When Biddle’s Restaurant & Piano Bar moved to its new south Fort Myers location last April, it represented both an expansion and a consolidation. While its previous Fort Myers location (in Sanibel Beach Place plaza) and Biddle’s Bucket restaurant on Sanibel have closed, owner Andy Biddle has incorporated the best of both under one recently-remodeled roof in a highly visible spot.
Many people will recognize the new location on U.S. 41 as the old Bennigan’s, which closed several years ago and sat vacant until earlier this year. After three months of extensive renovations, there’s little about the interior that’s reminiscent of the previous occupant. Biddle’s regulars, however, are likely to feel right at home. That’s because much of Biddle’s imaginative, tropical decor was brought over from the other restaurant, including the upholstered booths, soft pendant lighting and other original, elegant touches.
The menu will also be familiar to loyal patrons. From its inception, Biddle’s has emphasized seafood, citrus and sauces, with all the usual seafood offerings, including local snapper, grouper, swordfish and shrimp, as well as farm-raised clams. Chef Josh Spicer continues to develop Biddle’s unique “fusion” menu of dishes that blend American, Asian and Italian elements.
Some of the entrees and appetizers have been on the menu for years and remain hugely popular. In the appetizer category, these include the award-winning Seafood Martini and the Tower of Tuna, both of which have taken top honors at annual events such as Taste of the Town and the Signature Chef’s Auction.
The Seafood Martini is served in a large martini glass filled with shrimp and crabmeat, along with avocado, onion and cilantro drizzled with a fresh citrus tomato sauce. The Tower of Tuna contains Ahi tuna and diced tomatoes lightly marinated in olive oil and stacked with avocado salsa, wakame salad and a ginger glaze. Both are $13.
Were there an award for attention-grabbing names, there are at least a two menu items that would take top prize, starting with the Crab Shrimp (jumbo shrimp with lump crabmeat served on a bed of lobster cream sauce and including the Avocado Salmon (grilled salmon filet served with cilantro rice and sautéed spinach topped with an Asian infused avocado salsa).
Obviously, this is not just a “choice of broiled, blackened or baked” restaurant. Instead, most items are grilled, seared, sautéed or slow-roasted to ensure maximum flavor. The Macademia Nut Crusted Grouper entree for instance, is pan sautéed, topped with a mustard plum sauce and served with garlic mashed potatoes & veggies ($25).
One of Biddle’s most intriguing and popular dishes is the Seafood Wellington. Containing lobster, scallops, shrimp and grouper, it is cooked in a garlic cream sauce, baked in a puff pastry and surrounded by a lobster cream sauce ($29). Another signature dish is Biddle’s Filet Napoleon, which features a crab-stuffed filet mignon, sautéed spinach and rosemary potatoes topped with Gournay cheese sauce ($39).
In addition to fish and beef, there are duck entrees, lamb chops and pork tenderloin. All are uniquely prepared and served with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables.
As the menu has evolved, so has the number of choices. The dinner menu now contains various Flatbreads and an expanded selection of pasta dishes, such as Lobster Ravioli, Smoked Chicken Fettucine and a Seafood Penne (with shrimp, scallops and mussels) and more.
Although patrons can expect to see smaller portions of selected dinner items at lunch (listed under “Specialties”), the daytime menu focuses on salads, sandwiches and burgers, all costing less than $10. Also, a cup of Biddle’s homemade soup or lobster bisque combined with any appetizer would make a meal. Starters include Jalapeno Shrimp, Eggplant Rolls and Bruschetta, to name a few.
No meal is complete without trying the signature Grand Finale (a miniature chocolate piano filled with fresh berries and espresso sauvignon mousse) or the new Chocolate Martini. Biddle’s version is twice as satisfying as most dessert-style drinks because once you’ve finished drinking the martini, you can savor the edible chocolate “glass” it comes in.
The most obvious change at Biddle’s is its new and improved size. Both the restaurant and piano bar/lounge are larger, as is the dance floor. Also, Biddle’s now accepts reservations for lunch, to accommodate the corporate crowd. That way, business people won’t have to waste time standing in line, waiting for a table or serving themselves, as is often the case at many “fast casual” chains.
Another plus is Biddle’s all-day Happy Hour, with half-priced drinks (top shelf and well) served daily in both the dining room and bar from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
The entertainment has been tweaked, as well, to include a greater variety of live music, seven nights a week. Typically, there’s a pianist and vocalist playing a mix of easy listening, classics and hit music from 6:30 p.m. until 10:30 Sunday through Thursday and from 7 p.m. until midnight on weekends. Although the music skews toward a more mature demographic, the lounge and dance floor tend to draw movers and shakers of all ages on any given night.
To accompany the late-night music, Biddle’s serves a separate, late-night menu each night until midnight. Unlike most “bar” menus, Biddle’s has two pages of items that feature the best of its lunch and dinner menus: several full-sized entrees and pasta dishes, burgers, salads and a long list of appetizers.
Biddle’s also serves a Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. — 2 p.m., and will cater private parties. Various discounts and specials are available each week in local newspapers and online. Visit www.biddlesrestaurant.com for current offers.
(Biddle’s Restaurant & Piano Bar is at 12984 South Cleveland Avenue in south Fort Myers, near the Bell Tower Shops. Open 7 days starting at 11 a.m. Lunch is served until 4 p.m.; dinner is served from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., with late-night dining from 10 p.m. — midnight. Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. — 2 p.m. Happy Hour daily from 11 a.m. — 6:30 p.m. Nightly entertainment. For information or reservations, call 239-433-4449 or visit www.biddlesrestaurant.com.)
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