New Cape Coral restaurant brings Mediterranean fare, late night dining to area
When selecting a name for his new restaurant, Toni Dedaj came up with a simple, yet fitting one.
Not only is it “easy to say,” he said, but in Albania, Oda is a gathering room used to welcome guests.
And that’s exactly how the Balkans native views his new endeavor.
“Customer service is very important to us,” Dedaj said. “We are like a family. We welcome everyone.”
Welcome to Oda Pizzeria Bistro, where Dedaj can regularly be found greeting customers and helping out in the kitchen.
A few doors down from House of Omelets
Located on Pine Island Road in Cape Coral, it opened in January, taking over the spot previously occupied by Dante’s Coal Fired Pizza. It’s been redone with lots of stone and wood in the modern space.
And it’s in the Bonefish Grill-anchored plaza which is where one of Dedaj’s other restaurants — House of Omelets — just so happens to be.
“My wife always wanted to open something like this,” Dedaj said, referring to Oda. “I didn’t want to so much. It’s a lot of work. But when this came up, I said I’d take it.”
Oda opens at 3 p.m. daily — the same time his popular breakfast and lunch spot closes.
“We want to have the same family feeling we have there over here,” said Dedaj, who also owns the House of Omelets in Fort Myers, sold the one he had in Naples and co-owns Oda with Ilir Niklekaj.
“A lot of customers from House of Omelets are coming over here. It’s like a big family. We know everyone and they know how much we care about what we’re doing. They support us and are loving it.”
Dedaj said he wanted to create something for “us middle-aged people.”
“Where you can relax and have a drink,” he said. “And bring the family.”
Oda’s Mediterranean's feel and menu match his roots.
“The Mediterranean is a big area with Portugal, Spain, France, Italy,” he said. “We are from the Balkans. We picked popular foods from here and there to create something beautiful.”
Mediterranean menu offered
The eclectic menu opens with an array of shareables, from (“Opa!”) tableside flambe saganaki (flaming Greek cheese) to local shrimp and Spanish chorizo to grilled octopus and Mediterranean-style mussels.
Then come the salads and main dishes, including paella, veal and chicken in Francese, marsala and piccata form and grilled salmon.
The lamb chops and shank are popular, according to Dedaj, along with the bone-in ribeye and bistro filet with truffle mashed potatoes and broccolini.
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“The recipes are mine,” he said. “I’ve been working together with my chef (Giancarlo Salvatore). We have lots of good items not found everywhere.”
Pastas range from lasagna and four-cheese gnocchi to pasta carbonara and eggplant, chicken and veal parmesan.
The pizza oven is put to good use with half a dozen specialty wood-fired pies — including the Michelangelo with red sauce, provolone, mozzarella, purple basil, hot honey shaved parmesan and pepperoni cups. Traditional pizzas like margherita, barbecue chicken and burrata & arugula are available as well.
Desserts are homemade like everything else on the menu, including the baklava made by Dedaj himself.
The wine list matches the Mediterranean menu with reds and whites by the glass and bottle from Italy, France, Germany and beyond.
“The bar program was built from scratch,” said Keegan Baker, who runs the large, sleek L-shaped bar. “I jumped at the chance to create it.”
In addition to specialty cocktails, you’ll find a handful of creative martinis including a cotton candy cosmo, an affogato and pistachio with vodka, Frangelico, blue curacao, Bailey’s and pistachio orgeat.
When you’re done eating, everyone gets complimentary cotton candy.
“It’s fun, right?” said Baker.
Oda is open 3 p.m. to midnight daily.
“It may slow down a bit, but some people work late,” Dedaj said. “They now have a place to come eat.”
And they will certainly feel welcome.
Oda Pizzeria Bistro, 900 SW Pine Island Road, No. 102, open 3 p.m. to midnight daily, (239) 402-8282, odapizzeriabistro.com or follow on Facebook
Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Oda Pizzeria Bistro opens in Cape Coral with Mediterranean flair
