Just Desserts

For every mood and stage of your relationship, there should be sweetness. The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel has your shared sweet tooth covered with delights of every sort.

Let Yourselves Eat Cake

When you’re falling in love, it’s time to eat cake. You’ll find the best selection, in oversized portions that are perfect for sharing, at the Bubble Room on Captiva Island. (The Red Velvet is legendary, but the Orange Crunch is my favorite.)

Live on Bread (Pudding) Alone

If bread pudding is your passion (as it is my husband’s and mine), take our recommendations for the best in the area: In Cape Coral, RumRunners serves a warm chocolate bread pudding (did I detect a splash of rum in there?) to swoon over. In Bonita Springs, Wylds Café’s sinful cinnamon bread pudding comes with a pecan praline crust, warm caramel sauce and crème anglaise. And in downtown’s historic River District, The Bar Association’s Louisiana bread pudding is studded with raisins and pineapple and topped with a creamy bourbon sauce. Oooeee!

Ice Cream Indulgence

Why scream? Eat ice cream instead. Nothing melts discord and hearts like a double-dip ice cream cone, and purveyors of homemade goodness spread throughout this land.

In Cape Coral, hit the old-fashioned ice cream stand with a Holstein paint job called The Working Cow to try the Cow Tracks flavor (chocolate swirl with chocolate-peanut butter cups). And what could be more romantic than slurping side-by-side at Love Boat Homemade Ice Cream in Fort Myers Beach? Royal Scoop reigns imperial in Bonita Springs.

On Captiva, you’ll find Queenie’s Real Homemade Ice Cream, produced locally, at Latté Da. On Sanibel Island, Pinocchio’s Original Italian Ice Cream sells Italian ice cream (the Dirty Sandollar flavor is a good choice, swirled with caramel and studded with chocolate chips and malt balls). Or for a milkshake in any of more than 50 flavors, stop at the original Cheeburger Cheeburger, also on Sanibel Island.

To the Bakery

To put a little ooh-la-la in your relationship, hit European-American Bakery, which whips up everything from strudel and éclairs to scones and pineapple upside down cake.

Romanced by Chocolate

Finally, to get your day’s chocolate buzz and pheromone recharge, visit Norman Love Confections in Fort Myers for nibbles of divine homemade truffles. I recommend the passionfruit flavor for lovers everywhere. Norman Love (that’s really the chocolate chef’s name!) has been top-listed by Consumer Reports, USA Today, The New York Times and others.

If you prefer to sip your love potion, try the Coco Vino (a perfect accompaniment to Love's truffles) at Time to Make Wine in Cape Coral.