Restaurants: New pizza, celeb sighting, sandwiches for charity, Ritz changes, fries deal
Whenever we order pizza to pick up, husband always says “tell them to stretch the sauce.” The explanation: He likes sauce edging to the end of the crust.
As the one who always places the order, I’ve found that when asked to explain what that means, the resulting pizza hasn’t been that great. When not having to explain the stretch, the overall pizza has been better.
An observation leading to this week’s first item.
That's a stretch
Donatos, the famous Columbus pizza chain out of Ohio, officially opened in Naples on Feb. 27. Franchisee Butch Moore of Bonita Springs touts his fandom and longtime relationship with the brand to his earlier career in television advertising at WBNS-TV. His partners in the venture include Randy Schoedinger and Dan Lhota.
Moore’s timing was right when Donatos expanded to Florida several years ago.
On hand to celebrate: the Grote family, who also reside in Southwest Florida and whose patriarch Jim started Donatos in 1963 after buying a local pizza joint that was not named Donatos. The chain takes its name from a loose translation from Latin “to give a good thing.”
What distinguishes Donatos is the sauce is stretched to the crust’s utmost edges. Expect 100 pepperoni pieces topping that variety of pie. The new 30-seat shop offers delivery; soft drinks only.
Hours: Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday until midnight.
(6434 Naples Blvd., Naples; 239-206-3604; donatos.com)
Sightings
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and FLFL (short for Florida’s First Lady; I think this should be the official acronym) Casey were spotted at Dorona for lunch on Feb. 28, coinciding with his visit to the Freedom Institute of Collier County and hers to present $10,000 each to six local nonprofits through the Hope Florida Fund.
Why Dorona?
Having worked with numerous presidential-level advance teams in the past, I initially suspected it might be because the restaurant is spacious enough to accommodate a security team and others in their entourage. Easy-peasy parking too with a discrete entrance on that corner end at Gateway of Naples.
Alas, a quick chat with co-owner Ingrid Aielli revealed the restaurant is a favorite lunch spot for Naples-own Kathleen Passidomo, who serves as president of the Florida Senate.
Had Ingrid known the couple was stopping by, she would have been there. Instead, she worked at the Aielli Group's Sea Salt on Third Street South that afternoon.
Benefiting a local cause
March marks Jersey Mike’s 14th annual “Month of Giving,” with patrons being tapped to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar or donate $1, $3, or $5 when placing their order; those funds benefit Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. On March 27, the chain’s “Day of Giving” earmarks 100% of that day’s sales to the hospital. Since Month of Giving began in 2011, Jersey Mike’s has raised more than $88 million for local charities.
(Multiple locations; jerseymikes.com)
Stub grub
As an official sponsor of the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers, Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota and Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, Hooters has a post-game deal of free beer or curly fries. Redemption requirements: Ticket stub must be dated within 24 hours after the first pitch; a minimum $5 purchase; must be 21.
(Multiple locations; hooters.com)
More: Governor DeSantis visits Freedom Institute in Naples
Chain story: Portillo's already in Sunshine State, when will Midwest chain come to SW Florida? We asked
Ciao chow
The Ritz-Carlton Naples (the one near the beach) replaced Terraza with Nolita, a new restaurant taking its moniker from Manhattan’s North of Little Italy neighborhood. According to a spokeswoman, expect “New York-style Italian classics inspired by family recipes.” On the menu: hand-tossed pizzas and “artisan” pasta. Its breakfast buffet, priced $39 per person, is getting nice reviews on social media.
(280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples; 239-598-6644; ritzcarlton.com)
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Donatos pizza opens, celeb sighting, sandwich benefit, Ritz news, deal
