Local Chef-Owned Restaurants

Wouldn’t it be great to have your own personal chef – someone whose sole responsibility is pleasing your palate? Experience that feeling by visiting one of The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel’s chef-owned restaurants. A few of the best are listed here.

Crü

Crü is a hip hot spot in Fort Myers that’s well-known for its global selection of wines, as well as for its food, much of which is organic, according to chef Harold Balink and chef Shannon Yates, who designed and built the restaurant. The menu features ostrich tenderloin, New Zealand elk and Colorado buffalo. The “truffle fries," topped with drizzled white truffle oil and reggiano cheese, are worth the splurge. First-timers are walked through the menu, item-by item. The restaurant has been divided into two sections, with Balink covering the main dining and private areas, and Yates overseeing the lounge section and open cooking area bar, which features tapas.

Saigon Paris Bistro

The Saigon Paris Bistro is a peaceful oasis in Fort Myers. Owned by chef Hoang Le, originally from Vietnam, the restaurant serves French and Vietnamese cuisine. The breakfast menu includes crepes, crab Benedict and French Toast Supreme – thick-sliced, batter-dipped bread stuffed with sweet cream cheese and pecans. The lunch and dinner menus include pho, a traditional Vietnamese soup, and French dishes such as steak au poivre.

The Mad Hatter

Alice-in-Wonderland décor aside, The Mad Hatter restaurant on Sanibel Island is extraordinary. Inventive dishes are prepared by chef-owner Kurt Jarvis, who incorporates all types of cooking, including European, American and Asian, into his dishes. The menu changes frequently, and there’s also an extensive wine list. Dinner entrées include rack of lamb with a walnut and cherry pesto crust. Desserts are all homemade on site, including Chocolate Truffle Terrine and a Berry Crepe.

The Greenhouse Grill

Chef Carlo DiSomma, together with partner Diane Badalich, owns The Greenhouse Grill – a Sanibel Island restaurant that grows its own fresh herbs. Dine outside, near the herb garden, and inhale the scent of fresh rosemary. The focus is on Mediterranean cuisine, and signature dishes include a grilled lamb chop with fresh mint and rosemary sauce and bouillabaisse made with seasonal fresh fish. The partners also own Bella Rosa, a larger Italian grill in Fort Myers, and DiSomma has another restaurant on his own, McGregor Café in Fort Myers.

Café Cibo

Chef Marc Marotta and his wife, Mary Pat, own Fort Myers’ Café Cibo, a casually elegant Mediterranean-style café that features both modern and traditional Italian dishes. The menu contains everything from seafood and meat dishes to pastas, and Marotta changes it to take advantage of seasonal ingredients. There are also many out-of-the-ordinary wines from which to choose.