries”

They were “Piping Hot”, slathered in Gravy and covered in Cheese – Really Delicious! 

Then I ordered the Greek Omelette (Spinach, Onion, Feta), which was enormous and delectable! It came with Home Fried Potatoes and Toast.

The Desserts looked really good too, but we were so full by this point we couldn’t eat another bite.

Next time!

Thanks to the lovely young lady that recommended Peter Pan Diner, what a great place to get a meal 24/7!

Shannon's Casual Cafe

Shannon’s Casual Café is a standard diner with a slightly Irish flair. You order and pay at the counter, then grab a seat in their dining room (filled with athletic banners and eclectic vintage décor) and they will bring your food out to you.

I have been there for both Breakfast and Lunch, and here is what I have found.

Their Breakfast menu is standard but very reasonably priced. I had Bacon, Eggs, Potato Cakes and Toast - very basic but well worth the money, and the Potato Cakes were really good.

When I was there for lunch I had a Burger with Mac N Cheese. The Burger could not have been worse – (what tasted like a) Frozen Beef Patty with Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle Chips and Ketchup. Even the Keiser Bun was dry, and the Mac N Cheese was pretty terrible as well (flavorless – Ick!).

I won’t be going back for lunch. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing when I was there, who knows? However if I find myself nearby during Breakfast hours I would gladly go again for their delicious Breakfast!