Every day we are asked about valet parking, and we know many full-time residents simply defer dining out until after peak season subsides and the parking congestion eases. For visitors and locals alike, this news should be welcome! There is now evening valet service in the parking lot on the south side of the restaurant.
Thanks to the foresightedness of Neapolitan Enterprises, there is a plan in place to make parking easier for the high season. If you are coming to Ridgway or Tony’s simply drop your guests at the front door per usual and then make your way one block south to 14th Avenue South. Valet attendants will be stationed in the lot just behind Ridgway and Tony’s.
While you’re with us, make sure to have your parking ticket validated!
Have You Heard?
Sharon Kenney has written a wonderful article in the Fort Myers News-Press on our Crispy Fish, which is available the last Friday of each month and hearkens back to the heyday of Truffles. The Crispy Fish was and is a fan favorite, and we have many customers who specifically schedule a night out to coincide with its availability. The dish features marinated and deep fried Black Grouper with an Asian-inspired sauce, sautéed vegetables and brown rice. The flavors and textures are sure to please. If you haven’t given it a try, lock Friday, February 26 into your calendars, and keep each last Friday of the month in mind. Don’t forget to make a reservation for Crispy Fish Friday and let us know that’s what you’re coming in for!
At the Table with Tony
We’re movin’ on up to dry-aged beef and specifically with our meat-loving guests in mind. Our regular strip steak has been excellent and well received, but I think it’s time to enter into the meat market (so to speak…) and steakhouse fray, and am excited to announce we are now serving a USDA Choice 12-oz center cut, 30-day minimum dry-age New York Strip.
We’re not trying to be a steakhouse – simply trying to give our more carnivorous customers one more reason to join us for dinner! I’m pricing the steaks in a very competitive way, reflecting the simple preparation that best showcases the ingredients. The 12-oz steak served with our red-wine demi-glace and your choice of a side will be $47.00. We’re confident you will find it’s a good value for the quality.
For your friends and companions with different inclinations, not to worry, we’re comfortable leaving full-scale steakhouse operations to the experts, and our menu will always feature a range of options to meet your needs and desires.
As always, I’m looking forward to seeing you in the restaurant soon – and let’s talk steak!
Your Friend,
Tony
Wine Notes
How many of you have had the opportunity to peruse our master wine list? As you know, when you come to Ridgway for lunch or dinner you get our abbreviated list with wines by the glass and a thoughtful selection of wines available by the bottle. There’s generally plenty on that list to satisfy your palate, but if your taste buds, or even simply your curiosity, are begging for more, please ask to see our full wine list, which features more than 600 wines available by the bottle for purchase.
One wine right now that Sukie is particularly keen on is Chateau Montelena Sauvignon Blanc. Their total production of this varietal is 80 cases, and only 10 cases made it to Florida. So Sukie bought 4 cases, thinking you can’t have too much of a good thing! It’s crisp and clean, with bright citrus flavors – perfect for our warm weather climate.
For more on some of Sukie’s current favorites, check out our upcoming wine tasting on February 23, featuring what we’re referring to as the “Best of What’s Next!”
Life on Third Street
The Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings draws huge crowds to Third Street. Tony’s Off Third has been a vendor at the market since its earliest days, and it has been fun and gratifying to watch it grow year over year. On Saturdays the Tony’s off Third retail store is generally wall-to-wall people for most of the morning, and the courtyard is packed with market-goers, runners and cyclists, dog-walkers and their dogs, sunbathers, vacationers, and anyone else you can imagine. For those who prefer a more leisurely pace of life, Ridgway Bar & Grill offers its full brunch and lunch menus on Saturday as well as Sunday during season. Start your meal off sweet with our brioche donuts with raspberry and chocolate-hazelnut dipping sauces or savory with house-cured salmon on fresh potato chips and an herb cream. Either goes well with a nicely spiced Bloody Mary from the bar!
Join Us and Enter to Win!
We are proud to call many of our customers personal friends, but in the restaurant business you can never have too many friends! Do you have loved ones or colleagues who are supporters of the restaurant? Please encourage them to join our electronic mailing lists! We promise to keep your information private, and will only use it to share news about what is going on in Ridgway Bar & Grill and Tony’s Off Third. If you love reading Tony’s columns about his culinary and personal experiences, or are particularly eager to check out a Tony’s Off Third wine tasting, or can’t wait to hear about seasonal specials in the restaurant, the newsletters are the best way to learn about all of those happenings.
As an incentive, our email followers will all automatically be entered into a drawing for a gift certificate for $1000 to Ridgway Bar & Grill, with the winner randomly selected on May 1, 2016 and notified by email.
Reservation Reminders
Valentine’s and President’s Day weekend is here and we are loving being out of the January rain and into some February sun! Don’t let a little nip in the air concern you; heaters throughout our courtyard and garden and along the front porch make for a comfortable setting. The restaurant and bakery will be packed so don’t forget to make your reservations. We can’t wait to see you and want to make sure you get the table you want.