http://coastalbeat.com/news/eating/coastalbeat.com Stories: Eatsen-useatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/jun/12/review-little-bit-spain-heart-naples/Spain. Long, sunny days, even longer, happening nights. Mid-afternoon lunches, followed by dramatic sunsets and no dinner in sight until midnight. How do the Spanish do it? How do they survive without food until 12 a.m.? Tapas. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:34:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/jun/12/review-little-bit-spain-heart-naples/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/jun/04/lazyflamingo/Sometimes the seaside fare of big chain restaurants can get tiresome and clichéd in a hurry, especially for the seasoned Floridian. It’s cute to see sunburned tourists getting “the real Florida experience” by having a nice dinner at, say, Shells or Hooters. But often times, the food isn’t good enough to justify putting on a T-shirt to dine inside. Now that’s not to besmirch the integrity of Shells or Hooters, which are both fine establishments in their own right, but the truth is it’s possible to get amazing food in an unpretentious, yet festive atmosphere that’s only steps away from a beautiful beach and is very reasonably priced. I’m not lying! Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:24:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/jun/04/lazyflamingo/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/may/27/origami-more-just-paper-swan/As the years have passed, sushi has become a huge fad around the world. Originating in Japan as an everyday meal, like a hamburger to Americans, the sushi tradition has traveled the distances and made a big footmark on Southwest Florida. When I think of sushi, as this may be with others, the first restaurant that comes to mind is Blu Sushi. But there are other places in the area that serve good Japanese food. It’s time to expand your horizons and get a taste of Origami! Tue, 27 May 2008 16:38:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/may/27/origami-more-just-paper-swan/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/may/01/enjoying-slow-meal-crust-bistro/In a country where fast food is more popular than everywhere else in the world it’s hard to come by places that combine culinary traditions, innovation and good quality with the great value and ambiance of a French bistro. But Crust, formerly known as Toucan Grill on Bonita Beach Road, does all this and much, much more. Thu, 01 May 2008 13:47:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/may/01/enjoying-slow-meal-crust-bistro/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/apr/04/spicy-amd-mild-thai-star-has-it-all/Whenever I go to a restaurant, there’s always a dish that makes it or breaks it for me. Ordering risotto is a great way to find out if the chef is actually capable of serving Northern Italian fare, and asking for paella in a Spanish eatery might lead to delight or utter disappointment. At Thai restaurants, my make-it-or-break-it dish is chicken basil. As simple as it may sound, this concoction features most of the key ingredients of Thai cooking: fragrant ginger, fresh basil leaves and a mixture of meat and vegetables in a dark, fish sauce-based gravy... Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:20:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/apr/04/spicy-amd-mild-thai-star-has-it-all/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/mar/25/i-know-pizza/Everyone loves pizza. And everyone believes that they know pizza. Crust. Ingredients. Sauce. So when we asked readers to tell us which local pizza place — national chains need not apply — they loved the best, we weren’t completely surprised when we received almost 400 responses. From one-line manifestos to actual poetry to paeans to pizza with menus attached. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:33:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/mar/25/i-know-pizza/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/feb/26/year-dog/When it comes to hot dogs everyone seems to have a very firm and unmovable opinion about how it should be prepared, what kind of bun should hold it and –most of all- what type of condiments should the dog be served with it. Regional variations are endless, and with a large number of cities claiming to be the birthplace of the dog, it’s hard to tell who invented one of America’s favorite snacks. Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:48:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/feb/26/year-dog/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/feb/05/liquid-fare-island-flair/It’s hard to tell why Naples, gem of the Gulf and Southwest Florida, doesn’t offer many tropical-themed dining options. After all, that’s exactly what tourists, snowbirds and Jimmy Buffett aficionados are looking for: an outdoor restaurant that serves frozen drinks under the starry Florida skies; a fish fillet encrusted in macadamia nuts and served with some kind of mango-based salsa; and a guy in a Hawaiian shirt with a guitar and a halfway decent Bob Marley and UB40 repertoire. Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:41:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/feb/05/liquid-fare-island-flair/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/feb/01/everglades-seafood-festival/They say that food-related memories are the most powerful of them all, capable of brining us back to happy moments of our childhood, making us smile, giggle and even skip around as if we were five years old again. And what better place to time travel than a traditional ol’ fashioned fair? No matter where you are from, food festivals are always a big hit: whether you grew up somewhere near Gilroy, California where the biggest garlic fair in the world is held every year, or all you ever saw was a small town brats and beer festival, you know the drill. Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:53:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/feb/01/everglades-seafood-festival/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/jan/11/larry-king-sandwiches/If eating and dining out are altogether different notions, then getting takeout must form some odd third tier where convenience and quality strike a tense truce. We decided to devote a column to the intricacies of takeout. Lunch or dinner, we wanted to know about the best places to go when we’re on the go. Larry’s Lunch Box and Kosher Style Delicatessen, located on Airport Road in Naples, might look like your middle school’s cafeteria, but their food is good you’ll think you have died and gone to deli heaven. Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:42:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2008/jan/11/larry-king-sandwiches/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/dec/26/soul-food-rings-true-taco-mix/A couple of days ago I read a very interesting blog entry by Anthony Bourdain about the so called culinary genre “soul food.” Bourdain explains to clueless readers that “chefs usually mean -- when talking about "soul" (or "heart") -- that the food has a depth of flavor that is both exciting and somehow, strangely, comfortingly familiar...” Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:01:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/dec/26/soul-food-rings-true-taco-mix/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/dec/19/home-style-eats-industrial-setting-ginas-cafe-park/For a relatively small area (population, not square milage), Southwest Florida has an abundance of restaurants. Our restaurant guide currently has 704 different eateries listed, and doubtless we’re still missing a few... Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:49:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/dec/19/home-style-eats-industrial-setting-ginas-cafe-park/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/dec/10/good_times_and_great_pizza_anthonys_trattoria/Ahhh, pizza. The smell of it wafting from a delicate cardboard box printed with ads in only the most Italian of colors. That first satisfying bite, sinking your teeth into a crunchy (but not too crunchy) crust... Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:18:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/dec/10/good_times_and_great_pizza_anthonys_trattoria/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/nov/30/vietnamese-comforts-miss-saigon/“Low carb, low fat, low cholesterol” reads the front of my menu as a friend and I take a seat in the busy dining room of Naples’ Miss Saigon Gourmet. I’m skeptical... Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:13:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/nov/30/vietnamese-comforts-miss-saigon/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/nov/30/comforts_vietnam/“Low carb, low fat, low cholesterol” reads the front of my menu as a friend and I take a seat in the busy dining room of Naples’ Miss Saigon Gourmet. I’m skeptical... Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:05:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/nov/30/comforts_vietnam/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/nov/20/15_and_under_when_good_cuban_food_goes_wrong/My love affair with Cuban food started a few years ago in Miami, when I tried my first Cuban sandwich. It was love at first bite. The combination of smoky ham, tender pork, pungent mustard, melted cheese and pressed bread was so inebriating that I even ate the pickles, a fixing I’ve never liked. Ever since that day, I have explored many other Cuban specialties and grown to love traditional treats like ham croquettes, marinated pulled pork and classic beans and rice. Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:28:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/nov/20/15_and_under_when_good_cuban_food_goes_wrong/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/nov/15/wing_remember/A few very strange things happened at the 2007 National Buffalo Wing Festival. First, 40 year old Sonja Thomas (100 lbs) became the International Federation of Competitive Eating’s national chicken wing eating champion by consuming a ridiculous 173 chicken wings in 12 minutes... Thu, 15 Nov 2007 19:18:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/nov/15/wing_remember/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/nov/09/ems_thai_spices_things/Naples isn’t famous for offering great Asian fare. Other than a zillion mostly mediocre Chinese eateries, there are only a handful of alternatives to choose from, especially when it comes to Indian and Thai, two of my favorite cuisines... Fri, 09 Nov 2007 19:47:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/nov/09/ems_thai_spices_things/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/oct/22/saporitos_and_bayshore_revival/Sometimes bad neighborhoods evolve seemingly overnight – artists move in to rub shoulders with drug pushers and squatters, and before you know it yuppies are buying “New York-style” lofts as if exposed brick was going out of style. But in Naples change, like virtually everything else, happens at a different pace.. Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:53:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/oct/22/saporitos_and_bayshore_revival/eatinghttp://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/oct/11/theres_hole_your_restaurant/I have a sudden urge to yell, “Oh my God! There’s a hole in your restaurant,” as I walk into the Oasis Drive Thru. Why am I walking through the drive thru? Because I’ve made a rookie mistake... Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:51:00 -0000http://coastalbeat.com/news/2007/oct/11/theres_hole_your_restaurant/eating