Our critic answers readers #1 question: Where do you eat? Her top 3 Naples restaurants
What are JLB’s top three restaurants when friends and family visit?
It took a lengthy scroll through my phone’s gallery to figure it out.
Until 2021, one top destination (according to my photos) was Siam Thai, an affordable and convenient go-to with dated décor a la Mad Men. From my vegan pal Thomas Farley, aka Mister Manners, to “Iron Chef America” judge Karine Bakhoum, whose palate was once insured for $1,000,000 by Lloyds of London, this easy downtown joint was a crowd pleaser.
Alas, Siam Thai changed hands and then closed in 2022, making it ineligible for this story inspired by USA Today’s recent listing of America’s top 100 restaurants of the year based on where my Gannett colleagues go when friends and family land in town.
That list spans several big cities, including Detroit; Phoenix; Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; and Minneapolis.
Related: USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year for 2024: How the list of best restaurants was decided
Was Naples too tiny to make the cut? Je ne sais pas, so JLB created her own list.
Just ahead of "when’s The Turtle Club reopening?" the most frequently asked question by readers is where do I like to eat?
Scrolling my phone for photos, below are JLB’s three most frequent restaurant haunts from May 2015 to now.
What they have in common? Each is independently owned, decidedly fuss-free and family-friendly. They also won't break the bank unless you go bananas ordering multiple fun cocktails because you might want to try several.
JLB's Top 3
If there's a downside to JLB's job, it's only that I don't get to visit my favorites as often as before. But when friends and family are in town, these are my must-visits, listed in alphabetical order.
Island Gypsy
292 Capri Blvd., Naples; 239-394-1111; theislandgypsy.com
Maybe it’s a convenience factor, but I suspect the fun quotient is an equal part of my love for this waterfront tiki-chickee hut spot. My first visit was Christmas Eve 2014 when my husband and I were renovating the Isles of Capri house we bought in April of that year.
Our new neighbors-to-be suggested meeting at the Gypsy following the annual golf cart parade. I had no idea what the heck they meant, but watching these buggies and carts decorated to the hilt with holiday lights darting in and out of the restaurant’s driveway was hilarious. That night set the tone for many fun nights at the Gypsy.
JLB loves a good sandwich, and her first-ever order was a mahi-mahi offering, back then served on a pretzel roll, which became soggy too quickly. After a few visits under my belt, I was happy when the restaurant switched to more substantial Kaiser rolls. Also gone: the terrific pizza.
When explaining to a local restaurant group CEO why I love the Gypsy so much, the food is so much better than it has to be given the waterfront setting.
My usual order nowadays is almost always a lobster Reuben, but the cheeseburger and grouper sandwich are pretty great too. Husband and brother-in-law usually opt for a fish special. Don't miss out on onion rings, a worthy upcharge, and the legendary carrot cake that seemingly weighs as much as a newborn baby. Both are perfect for sharing.
Reservations are available via Resy, but it’s hard to find any time available after 5 p.m. through May. Don’t let it stop you from adding your name to the list upon arrival — even when there’s more than 50 milling about ahead of you. Grab a tropical cocktail and chill while you wait because tables turn fairly quickly.
Other: Outdoor seating only. My average spend is $45 per person. Open daily at 11 a.m. Monday to Thursday until 9 p.m.; 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Jane's Cafe
1209 Third St. S., Naples; 239-261-2253; janesgardencafe.com
Jane’s is another of the first restaurants I visited when I officially moved to Naples in May 2015, suggested by a longtime friend from NYC who was visiting her Fort Myers-based mother-in-law. She ate there after a book tour stop at Bruno’s, Naples's coolest shop. The book? Michael Tonello’s brilliant “Bringing Home the Birkin.”
What would impress celeb chef Art Smith when he was in town two months later with his husband Jesus Salgueiro?
I took them to Jane’s.
When asked to book a venue for my alma mater’s then-president who was in town fundraising in 2017? High tea for 30 at Jane’s.
Through the years, Jane’s has been my go-to spot for countless reasons. Among them, many friends follow dietary restrictions, though there are plenty of choices for omnivores too. It's a frequent setting for catching up with my college clique before hitting the street's terrific stores.
There’s not a miss on the organic menu which encompasses breakfast and lunch. Hubs love the grouper tacos, my usual order is a salmon scramble with a toasted bagel, always with the daily special fresh-fruit lemonade.
Funny enough, though I met Jane’s daughter Lucy, who was hostessing the morning of my visit with Art and Jesus, and Jane’s (now) ex-husband/(still) co-proprietor Tony Wood early on, it would take eight years and 70-ish visits before actually meeting the eponymous Jane for an interview on coronation celebrations when King Charles assumed the throne. She’s a British ex-pat who made Naples her home in 1998.
I used to joke that after all these visits, I probably put one of her kids through a semester of college. Apparently that’s not the case because my average spend is $35. For my pal Lyn, it's a tad more because she always gets the $30 lobster omelet.
Hours: Daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also: No reservations. Mostly outdoor seating. Assume a wait on weekends during season.
Seventh South Craft Food + Drink
849 Seventh Ave. S., Naples; 239-231-4553; seventhsouth.com
Before becoming this paper’s critic of record, I worked for a restaurant on Fifth Avenue. When VIP guests asked for recommendations for other places to dine in Naples, I always steered them to Seventh South, a favorite haunt where fantastic cocktails share star billing with terrific cuisine.
My pal Lauren, a frequent JLB companion when hubby is out of town, turned me onto this spot in 2020. We both like sitting at the bar, where watching owner Barry Larkin and his team meticulously mix and measure creative libations is like observing a masterclass on cocktails.
When a former colleague who’s considered a top PR pro in the spirits world visited with her husband, a retired honcho of a major booze company, the choice was a no-brainer.
Dinner before or nightcaps after the Norris Center? Easy peasy.
Yelpers agree: Seventh South currently ranks second on the social media site’s top 10 in Naples. With $80 as my average spend, it’s a bit pricier than the other two on the list, but I’m a sucker for the rotating cocktail selections.
Hours: Dinner daily from 4:30 to 9 p.m. For late nibbles, the kitchen closes at midnight Tuesday through Saturday and stays open until 1 a.m.
Note: Average spend does not include tax or tip. Connect with Naples JLB via [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Asked & answered: What are this critic's top 3 Naples restaurants?
