From the Editor

Too many joys, too little space. For all the pleasures offered by our panelists in "Best of the Gulfshore" (p. 66), there are many, many more to be savored. Here, at random, are our editors' additional picks to spike up your good-living index.

Best trip to the Mediterranean without a ticket: Mille Saporé in Fort Myers.

Best place to shout "Opa!": Pelagos Greek Café in Naples.

Best stop when the cook is on strike: Kitchen 845 in Naples.

Best cocktail sauce: Rodes Fish Market on Bonita Beach Road.

Best taste of Morocco: Bamboo Café in Naples.

Best atomic wings: Stevie Tomatoes Sports Page Bar in Fort Myers and Naples.

Best boomer nostalgia: The Bubble Room on Captiva Island, with its impressive collection of

American kitsch.

Best mascots: the ceramic figurines at Fort Myers caterer The Flying Pig.

Best place to check out local authors: MacIntosh Books on Sanibel Island boasts an impressive collection.

Best high style for the budget-minded: Michael Kors at Miromar Outlets.

Best cone: Ritter's Frozen Custard in Cape Coral.

Best place to relive the Jazz Age: Ellington's on Sanibel, where The Brubeck Brothers welcomed their dad, musical legend Dave Brubeck, to a nationally televised gig last New Year's Eve.

Best non-event: Pelican Bay annexation.

Best poker face: Bruce Yamron or Bill Barnett (they're both inscrutable).

Best last stand for history: efforts to preserve the Haldeman house on its original property in

downtown Naples. (Sadly, they failed.)

Best place for fake mountain bike riding: Shark Valley in Everglades National Park.

Best revamp: The Shell Factory in North Fort Myers.

Best picnic spot for one: one of the secluded benches at the north side of Delnor-Wiggins State Park.

Best brain recharge: classes at FGCU's Renaissance Academy.

Best angling for a buck: the World's Richest Tarpon Tourney in Boca Grande.

Best Sunday morning eggs and coffee: Sunburst Café in Naples.

Best one-stop shopping for a wardrobe overhaul: Waterside Shops.

Best before-work pit stop: an outdoor table and a mocha at The Bean in Naples.

Best scenic walk to take visitors on: down the boardwalk to Clam Pass in Naples.

Best quiet place to think: a shady bench in Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Best Sunday night mingling: SummerJazz on the Gulf at Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club.

There's the story of the three golfers who go out to play in an area where you spot the occasional bear in the distant woods. One of the guys showed up in a pair of running shoes and his pals teased him. "You still can't outrun the bear in those," one said. "I know," replied the Sneaker Man. "I just have to outrun the two of you."

That's called staying a step ahead. And, with this issue, we're starting a new back-page feature-"Ahead of the Curve," p. 260-intended to put you out front in getting the most out of life here in Southwest Florida.

For May, we're offering seven shortcuts to beat the traffic jams we all too often encounter. Here's to open roads and clear sailing ahead. (For those seeking the previous tenant on the back page-Bob Morris and his "Only on the Gulfshore"-you'll find him moved to p. 50.) And check back in June for more inside stuff that'll give you the critical edge in functioning here.

-David Sendler