NEWS

In the Know: The Gavel Grill now in session in East Naples

Tim Aten
Naples

 

The Gavel Grill recently opened in the former space of Chrissy's Courthouse Tavern & Bistro at 3340 U.S. 41 E. in East Naples.

All rise! The court is in session.

The Gavel Grill opened for judgment Aug. 9 after a brief trial run in the former Chrissy’s Courthouse Tavern & Bistro in East Naples.

Honey-stung fried chicken served with potato and vegetable at The Gavel Grill, which recently opened at 3340 U.S. 41 E. in East Naples.

The new restaurant and lounge features a full bar and separate dockets for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Classic American comfort foods take the stand with the usual suspects such as fried chicken, meatloaf, burgers and hot sandwiches.

“It’s kind of pretty much just good ol’ American cookin’,” owner Mike Leigh said. “It’s sophisticated casual. We really want to provide five-star quality food at three-star prices with flawless service. That’s our mission.”

Leigh had a little fun with the judicial theme for the restaurant, which is in the Courthouse Shadows retail center across U.S. 41 East from the Collier County Government Center. In addition to its gavel logo, The Gavel Grill’s tagline testifies that “It’s our honor to serve you” and its menu labels appetizers as “Opening Statements” and desserts as “Closing Statements.”

“I’ve got a pizza on there called ‘Throw the Book at ’em Pizza.’ It’s whatever you want on it,” Leigh said.

“I didn’t want to go overboard because I’m thinking of myself as like, if I worked over there in a courtroom all day, do I want to go to a restaurant and hear more courtroom things and all that? So I kind of wanted to play it down a little bit, but of course with the name and everything you can’t ignore it.”

The Gavel Grill recently opened in the former space of Chrissy's Courthouse Tavern & Bistro at 3340 U.S. 41 E. in East Naples.

Leigh created the menus with Executive Chef Tony Newton, the former chef-owner of Fred’s Diner in North Naples. In addition, Newton and his family still feed residents at Sandalwood Village senior community in North Naples.

The Gavel Grill’s midday offerings include an “Express Lunch” for those with a limited time for a lunch break. A limitless “not guilty” soup and salad bar is available for $8.95.

“We really want to capture that lunchtime business,” Leigh said. “We really want to cater to those folks and get them in and out.”

Chicken Parmesan is a pasta dish for lunch or dinner at The Gavel Grill, which recently opened at 3340 U.S. 41 E. in East Naples.

The lunch menu also has starters ($6.95-$9.95), salads and burgers ($7.95-$9.95), hot or cold sandwiches ($8.95-$10.95), pasta ($8.95-$12.95), naan flatbreads ($8.95) and mix-and-match tacos for $2.95 each. The same offerings on the dinner menu run $1 or $2 more.

Prices for traditional or deep-dish specialty pizzas ($9.95-$14.95) and desserts ($4.95-$5.95) are consistent for lunch and dinner.

In addition, dinner entrees served with a salad and sides range from $11.95 for fish and chips to $18.95 for filet mignon. Other entrees are Mom’s meatloaf, fried chicken, honey almond salmon, sautéed liver and onions, and “case closed” crab cakes.

Sauteed liver and onions entree for dinner at The Gavel Grill, which recently opened at 3340 U.S. 41 E. in East Naples.

Perhaps the dinner menu’s most unique section is Picnic Platters, a charcuterie board or relish tray of sorts to give patrons something different to nibble on while they sit at the bar or if they want to snack instead of ordering a full meal.

“I love to graze,” Leigh said. “I love a plate with some cheese and fruit and a little veggies and some crackers and just kind of munch for a couple hours. So we came up these three kind of platters. I hope they sell well at the bar or for people out here who aren’t that hungry.”

The three options are the American Platter with a variety of cheeses, crackers, fruit, yogurt, fresh vegetables and ranch dressing; the Mediterranean Platter with Kalamata olives, grape leaves, pepperoncini peppers, feta cheese, lamb T-bone, hummus, pita bread and tzatziki sauce; and the Antipasto Platter with tortellini salad, salami, provolone cheese, roasted veggies, bruschetta and banana peppers. The platters are $8.95-$9.95 for one person and $4.95 for each additional person.

“The nice thing is that they are priced per person, but if you add another person I’ll make it bigger and make enough for everybody,” Leigh said.

Hotcakes for breakfast at The Gavel Grill, which recently opened at 3340 U.S. 41 E. in East Naples.

For breakfast, the restaurant has create-your-own omelets for $6.95, eggs Benedict ($10.95-$12.95), hotcakes ($5.95-$7.95), French toast ($5.95-$8.95), waffles ($4.95-$6.95) and skillets ($8.95). The “Guilt by Association” breakfast ($8.95) features two eggs; toast or hotcakes; hash brown casserole, grits or fruit; and a choice of bacon, ham or sausage.

The grill’s breakfast specialties include country fried steak ($9.95), homemade corned beef hash ($11.95) and Grandma’s buttermilk biscuits and homemade sausage gravy ($10.95). Each dish comes with two eggs and a choice of hash browns, grits or fruit.

The classic Southern dish of chicken and waffles also is available for $16 at breakfast, served 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Country-fried steak for breakfast with two eggs and hash browns at The Gavel Grill, which recently opened at 3340 U.S. 41 E. in East Naples.

“We turn off the grill and hotcakes at 2 o’clock,” Leigh said. “Lunch goes 11 to 4 with dinner from 4 to 10. We’re open until 11, but the kitchen closes at 10.”

That’s the schedule for six days a week. Sunday hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We are doing entertainment six nights a week,” Leigh said. “We’re not here on Sunday (nights) ... although Sunday I may have a small little steel drum guy out back here just playing a little island music with bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys kind of thing.”

The venue will have local solo artists and duos as mainstays for entertainment during the week, with plans for some touring blues bands on the weekends.

“I don’t have a completed entertainment schedule yet,” Leigh said. “I know Joe Marino is committed to Wednesday nights with his piano bar show.”

In addition to a full bar, the grill has sangria and wine on tap. The indoor-outdoor bar includes covered seating on an outdoor patio.

“I’d be perfectly comfortable coming in and having a business meeting in here, but I’d also be comfortable coming back and having dinner and listening to entertainment and relaxing. So it’s a little bit of a blend for both of those,” Leigh said. “That’s kind of what I was looking for.”

The Gavel Grill recently opened in the former space of Chrissy's Courthouse Tavern & Bistro at 3340 U.S. 41 E. in East Naples.

The Gavel Grill, 3340 U.S. 41 E., is open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 239-316-7683 or go to gavelgrillnaples.com.

For the latest in local restaurants coming and going, see Tim Aten’s “In the Know” columns archived at naplesnews.com/intheknow, and on Facebook at facebook.com/timaten.intheknow.