Eat at Joe's! the sign outside commands, predictably. The popular North Naples diner is cliche in many ways - from its counter seating to its comfort food. Checkered tablecloths under glass top the usually packed tables. Photos of Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and retro baseball players hang on the walls along with a flat-screen TV. The extensive breakfast menu is available until close. In addition to traditional breakfast dishes such as pancakes, chipped beef on toast, sausage gravy and biscuits, and eggs benedict, Joe's Diner goes off the diner grid with sweet or savory crepes, a killer pot roast benedict, blintzes and healthy concoctions such as the Tahitian parfait, granola wheat germ pancakes and egg white or eggbeaters options. Breakfast stars here, but you can also order specialty burgers, grilled sandwiches, salads and platters of meatloaf, honey fried chicken and open-faced roast beef.
Recommended for North Naples' Best Restaurants because: This is a longtime popular breakfast spot in North Naples that also serves lunch.
Chelle's expert tip: Order the side of peaches option at breakfast. They come from a can but are heated and spiced with cinnamon for tastiness and a nice change from home fries.
As fresh as its pea-green banquettes, True Food Kitchen opened in March 2017 fueled by the expertise and name-recognition of Dr. Andrew Weil, whose anti-inflammatory diet has made him a respected author. The spacious, open dining room presents a seamless experience of watching chefs and juice bartenders work magic with the freshest, healthiest ingredients possible. With nearly 20 restaurants nationwide, True Food's menu localizes somewhat to its venue. Every location's menu indicates vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan selections, plus organic wines and fresh-made cocktails. Don't-miss items: Medicine Man iced tea with blueberry, pomegranate and sea buckthorn; Charred Cauliflower with harissa tahini and dates; Inside Out Quinoa burger with hummus and tzatziki; poke bowl, and coconut and chia pudding. Even the lasagna- made with gluten-free noodles, house-made chicken sausage and lemon ricotta- tastes healthy.
Recommended for North Naples' Best Restaurants because: A relative newcomer, it adds a healthy alternative to North Naples restaurants.
Chelle's expert tip: Weekend brunch incorporates many of the regular menu favorites plus yummy egg dishes such as egg and chicken sausage sandwiche and gluten-free muffins.
Tucked into a shopping plaza at the corner of Pine Ridge Road and Airport Pulling Road, this small cafe overflows into sidewalk tables with fans of its fresh and flavorful coffee, bakery goods, breakfast omelets, sandwiches, and crepes. Specialties include the Costa Rican - a breakfast plate of eggs, black beans and brown rice with a side of salsa - pancakes such as banana pecan and the veggie wrap with tzatziki sauce or hummus. Servers wear T-shirts expressing "Friends Don't Let Friends Go to Starbucks." You order at the counter here, then take a table in the cheery dining room or outside. Everything is homemade, including a beguiling case of muffins and pastries.
Recommended for North Naples' Best Restaurants because: The casual setting and home cooked food make this feel like home in North Naples.
Chelle's expert tip: The Sea Salt Caramel Latte - available hot or cold - makes a sweet wake-up call.
Whether you choose deeply comforting food or a low-calorie or vegan dish, The Local promises the freshest, most local, homemade products available. So it's not only healthy for diners, but for Mother Earth as well. Owner-chef Jeff Mitchell trained at the Culinary Institute of America and works with local farmers to serve organic produce, artisanal cheeses, grass-fed beef and other good-for-you ingredients. At lunch, hearty salads star along with flatbreads and sandwiches. For dinner, open-faced house-made pastrami with pickled relish showcases the chef's mastery of charcuterie. Try the pork ragu with house-made potato gnocchi, Florida gulf shrimp atop capellini, pot roast, free-range, oven roasted chicken breast or pink shrimp scampi pizza. Choose from breakfast tacos and sandwiches and "Farmer Dishes" at brunch. The difference is in the attention to detail: house-cured olives, house-pickled vegetables, house-made mozzarella and charcuterie.
Recommended for North Naples' Best Restaurants because: This North Naples restaurant prides itself on using local, healthy products.
Chelle's expert tip: Don't miss the roasted pork ragu with melt-in-your-mouth, lightly sauteed gnocchi and creamy house-made ricotta. Oh my!
Overlooking serene Cocohatchee Bay, the Bay House is regarded as one of the city's most spectacular seafood restaurants. This charming eatery serves fresh, Southern-inspired and bistro-style seafood dishes, as well as steak and chicken options - all prepared with fresh and usually local ingredients. Most tables in the main dining room - decorated coastally with wooden boats hanging from the ceiling - and patio offer views of the surrounding waterway, ensuring patrons a scenic setting on top of a sensational meal. Tierney's Bar offers an alternative cozy setting of fireplace and dark wood. Live entertainment plays in the bar most evenings, and private banquet rooms are available.
Recommended for North Naples' Best Restaurants because: Bay House has long been a favorite in North Naples.
Chelle's expert tip: For a casual setting, make your reservations for the riverside patio or the Claw Bar Tierney's Tavern.
Nothing beats a dinner out at the Ritz, where service, setting and culinary excellence combine to foment an experience that transcends mere eating by miles. The Grill excels in fine steaks but also knows its way around seafood. Dry-aged cuts include New York strip, ribeye and Delmonico, plus filet mignon, veal chop and Colorado rack of lamb. Why not splurge further and add a side of foie gras or half a lobster tail? Signature entrees run the gamut from red snapper with white bean ragout to duck with sweet potato and sauerkraut. Despite its formality, the atmosphere feels relaxed. Live music, usually light piano, frequently entertains.
Recommended for North Naples' Best Restaurants because: This Ritz-Carlton classic has been thrilling meat and seafood lovers for a couple of decades.
Chelle's expert tip: It's known for its dessert souffles - the Grand Marnier is best. Don't forget to order it early in the meal as it takes some time to bake.
And the award for the best new "greet-and-eat" breadbasket alternative: Inca's Kitchen's fried corn with a trio of dipping sauces. This Peruvian favorite starts off diners with a fun taster of yellow pepper sauce, red pepper sauce and another remoulade-like native sauce. Corn is a rivet (stronger than a staple) in Peruvian cuisine, and this starter is an original and flavorful way to launch diners down the path to authentic dining. Next in line if you're determined to try favorite Peruvian specialties: ceviche, which originated in Peru. Inca's sells various versions of the raw fish dish dressed with citrus. You will also find seafood dishes in other dishes such as the traditional tacu tacu - beans and rice - and parihuela - Peruvian bouillabaisse. There's also tapas, chicken and meat dishes, vegetarians options and wonderful desserts.
Recommended for North Naples' Best Restaurants because: Recently opened in North Naples, this Golden Gate original has a huge following of devoted Peruvian fans and converts.
Chelle's expert tip: The wahoo ceviche is divine, accompanied by a shot glass of its own tiger milk.
This handsomely decorated dining room definitely dwells at the high end of Naples' range of Mexican restaurants with fare that embraces fresh Southwestern American cuisine. It's signature guacamole bar custom blends your avocado dip to your liking and degree of burn. That, along with the amazingly seasoned chicken tortilla soup, with half an avocado fanned into the bowl, could make a lunch. Even the complimentary chips and salsa have their own special addictive flair. Dinner specials include grilled Chilean salmon and pork Osso Bucco. The bar features a wide range of tequilas and margaritas plus live music most nights of the week.
Recommended for North Naples' Best Restaurants because: For Southwestern cuisine, this is the finest in North Naples.
Chelle's expert tip: The beef brisket empanadas are a scrumptious masterpiece.
BALEEN gives a global twist to its breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The setting couldn't scream Southwest Florida more succinctly with its Gulf of Mexico and white sand views. You can even dine with your toes planted in the sand should you desire. At breakfast, eggs with crispy tomato rice and crab Oscar benedict show off. Sunday brunch brings a three-course menu of creative seasonal dishes. The lobster Cobb salad dazzles on the lunch menu. For dinner, start with the beef carpaccio "ravioli," then the truffled lobster risotto or blackened grouper. Whatever you do, leave room for the key lime pie, it's buttery and delicious and in a class all its own.
Recommended for North Naples' Best Restaurants because: The setting and Floribbean style cuisine combine for an inimitable North Naples experience.
Chelle's expert tip: Call in advance for porch and beach seating.
Cleverly disguised as a casual beach club at a small resort, the Turtle Club exceeds all expectations to dwell in that vaunted culinary territory known as a local secret. To start with, there's the location, which deserves to be described in triplicate: location, location, location. Not because it's all about the location, but because there are gorgeous gulf views from every table of the small, intimate dining room, and the sunny patio is right on the beach. For lunch, you won't feel deprived ordering one of the entree salads such as honey and almond roasted salmon. Go tropical with coconut-fried shrimp or cosmopolitan with hot pastrami on a pretzel roll. The Sea Harvest and low-country shrimp and grits star on the dinner menu.
Recommended for North Naples' Best Restaurants because: Right on the beach in North Naples, this little secret has been serving stellar food for decades.
Chelle's expert tip: The "famous oysters 'Turtlefeller'" truly are creamy and delicious with the addition of apple-smoked bacon.