Feast at Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest, Saturday and Sunday

The Southwest Florida Wine and Food Fest, the signature event of Southwest Florida Children's Charities, begins Friday evening, when 13 families host nine dinners at private homes around Southwest Florida, with invited guests donating $1,000 to $1,500 per seat. Each dinner feature wines by top vintners and the finest local chefs, including Harold Balink from Cru, Fabrizio Aielli from Sea Salt, Todd Johnson from Rumrunners, Derin Moore from The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Nathaniel Reed from Norman Love Confections, Brian Roland from M Waterfront Grille, and Melissa Talmage from Sweet Melissa's.

On Saturday, the chefs, vintners, dinner guests and other guests travel to the Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club for the Grand Tasting and Auction. Participating chefs prepare their favorite  dishes to accompany fine wine tastings. Tickets are $500 each.

The auction features exceptional packages of special and unique wines, exclusive trips, amazing dining experiences, and more. All proceeds from the auction and event ticket sales benefit three local charities, with the main beneficiary being The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Last year’s event raised $932,000.

Guests enjoy fine food and wine at last year's Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest.

Chefs present on Saturday include Norman Love and Nathaniel Reid from Norman Love Confections, Jason Grasty from Roy’s Restaurant, as well as chefs from Angelina’s Ristorante, Bayfront Bistro, Miromar Lakes Beach Club, Flipper's on the Bay/Lovers Key Resort, Blue Windows Bistro, Hyatt Coconut and French Bread Oven. Caroline Hostettler from Quality Cheese Inc. will be featured at the Grand Tasting and Auction on Saturday.

Reserve tickets for the Southwest Florida Wine and Food Fest at (239) 278-3900 or at swflwinefest.org

Fort Myers’ “Secret Dining Spot” doubles in size and selections

With its 10 tables, Executive Chef/owner Glorida Cabral-Jordan’s Gloria’s La Trattoria Café Napoli has been the “keep-it-to-yourself” Fort Myers dining delight. Regulars return, week after week, often to a favorite table or server. The bold cuisine reflects Chef Gloria’s passion for the cuisines of Spain, Latin America, Cuba and Italy. And despite the restaurant’s expansion into a next door space, doubling its capacity, one still needs to have reservations for a weekend night.

La Trattoria has opened a new, expanded dining area next door.

The menu is also expanding, with a new line of tapas being phased in over the next few weeks. The prices have always been wallet-friendly, with the main courses listed for under $22, and now tapas selections are generally under $10. From $6 cheese croquettes or chicken stuffed empanadas, to $9 goat cheese with roasted red pepper sauce, smoked salmon with roasted pear and roasted beet sauce, or $10 tender pork ribs with garlic sauce, the tapas portions are generous and full of flavor.

La Trattoria's paella Valenciana.

Favorite entrées include veal scallopini ($15), superb $20 paella Valenciana or special beef filet Napoleon. And save room for dessert. Whether it’s a rich flan, tiramisu or tartufo with raspberry-strawberry gelato covered with a hard chocolate shell and drizzled with chocolate sauce, Chef Gloria’s cuisine is well worth a trip up from Naples. (12377 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers, 931-0050)

Authentic Mexican Oaxaca and Tex-Mex spot opens on East Trail

Blue Agave Tequila Bar and Grill has opened on Naples’ East Trail at the former sites of Vegas Lounge and Rogero’s Italian Bistro.

The dining room at Blue Agave.

It’s an attractive upscale spot featuring Tex-Mex classics, traditional Oaxaca cuisines and even a salmon ceviche! I enjoyed the $22 Molcajete for its presentation and taste. Between a soup and a stew, this boldly spiced delight features chorizo, steak, chicken, green peppers and Oaxacan spices, served steaming hot in a molcajete, or three-legged, Mexican-style mortar.

Blue Agave's molcajete.

The pollo Oaxaca’s plump chicken breast is served with queso blanco and a refreshing sauce with hints of chipotle and cinnamon. Large margaritas are $15, and there are more than 50 tequilas to sample. Blue Agave was created by Marco Island’s Arturo’s co-owners Judy Barney and Arturo Perez as a family friendly dining spot early in the evening, but features live entertainment when the sun sets. (3785 U.S. 41 E., Naples Towne Centre, 262-2582)

Bonita Springs’ David Wong’s changes hands

I’ve enjoyed two years of dining at David Wong’s Pan Asian and Sushi. It’s a treat to have properly prepared Vietnamese, Cambodian and Malaysian dishes, as well as great Chinese, Japanese, Thai and other Asian cuisines. Friends recently noticed the servers wearing Sushi Thai shirts. It turns out that Sushi Thai has taken over, and David Wong has gone to Las Vegas to start up another restaurant. The varied and lush menu and, most importantly, the head chef will remain. Sushi Thai will be expanding the menu over the next few weeks, too. (25301 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, 992-5600, davidwongspanasian.com)

Bert’s closes its doors

Bert’s Seafood and Chowder House barely lasted one year at the former site of Cork’s Restaurant on Naples Fifth Ave. S. Owners Jim Hammar and Tom Shields served top quality Cape Cod-style New England cuisine at reasonable prices in a family-friendly setting. Alas, the income was not sufficient to justify staying open for another year. The site is up for sale.

Grimaldi’s in, Taste of New York out

Taste of New York Pizzeria, which had been serving Italian classics at Fort Myers’ Bell Tower for 20 years, closed shortly after neighboring Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria opened. Grimaldi’s coal-fired, thin-crust pizza has been warmly welcomed by fans of New York-style pizza. With more than two dozen toppings, you’re sure to create a favorite pizza. Choose a pizza or calzone, salad, wine, beer or soft drink, and you’ll feel like you’re back in New York! (13499 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers, 33907, 432-9767, grimaldispizzeria.com)