Mangrove Café, at 878 Fifth Ave. S., Naples, was heavily damaged by an explosion of propane gas on Monday morning around 9:15 a.m. The restaurant suffered severe structural damage, and three people were injured. Doug Amaral, owner of the popular, 10-year-old restaurant, plans to make repairs, with a target re-opening date around March.
 

 

Two celebrity chefs will join Executive Chef Peter Timmins Friday through Sunday at the Gasparilla Inn & Club’s Fifth Annual Food and Wine Weekend. Savor fine wine and discover new culinary flavors throughout this special weekend, led by Timmins and renowned guest chefs including Rick Tramonto and John Folse. Also attending are Master Chef John Johnstone and Chef Bruce Sacino of Augusta National, and PreGel America Corporate Pastry ChefFrederic Monti.
 

 Last year's outdoor classroom.
 

The multi-course Master Chef’s Dinner is the high point of the event at the historic resort, which has hosted notables including Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison, Katharine Hepburn and the George H.W. Bush family.
 

 The Gasparilla Inn.

Global cuisines will be paired with fine wines on Friday. Saturday’s events include a Napa Valley wine tasting and a Cajun cooking demonstration by Folse, the celebrated Louisiana chef and restaurateur who has written several superb books on Cajun cuisine.
 

 Last year's lobster and lobster-stuffed razor clams and puy lentils.
 

A specially priced weekend package for overnight guests includes deluxe accommodations for two, a special welcome reception and dinner, participation in culinary demonstrations and wine tastings, daily breakfast, final night reception, and the Master Chef’s Dinner. Daily rates start at $265 per person. Call (800) 996-1913 for reservations. www.gasparillainn.com.

 

 

Executive Chef Scott Sopher is one of the top chefs in Southwest Florida. I enjoyed his tapas-style cuisine at Cin Cin and his Mediterranean cuisine at Olio at Naples Bay. Another door has opened for Sopher with the success of his mobile kitchen, The Nosh Truck. Food trucks are the culinary cutting-edge from Los Angeles to Boston, Chicago to Houston.

 

Scott Sopher's Nosh Truck.
 

Sopher now “free ranges” between Lee and Collier counties. His fully equipped kitchen starts service at Fort Myers’ Lakes Park Farmers Market on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at The Lee County Alliance for the Arts Green Market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Weekdays, you can find his culinary wheels in Naples’ industrial and other sites.

 

He serves a variety of breakfast-style offerings. Sample crepes with choice of strawberry, banana or Nutella fillings; half orders of Belgian waffles; and Korean barbecue-style sliders. Lunches offer creative crab cakes, savory burgers and a variety of upscale tapas-sized delights.

 

Sopher buys produce from local vendors and cooks it on the spot. How cool is that?! With little overhead, the high-quality, fresh food comes in at a wallet-friendly price range of $4 to $9. Get the up-to-the-minute buzz from Facebook at The Nosh Truck and Twitter @noshtruck. Find sample menus at www.mobilenosh.com.

 

 

 

Crayton Cove restaurants will prepare and serve the freshest catch of the day from your own charter fishing excursion. First, book a Crayton Cove fishing charter. The complete list of participants is at www.naplescraytoncove.com/Naples_Charter_Fleet.html.

 

Your charter boat captain will book your reservation at your Crayton Cove restaurant of choice. After your fishing trip, take your fresh catch to your selected restaurant, which will prepare your fish in its distinctive style.

·       Bamboo Café offers your fish grilled, baked in white wine or blackened, with choice of lemon beurre blanc or diable bleu sauces, a vegetable medley and choice of fingerling potatoes, riz rouge, scalloped potatoes or pommes frites ($15.95).

·       Bleu Provence features your fish ceviche style, grilled, baked, bouillabaisse or en papillotte, sauced with beurre blanc, Provencal or citrus vinaigrette. Sides include potatoes, rice, French fries or vegetables ($19.99).

·       The Dock at Crayton Cove serves your fish fried, grilled, blackened or steamed. Sides are French fries and cole slaw, black beans and rice, or rice and steamed vegetables. ($12.95 adult, $6.95 child).

 

Decanted owners (and newlyweds) Al and Jessica Fialkovich will offer a great deal for wine aficionados on Friday, Feb. 4 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. For only $50, you can taste top wines, sample hors d’oeuvres and bring home a stunning set of Riedel Vinum XL stemware (four glasses, retail value $123).
 

 Reidel Vinum XL stemware at Decanted.

The evening’s wines will include Merry Edwards sauvignon blanc 2009, Kistler chardonnay 2007, Emeritus pinot noir 2008 and Nickel & Nickel cabernet 2007. Often, a Cakebread, Far Niente, Silver Oak, Forman or other surprise is added.
 

 Dan and Naomi Leaman at Decanted.
 

Hors d’oeuvres provided by South Street Grill include cheese and crackers; fresh fruit; smoked salmon crustinis with cream cheese, red peppers and capers; tomato bruschetta with fresh bread and a selection of homemade olive and dipping oils (also for sale). Call 434-1814 to RSVP. Only 30 spots are available. 1410 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 21, Naples, wwwdecantedwines.com.

 

 

Let’s broaden our choices of great Southwest Florida restaurants together. Post your hints and experiences below or e-mail me at diningscene@live.com.