7 must-eat sandwiches in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero — JLB Picks
Bikini bodies are so July. Let's eat sandwiches. Our food critic has seven serious places to start.
August is a month for celebrating sandwiches.
We've given up on our bikini bodies at this point. Fall and its (slightly, maybe) cooler temperatures are right around the corner. Thus, the food-holiday overlords have dubbed this National Sandwich Month. And I'm not inclined to argue.
For serious sandwich lovers, these are just seven of my local over-the-top favorites. Find my sammie picks for the Fort Myers-Cape Coral area here. Then check back later this month for a few more must-eat sandwiches of the seafood variety.
MORE: Sign up for JLB's weekly email newsletter, never miss a bite
Naples
The Twang — Slicers: Remember those childhood days when you'd crumple up a bag of Doritos and then dump the crunchy flakes all over the insides of your bologna sandwich? Those were the good 'ol days. But the good old days live on at Slicers in North Naples, where Mesquite BBQ chip crumbles are all wrapped up in thinly sliced chicken breast with onion, white American cheese and a spread of honey dijon. The Twang is my favorite at Slicers, but just about every hoagie off the menu has me swooning. (13020 Livingston Road, Suite 15, North Naples; 239-280-0703; slicershoagies.com)
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Read the full review:Slicers in North Naples does hoagies right
The Hot Pastrami — Pastrami Dan's: It doesn't get much simpler than this: peppery, imported-from-the-Bronx pastrami made fresh to order, a few pickles, a swipe of mustard and warm loaves of bread. Cash only. Simplicity is key at the long-running, family-owned Naples restaurant. Pastrami Dan's opened 43 years ago, making it one of the oldest restaurants in this town. It's that pastrami — a respected Naples tradition — that has me going back again and again. (586 U.S. 41 N., Naples; 239-263-3431; facebook.com/PastramiDans)
MORE:Pastrami Dan's matriarch, co-founder of one of Naples' oldest restaurants, dies at 92
The Krukker — Kruk's Philly Steaks: You know it's gonna be good when it comes from a former Phillies slugger. John Kruk, a lifetime .300 hitter who played for 10 seasons in the big leagues (most of them with the Philadelphia Phillies), opened a Philly sub shop in North Naples last summer. He imports bread from up north and piles fried onions and wisps of freshly sliced ribeye into it, with a spread of ketchup and mayo. Ask for wiz. You won't regret it. (6434 Naples Blvd., Suite 404, North Naples; 239-572-8128; krukssteaks.com)
Best of July:Five of the best things we ate at Naples, Bonita Springs restaurants
Frankie's Fat Boy — Frankie's Italian Deli: I love a sandwich with an origin story. This one goes back to the late '70s, when a food truck on the campus of New Jersey's Rutgers University started excessively stuffing its sandwiches with fatty, fried ingredients. Think chicken strips, fries, mozzarella sticks and gyro meat. And Frankie's take is like a cheesesteak and Canadian poutine combined: thinly shaved ribeye steak, onions, peppers, mushrooms and fries, all smothered with savory brown gravy. And that's all you need to know. (6654 Collier Blvd., East Naples; 239-304-9033; frankiesauthenticitaliandeli.com)
Read the full review:Frankie's Italian Deli takes me to church
Bonita Springs
Sloppy Joe — Straight from New York Bagels: Your first thought might be to order a breakfast sandwich between one of those kettle-boiled bagels. Those are good, too, but avert your eyes to the menu of cold and hot lunch sandwiches at Straight from New York Bagels and you'll find the Sloppy Joe, with its meaty stack of housemade corned beef, turkey breast, coleslaw and Russian dressing. One of my favorite parts of this sandwich, though, is the seeded rye bread: soft, aromatic and flecked with crunchy seeds. Find it at two locations — the flagship in North Naples or the newest spot in Bonita Springs. (4550 Executive Drive, North Naples; 24830 S. U.S. 41, Bonita Springs; straightfromny.com)
Read the full review:Straight From New York Bagels in Bonita Springs has me weak
The King — Stan's Super Subs: Not much has changed at this 40-some-year-old sub shop. And that's the way I like it. Meats are sliced to order, cut precariously thin and piled in bountiful heaps; bread baked daily; sauces homemade. The King combines more roast beef (the lush, medium-rare kind) and turkey than you ever think you could finish with simple, shredded lettuce and fresh discs of tomato. Stan’s special dressing, a zesty sort of Thousand Island, is this beauty’s crowning glory. A finishing touch fit for a King. (26880 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs; 239-992-9973)
Estero
Turkey meatloaf BLT — Restoratives Cafe: I adore Restoratives Cafe and its scratch-made menu and homey feel. I forget about it sometimes. But then I start craving a home-cooked meal and I remember that turkey meatloaf BLT, with its thick slice of perfect, juicy meatloaf, its crisp bacon, its lettuce and tomato and mayo, all held together by one buttery, hardworking croissant. How could I forget? (20461 S. U.S. 41, Estero; 239-949-6715; resorativescafe.com)
MORE:Restoratives Cafe brings Estero together with charm, biscuits and gravy
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 or Naples Daily News. Follow the critic at facebook.com/jeanleboeufswfl or @JeanLeBoeuf on Twitter and Instagram.