In case you missed it, here begins a countdown of our 10 best new restaurants named in our January issue.
We begin with one of four (reverse alphabetical) runners-up in Lee County. Keep watching for remaining runners-up in both counties, culminating with the top picks in Collier and Lee.
Prime de Leon
33 Patio de Leon, Fort Myers; 689-3984, primedeleon.com
In the River District, where there’s no shortage of casual restaurants, bars and cafes, this steakhouse opened quietly in the summer aiming to provide a more elegant alternative. The white tablecloths, plush leather banquettes and jazz wafting through are a welcome breath of fresh air. Even the location is subdued, in the historic Patio de Leon hidden behind the bustle of First Street. The owners tapped Brent Devlin, a young, zealous chef from New York, to head the kitchen (he makes both the blue cheese and mozzarella in house). While some of his concoctions need a bit of refining—the deconstructed wedge salad didn’t have the richness we were expecting—we appreciated the creativity and expect more as he hits his stride. What you can expect right now is appropriately juicy steaks and other bold mains (we were dreaming about the wild-caught organic salmon with key lime beurre blanc weeks later) at easy-to-swallow prices.
