Disappointed in Downtown Fort Myers

[raydines]

Friday night a friend and I decided to try H2 tapas and wine bar in downtown Fort Myers after hearing great reviews from what we consider to be reputable sources. We were both sadly disappointed with the food we were served. We ordered 3 items from the tapas menu: the warm wild mushroom salad, the truffled grilled cheese, and the trio of dips (hummus, olive tapenade, and boursin crab). We were initially shocked at how quickly the salad arrived only moments after our bartender keyed in our order. We noticed that the wild mushrooms were actually only a quarter of a portobello. I guess I was expecting a variety of wild mushrooms and not one portobello. If that alone was the problem, it would not be such a big deal, but it was only the beginning of a terrible meal. The dressing was so oily that it dripped out of the corners of your mouth with each bite. Then as the salad sat for a few minutes the dressing began to coagulate on the bottom of the bowl to create what could only be described as the consistency of runny egg whites. The trio of dips were served with salt laden potato chips. I like salty chips, but I question them as a vehicle for salty dips. My fault here was that I assumed that the chips would be pita chips--I should have read the details! The tapenade was great, but that is not saying much. The hummus tasted as though nothing but garlic and salt were mixed in the with the garbanzos, and the crab dip was so salty it was inedible. Our server asked if we could like some better chips to go with the dips as our bowl was mostly small pieces. We asked if there was any bread or toast that might be around instead. She brought out a small bowl of ROCK HARD sourdough toast points that seemed as though they were made earlier in the week. My friend and I looked at one another and began to laugh. The "truffled" grilled cheese had zero essence of anything truffle and tasted like cheez-whiz meets pimento loaf with a hint of the nasty crab dip. The only saving grace was the terrific wine special, delicious and at a great price. We ended up leaving tipsy and starved. I normally will give a restaurant a second chance, but I think that will be my first and last visit to H2.

[chopslick]

I have never tried veranda, and now I have mixed feelings. salty, moldy, lost in time; perhaps I'll pass.
H2, well, I won't go there, I like Harold a lot but had bad experience thrice.
Delicious Things was crazy, I went there with a vegan friend of mine once, they stated on the menu that all soups are vegan and so we tried it, but it had both butter and chicken stock in it and food took a looong time to arrive.
I'm told that the construction downtown is due to be finished by the end of this year. I won't hold my breath but it would be nice to see.

[alkapal]

downtown has been decimated by ill-planned "downtown rejuvenation." businesses have died unmerciful deaths due to poor planning. so much of that area -- including the waterfront -- has just been wasted. i'm of the opinion that the run-down of property values there and, more importantly, along the riverfront is beyond recession-era economics, and geared to longer-term acquisitions in mind....
and as a fort myers native, i have to say it is really sad to see.

[LilMsFoodie]

There is nothing downtown worth going to. The sewer and infrastructure rejuvenation was lengthy and killed the area. The new sewers were overdue, nothing you could do about that but the millions for old bricks was a waste of valuable resources. I wrote the Fort Myers Downtown Redevelopment agency 3 years ago asking them to set aside funds for rent reimbursements. They had never heard of this. I didn't have a business there but knew many suffering. It will be many years before the area recovers and the restoration will be for naught.

H2's food has always been a little oily for me. Look at the chef and his wife, they are immense and love very rich and fatty foods. I think it is primarily a bar now. That is all that the area seems to sustain.

As for restaurants there, the only full service restaurant in the area is The Veranda. It is ok, a lovely space, but it is lost in time and the clientele is primarily over 70 from what I can see. Busy lunch place, at least it used to be, for all the local attorneys and politicians.

[gfr1111]

I think that The Veranda is a real plus for downtown Ft. Myers. The food is good and it survives where no one else can.

Peter's La Cuisine was an excellent French restaurant in downtown Ft. Myers. It was surviving quite well until the city demanded that it invest in extensive and expensive renovations. The restaurant decide to pass on that investment and closed up, the owners being near retirement age.

There was a very good upscale Cambodian place on the same block as The Veranda. it survived for about three years with practically no business. When I would propose eating lunch there to coworkers, they looked at me as if I had proposed going to Mars.

The fault dear friends, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves (well, not Chowhounders, but the clear dearth of them in the downtown Ft. Myers area). (And, Alkapal, I didn't know you were a Ft. Myers native!)

[alkapal]

yep, i grew up when "the snack house" downtown had the best cuban sandwiches. it was located in the <something> arcade. the collier arcade?

and i have the distinction of being summarily uninvited to remain in the veranda (owner's wife? manageress?, *really* "sweet" -- ha!), when i complained about a hefty automatic tip added onto the bill for a bottle of champagne i bought for my niece's wedding shower party upstairs. i was a guest, not the host, and there was no notice there would be any such automatic tip.

[LilMsFoodie]

The woman you describe is the owner's ex-wife. Been there for years. She needs some training (G). At some point, having the same old employees for years on end becomes stifling to a restaurant. They need new blood, they need new carpet, they need new menu. I love the setting and I think an updated classic menu would be great for them. No coulis of this, melange of that, just straight forward classic food but well executed.

I used to eat there 3 times a week for lunch. Mainly because of no other options.

[raydines]

My husband and I went for dinner on our anniversary last year. I, too, ,as many of you have written felt like i was in a time warp. The place smelled of mold inside, so we opted to sit outdoors. The atmosphere out there was nice. On the whole, I felt that the food was WAY TOO salty and overpriced for what it was. Maybe lunch there would be a better option. Thanks for the suggestions.

[NiKoLe1625]

I also was disappointed in H2 the first and only time I have eaten there. I thought that the food was just sub par. Nothing to write home about and nothing I would go back for. It is a shame because there is really nothing else going on in downtown Fort Myers. Don't know if you have tried Delicious Things, but it is a decent meal. I suppose the lack of good restaurants in downtown is representative of downtown itself. There is SO much potential, but nothing can seem to survive and its pretty much a ghost town all the time!

[raydines]

I know, it stinks because the downtown area does have so much potential. I think that you are being nice stating that the food at H2 was sub par, I thought it was simply inedible. In fact, I told my friend I was dining with that I would not even serve this stuff in my own home. I have been to Delicious Things for dinner and lunch. I preferred the lunch. Dinner was decent, but some problems with the service. I ordered something off of the special menu and when it came the sides were different than what the menu had indicated. Do you have any other recs for the Fort Myers area? I am willing to venture to other surrounding areas for an enjoyable meal.

[NiKoLe1625]

If by surrounding areas you mean WAY outside downtown then yes, there are many very good options.

On McGregor, just past college (if you are coming from downtown) there is a shopping center with two pretty decent restaurants: Crave and Cafe Cibo. Crave is really a hidden gem. They serve breakfast lunch and dinner and have everything from shepherd's pie to grilled salmon. I've never had a bad meal there. The interior is a bit sparse, but the staff is really friendly and the food is great. Cafe Cibo is a decent Italian meal. The owners are originally from NJ so they know good food. Great pastas and they make a good roasted chicken!

In Bell Tower there is Bistro 41. Not great, but good and a decent meal. Also Bacchus is very good as well. I really like their Spanish influenced menu. Also, Shannon, the owner of Bacchus has just opened Mad Takeout right next to Bell Tower. They have GREAT food. Everything from Sushi to Pizza and salads. A bit pricey, but worth it for something decent. You can't eat here, but you can order online which is sometimes helpful.

Beyond that, if you want to venture further, Angelina's in Bonita is fantastic. One of the best Italian restaurants in the area. It's definitely worth the drive.

I hope this is helpful... I am a native New Yorker, so my family and I have searched high and low for decent food that is NOT a chain! Its definitely not easy in Fort Myers

[Deeds131]

Yes, I would recommend the McGregor Cafe. Its lighter fare, but it has never disappointed and is accompanied by a surprisingly satisfying wine bar. They must put MSG in the food, because I am addicted....I begin to twitch if I dont go once every other week. My favorite is a simple homemade ceasar salad with a grilled salmon filet...something so simple and exquisite I think is one of the great signs of a local and hidden gem.

[LilMsFoodie]

Delicious Things has had some ok food but the service was a joke in the past. When they opened they didn't realize americans usually eat lunch in an hour or less. Lunch there would take 90 minutes or more. Then they sent out an email stating things would be normal as soon as the chef was released from her hospital stay for a mental condition! LOL. They have managed to hang on now for over 3 years throughout the construction, so more power to them. If we ever go to the Florida Rep theater again, I'll try them.