Best Cape Coral restaurants: JLB ranks Cape's top 25 places to eat

Not too long ago, Cape Coral was a culinary laughing-stock. It had a few gems, sure, but mostly it was dive bars and fast-food chains. 

My how the tables have turned. 

Cape Coral is now home to several of my personal-favorite restaurants, the places where I choose to eat, even when dining on my own dime. The city's lower rents have attracted passionate, food-driven chefs. Its cocktail scene is arguably the best in Southwest Florida. 

Choosing my 25 favorite Cape Coral restaurants proved shockingly tough. I've spent the last few months going back to the Cape's top contenders, to see how they're faring. As I did for the Best Restaurants in Fort Myers, I've ranked my top 10 with the remainder in alphabetical order beneath them. 

ALSO:  JLB ranks 25 best restaurants in Fort Myers

AND:  8 must-try restaurants on Fort Myers Beach

This list would be different had I written it last week, and I'm sure it will be different when I revisit it later this year. 

Food's funny that way. But these places take food seriously. 

10. Gusto Cucina Italiana

Chef-owner Vincenzo Cangialosi is the man in the red chef’s coat with the shiny-bald head and warm smile. He's the guy frying and sautéing and boiling, then peeking out to the dining room to watch his customers enjoy his work. Gusto Cucina is Cangialosi’s place. It’s a Cape Coral nook where this lifelong chef crafts excellent food. His linguine pescatore eats like a paella that’s on an Italian holiday. His veal Michelangelo is topped with plump scallops, shrimp and lumps of crab in a complex sauce that hints of brandy and cream. Service at Gusto is familial and not always the fastest. But once Cangialosi's food comes out, any missteps are easy to forgive.

Find it: 229 Del Prado Blvd. N., Cape Coral; 458-5900; gustocucinaitaliana.com

FULL REVIEW:  At Gusto Cucina, a lifelong chef serves Italian soul

9. Ariani

Chef-owner Dario Zuljani is about as Cape Coral as they get. He and his wife, Alice, moved to the Cape in 1976. They opened their first restaurant, Dario's, in the Coral Pointe Shopping Center in 1982. In 1989 they moved across Del Prado Boulevard and opened the near-legendary Ariani. The restaurant is wonderfully old school; dark and quiet, bedecked in drapes and Zuljani's own hand-painted murals. His from-scratch menu reflects his life in the Istrian peninsula of northern Italy. It's hearty, rich and home to one of the best pates I've ever eaten. I don't get to go back to Ariani nearly often enough, but each time I do I fall in love all over again. And with Dario and Alice eyeing retirement, there's no better time to go than now. 

MORE:  Ariani chef survives surgery, looks to future

Find it: 1529 SE 15th Terrace, Cape Coral; 772-8000; ariani.com

8. Fish Tale Grill

When your parent company is Merrick Seafood, one of the Cape's oldest fish markets, there are certain expectations. And Fish Tale exceeds all of them. From the breezy outdoor deck to the fresh sangrias to spring rolls jam-packed with luscious lobster meat, this surprisingly modern restaurant does so much so well. Fish Tale has had its share of chef-turnover in the last few years, but when you start with great ingredients everything else has a way of falling into place. 

Find it: 1229 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral; 257-3167; fishtalegrill.com

MORE:  Merrick Seafood reels in "Billion Dollar Buyer"

7. Gather

The second waterfront restaurant from the creators of Fathoms, Gather gets it. The decor is stunning yet comfortable and welcoming. The menu is international but approachable, and as simple or fancy as you so choose. Crisply battered duck wings come slicked in a citrus-chipotle glaze that seeps into all the craggy nooks. Pear chutney crowns perfect scallops set atop a puree of vanilla-infused parsnips the texture of silk. There's a thick burger, steak frites, chicken and waffles infused with Indian spices — Gather gets it, and it gets you to keep coming back.

Find it: 5971 Silver King Blvd, Cape Coral; 673-9939; gathercape.com

FULL REVIEW:  Gather anchors deliciously at Tarpon Point

6. Rumrunners

Chef-owner Todd Johnson and partners were among the first to see Cape Coral's modern potential. In 2003 they sold their stake in Fort Myers favorite Bistro 41 and crossed a bridge no one else at the time seemed interested in crossing. They opened Rumrunners at Cape Harbour that same year, pulling off a tropically eclectic menu that leans heavy on the best local seafood and Johnson's classically trained knack for sauces and flavor profiles. Fifteen years later, Rumrunners remains a colorful Cape Coral classic, and a delicious reason for non-Cape residents to happily cross that bridge. 

Find it: 5848 Cape Harbour Drive, Cape Coral; 542-0200; rumrunnersrestaurant.com

5. Cork Soakers

Jeff Gately and Ralph Centalonza, two of the partners in Rumrunners, set out to do something more casual. They opened Cork Soakers in fall 2014, a cheekily named quote-unquote "wine bar," that serves Chef Gary Pfenning's unique takes on pub fare. That means a bacon-brie sandwich sticky with fig jam, and fried bologna topped with a gooey egg and a healthy smear of roasted-poblano aioli. Much of Cork Soakers' menu — from the wings, to the deviled eggs, to the risotto — changes daily, meaning there's always a delicious reason to return. 

Find it: 837 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral; 542-6622; corksoakers.net

FULL REVIEW:  Cork Soakers — say it slowly, enjoy it fully

4. Nevermind Awesome Bar & Eatery

This narrow gastro-bar is the classic homecoming story. Chef-owner Shannon Yates left Cape Coral after high school. He worked in high-end resorts from Naples to Sanibel, helped found the nationally acclaimed Cru in south Fort Myers, then, in 2012, came back to Cape Coral to create a place all his own. Nevermind is that age-old Cape dive bar, but re-imagined with thoughtful cocktails and a menu of Yates' greatest hits (the burger (ooh, the burger), the volcano spring rolls, the chorizo pate, the thick steaks). Yates pours his heart into this place, and the neighborhood loves it right back. 

Find it: 927 Cape Coral Parkway E., Cape Coral; 994-3062; find it on Facebook

3. Taverna Wood Fire Kitchen

Much has been made, by myself included, of Taverna's octopus appetizer. It's a stunning, Instagram-ready dish, presented under a dome that sends wispy tendrils of sweet wood smoke across your table as it's unlidded. The octopus itself is equally brilliant, buttery-tender and interspersed with house-pickled onions. But that octopus is (quite literally) just the beginning. The squares of hand-made gnocchi, the crisp chew of the wood-fired pizzas, the whole fish roasted to juicy perfection in those same ovens — it's stunner after stunner here, and you can never make too much of that. 

Find it: 1227 Miramar St., Cape Coral; 257-1825; tavernawoodfirekitchen.com

FULL REVIEW:  Taverna, the best restaurant I'd never heard of

2. Nice Guys Pizza

To call Nice Guys a pizza place is to call Walt Disney World a mouse place. Yes, it has that, but really it's all about the magic. That magic seeps into every aspect of Nice Guys, from the hipster-basement-esque setting, to the playful dishes, to what I firmly believe is the best cocktail program — anywhere. Owners Jovana Batkovic and Greg Gebhard are Nice Guys' lead magicians, empowering their servers to be gracious and welcoming, and giving their cooks and bartenders the trust and freedom to roam. The result is a culinary wonderland, where drinks are infused with raisin syrup and celery juice, or lemongrass, basil and Fruity Pebbles milk. It's PB&J wings slicked in Thai-style peanut sauce with house-made berry jam, pizzas draped in prosciutto and chili-infused local honey, and biscuits that can be either vegan or rolled from local lard. This is not abracadabra magic. It's the far more delicious kind, the kind that proves Nice Guys don't always finish last. 

Find it: 1334 Cape Coral Parkway E., Cape Coral; 549-7542; niceguyspizza.com

1. Point 57

Somewhere around the third sip of my Florida 57 — a frothy gimlet infused with local strawberries — a tinge of sadness hit me: Why can't this place be in Fort Myers? (Spoken like a longtime east-of-the-river resident, I know.) My only qualm with Point 57 is that it's not in my backyard. I'm selfish that way. I want the crisp pork shanks that melt into the creamy blue-cheese grits. I want the pulled-pork spring rolls. I want the smoked chicken brined in sweet tea. And I want it in my 'hood. It's not, though. It's here in Cape Coral, in one of those old, joke-worthy dive-bar spaces that's been brilliantly transformed into a breathtaking and modern restaurant. Chef Matt Arnold and business partner Cory Royer created Point 57, imbuing it with Arnold's classically trained yet thoroughly Southern sensibilities. The menu is ripe with delicious options, as is the bar. Point 57 is barely a year old, but it already feels like a Cape Coral classic. And it's a spectacular reason to cross that darn bridge. 

Find it: 3522 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral; 471-7785; point-57.com

FULL REVIEW:  Point 57 isn't perfect, just great

The best of the rest

Aji Limon: This Peruvian restaurant is far more elegant than "ethnic," with an extensive and interesting wine list and dishes that range from bracing ceviches to unabashedly authentic anticuchos; ajilimonperuviancuisine.com. 

The Beef Guy: One of the only fast-casual places to make this list, The Beef Guy's passion for scratch making Chicagoland favorites makes this restaurant a worthy stop for foodies of all stripes; beefguycapecoral.com. 

MORE:  Wouldn't you like to be a Beef-Guy guy, too?

Big Blue Brewing: The "Best Brewpub in Florida" is, of course, home to the "Best Beer in Florida" (awards Big Blue won just last week at the prestigious Best Florida Beer Championships in Tampa). Those great beers combined with great, from-scratch food make for a great experience, worthy of all the acclaim; bigbluebrewing.com. 

Café YOU: This healthy-minded, side-street gem is home to the talented Chef Sam Wood, a flavor master who's adept at coaxing deliciousness from meats and vegetables alike; cafeyou.com. 

MORE:  Best craft beer in Florida? It's in Cape Coral

Casa Rojas Cuban Bakery: It's the pastry case packed with house-made pastelitos and guava-filled tarts. It's the racks of just-baked breads and the smell of pork slow-roasting in the oven. It's the hiss off the espresso machine as it spits out your cafe cortado. It's so many things, and at Casa Rojas, they're all delicious; find it on Facebook. 

Ciao Wood Fired Pizza: When chef-owner Jill Bacus comes bounding through the dining room with a plate of something delicious, you feel at home. When you bite into that something delicious, be it the wood-fired pizzas or buttery Marsala, you feel like never leaving home; ciaowoodfired.com. 

Fathoms: A little bit European, a little bit tropical, Fathoms strikes a delicious balance between the French chefs in the kitchen and the waterfront wonders all around it; fathomsrestaurant.com. 

La Corte Bistro: One of Cape Coral's most strikingly unique restaurants, La Corte's garden courtyard and creatively eclectic dining rooms showcase a from-scratch Italian menu that has only gotten better with time; lacortebistro.com. 

Lobster Lady Seafood: This place is chaotic and frenzied and always packed. It wouldn't be that way if it weren't so damn good, but that's the price we pay for such seafood deliciousness; lobsterladyseafood.com. 

REVIEW:  Lobster Lady still frantic, fresh

Misto Bar & Grill: First Giorgio's, then Vesuvio, now Misto. You can't keep a good chef down for long. Chef-owner Jorge Lanese is the Italian-Argentinean master behind Misto's scratch-made sausages, hand-stuffed pastas and perfect steaks. He's earned a loyal following, one that's always down for whatever (and wherever) he's cooking; mistobarandgrill.net. 

Siam Hut: In 1984, founders Toy and Somnuk Bangthamai left their successful Thai restaurant in Manhattan to open this little place in the unknown city of Cape Coral. They helped our area fall in love with pad Thai, shrimp toast and creamy curries strewn with coconut milk. Siam Hut was a Thai pioneer in these parts, and I for one am still in love with it; siamhutcapecoral.com. 

ALSO:  Cape Coral's oldest restaurants still going strong

Sicily Trattoria: This mother-son team crafts hand-tossed pizzas and scratch-made pastas that are painstakingly rolled out one by one. It's classic, homey Italian fare made as only family can; find it on Facebook. 

Slate’s: From the five style of oysters to the crab-corn beignets and the brandy-milk punch at the bar, Slate's is a delicious taste of the Big Easy right here in the south Cape; slatescapecoral.com. 

10 Twenty Five: The array of craft beers, the dedication to scratch-made pub fare, the ever-smiling servers. This is the kind of neighborhood place that makes you want to move to this neighborhood; cape10twentyfive.com. 

Yellowfin Sushi: The pho-rrito (as in pho ingredients rolled into burrito form) is what I remember this place for. But the supremely fresh sushi, sashimi and tataki is what keeps me coming back; capecoralsushi.com. 

REVIEW:  Yellowfin brings sushi, pho-rritos to Cape

Jean Le Boeuf is the pseudonym used by a local food lover who dines at restaurants anonymously and without warning, with meals paid for by The News-Press. Follow the critic at facebook.com/jeanleboeufswfl or @JeanLeBoeuf on Twitter and Instagram.