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When Blue Pepper Gourmet Market & Cafe
opened on College Parkway near U.S. 41, it
was the only store of its kind in Fort
Myers, and one of the largest in all of
Southwest Florida. Besides being a
single-stop shop for top-quality fish,
meats, breads and ingredients, it offered
fresh-cooked meals complete with entrees,
side dishes and desserts to eat in or take
out. Local fine food and wine aficionados
(including working parents) cheered its
arrival.
Fewer than five years later, Blue Pepper is
no longer the only gourmet game in town, as
high-end competitors continue to enter the
market. However, they have yet to diminish
the appeal of Blue Pepper.
While it remains a unique combination of
gourmet market, wine shop and eatery, its
focus has shifted somewhat over the years.
Now, under the direction of co-owners Ron
Patak (one of Blue Pepper’s
founders) and Greg Bush, Blue Pepper seems
to be striking the perfect balance between
restaurant and market. What’s
more, it is doing so without changing its
original character or exceptional quality.
There is still an open display kitchen,
where some of the area’s
most talented chefs hone their culinary
skills. Leading the way is Executive Chef
Sherry Webster, who has been there from day
one. Further, Blue Pepper continues to
provide a huge selection of fresh-baked
breads and desserts (made on-site daily),
premium pantry items, imported cheese, and
an international selection of specialty wine
and beer.
At the same time, the owners are
implementing changes to enhance the
aesthetics and operation of the store. For
one thing, the entire dining process has
been streamlined. Customers may either be
seated in the full-service restaurant, or
place a to-go order at the front checkout
counter. Not only does this eliminate
traffic-blocking lines around the coffee
bar, it encourages customers to shop or
browse around the store until their order is
ready.
Other improvements will soon be noticeable.
Currently, the owners are tweaking the
6,000sf space in order to expand the market,
extend the coffee bar and reconfigure the
restaurant. Their objective: To create a
‘finer
dining’
restaurant while reinforcing Blue Pepper’s
reputation as the area’s
gourmet market of choice.
For instance, in the market at the front of
the store, additional refrigerated
display cases are being
installed to accommodate a broader selection
of fresh seafood (much of which is imported
from northern markets, depending on what’s
available that day) and meats. Besides
tenderloin and other prime cuts of beef, the
market often features Kobe beef, ostrich and
other exotic offerings. Also, Blue Pepper
routinely carries several kinds of caviar
and will order items upon request.
The markets
prepared foods are another major drawing
card. Ideal for those on the go, they range
from salads and wraps to soups and
sandwiches, and include dishes that could
supplement any fish, fowl or beef entree.
Blue Pepper has those, too
-
just don’t
expect to see identical rows of roasted
chicken. Instead, customers will find such
things as Chicken Cordon Bleu and Grilled
Chicken Breast on Ciabatta with Country
Dijon Aioli.
Similarly creative cuisine is available in
the 60-seat restaurant and adjoining coffee
bar, situated towards the back of the store.
When completed, the renovated bar will
serve as a coffee bar by morning and a wine
bar later in the day. Both areas are
designed for casual dining and typically are
filled to capacity during peak lunch and
dinner hours. Diners have a choice of
ordering from Blue Pepper’s
regular lunch and dinner menus, or from
specials menus that change daily.
Both the regular lunch and dinner menus
offer most of the same soups, salads and
appetizers for which Blue Pepper is well
known. Highlights include: Tomato Basil
Bisque; New England Clam Chowder; Signature
Crab Cakes; Napoleon of Eggplant, Roasted
Red Pepper and Portobello Mushroom; and
Spring Rolls (stuffed with chicken and Asian
vegetables, and served with spicy pineapple
and orange sauce). Salads range from
standards, such as Warm Spinach and Caesar,
to a heartier Blackened Sea Scallop Salad,
among others.
As one would expect, the lunch menu features
deli sandwiches in addition to slightly
smaller chicken, beef and seafood entrees in
the Chef’s
Corner (listed on the dinner menu as
‘Light
Dinners’).
A sample of recent lunch specials:Open-Faced
Panko-Crusted Soft Shell Crab Sandwich; Blue
Pepper Meatloaf Sandwich w/House BBQ Sauce
on Sourdough Bread; Keylime Snapper over
Mixed Greens; and Blackened Chicken Breast
with Apple Wood Bacon. Prices average around
$6-$8.
Special selections at dinner usually include
one or more grilled meats (Prime Tenderloin
with caramelized onions or
Peppercorn-Crusted New York Strip, for
example) and various fish entrees such as a
Blackened
Yellowtail Snapper over rice with snow peas
or Herb-Seared Alaskan Halibut with roasted
potatoes and asparagus. Entrees on the
regular menu run the gamut from
Citrus-Crusted Grouper and Pan-Seared
Medallions of Veal Strip to a Grilled
Rib-Eye Steak and a Caribbean Seafood Stew.
Most entrees are priced under $20.
Blue Pepper continues to host its extremely
popular wine tastings on the second
Wednesday of every month from 5:30
-
7:30 p.m. For just $20 per person, tastings
include samples of as many as 25 different
wines, hors d’oeuvres,
cheese and a coupon for $10 off either a
bottle of wine or an entree in the
restaurant that night.
In October, Blue Pepper held its first ever
beer tasting to showcase the complexity of
various beers available today. The owners
say they hope to continue those on a monthly
or at least a quarterly basis, depending on
the demand.
Also, in early 2006, area chefs-in-training
can look forward to the return of Blue
Pepper cooking classes, which consistently
sell out well in advance. Although there won’t
be any classes in December, a revamped
program will be unveiled in coming months,
same days and times (every other Tuesday
from 5:30 Ð 7:30 p.m.).
(Blue Pepper is in the College Parkway
Shopping Center at 7091 College Parkway,
near the corner of U.S. 41 in Fort Myers. It
is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.
- 9 p.m. and closed Sunday. Lunch is served
until 5 p.m.; dinner is offered from 5 p.m.
- 9 p.m. Also, catering for corporate and
special events is available. Phone:
239-939-4700.) |
