Martin Fierro Restaurant, Naples, Florida

Hanging Gauchos at Martin Fierro Restaurant
Photo provided courtesy of Martin Fierro Restaurant

Humans are territorial creatures.  We like our own space, our own stuff, our own plates.  Those of us who are from large families are probably guilty of lording over our food, eyeballing our siblings or children and telepathically communicating, “This steak is mine!  Don’t even think about touching it!”  But even as coveting as we might be, there is something very comforting about sitting at a table with family and friends and partaking in a family style meal.  Dividing and sharing food spoils with one another is one of the most social things we can do.  

There is a certain intimacy in the experience of the family dinner that draws us in.  The camaraderie at a table with bowls, spoons and smiles passed around along with conversation is something that most people enjoy and crave.  The iconography of the holiday dinner is proof that, despite our territorial nature, our desire for socialization and interaction is sometimes stronger.   So, when I find an opportunity to enjoy a family style meal with my family, I take it.  In Naples, Florida, Martin Fierro Argentinian and Uruguayan Steakhouse provides a unique opportunity for diners to enjoy a meal reminiscent of a family dinner at home while dining out.  

Known to some as “MFR”, Martin Fierro serves uniquely plated Argentinian and Uruguayan style dishes perfect for sharing.  Nearly all are cooked over an open flame grill open for viewing by those lucky enough to be seated at the head of the restaurant.   New diners at MFR are often attracted to the “hanging gauchos”, four large kebabs of jumbo shrimp, top sirloin, chicken and salchicha parrillera (Argentinian sausage similar to chorizo) skewered with grilled vegetables and hung over a generous plate of seasoned fries.  These portions demand to be shared, perfect for a date night or small family dinner. 

Larger groups who want more need look no further than MFR’s “parilladas”.  Served in three different varieties, Martin Fierro’s parilladas combine a selection of meats (and, if desired, seafood) served hot and sizzling on a table top grill, garnished with sprigs of rosemary speared into grilled lemons, peppers or tomatoes.   Flavored with MFR’s signature house-made chimichurri or crema, every meaty bite is generously seasoned and accompanied with two sides of the diners’ choice.   Adventurous diners looking for a truer South American dining experience can select fried plantains, tostones, or yucca.  Those wanting something more familiar can select among rice, salad, fries, mashed potatoes, potato salad, roasted root vegetables or mixed grilled vegetables.   

While these family plates are generally meant to be shared by couples, parents with young children may find these to be perfect for a family of four.   At Martin Fierro you can truly enjoy the camaraderie that makes family dining so special.  Its intimate space and culturally inspired décor evokes youthful memories of sitting at the dining room table with my own family.   

If family style dining isn’t your thing, MFR has an ample list of individually grilled cuts for those who desire more traditional dining service.   But, why would you?  You’d be missing out on a unique dining experience. 

Meat Lovers Parilladas
Photo courtesy of Martin Fierro Restaurant

Martin Fierro Restaurant

13040 Livingston Road #11, Naples

(239) 300-4777

martinfierrorestaurant.com

Fernandez the Bull (North), Naples, Florida

The Palomilla Steak Special is typically accompanied by black beans and rice
but can be served with fries upon request, as ordered by my husband today.

Every once in a while, I get homesick for Filipino food.  And while I can cook some of my own, sometimes I am just lacking in time or otherwise not in the mood to cook (or rather to clean up after I cook).  So, when the urge strikes me, I go to the next best thing - Latin food.  While some Philippine cuisine is Chinese influenced (as in the case of the egg-roll variant lumpia or the lo mein counterpart pancit), a good part of the cuisine is also Spanish influenced as a result of many years of Spanish rule over the Philippine islands.  I have a deep-rooted Spanish heritage so I tend to prefer the Spanish influenced dishes.  Outside of any metroplex, where Filipino restaurants are virtually non-existent, I keep on the lookout for Puerto Rican or Cuban restaurants that will suffice.

If you were to ask any Naples resident about the best Cuban food in town, chances are most would say that you could find such food at Fernandez the Bull.  "The Bull" (as I affectionately call it) has been a Naples tradition since the mid-1980s.  Luis and Raquel Fernandez, both Cuban immigrants, opened the restaurant in 1985 using Raquel's own recipes.  The Bull's menu is 100% authentic Cuban, which I love.  As a former resident of Miami, it's hard to be satisfied when it comes to Latin cuisine.  There is no shortage of Cuban inspired fare in the Miami-Dade area.  But past the county line, the search becomes much more difficult.  Lucky for us in Collier County, the Bull fits the bill.

When I came to Naples in the late 1990s, the restaurant operated out of a location on US 41.  Now, the Bull has two locations, one on the southern end of Airport Road, convenient to the Collier County Courthouse, and a "new" location on the northern end of Airport Road, in Piper's Crossing.  Admittedly, when the restaurant moved from US 41 to its south location, I was a bit sad.  My visits to the Bull have been less frequent given the added distance from both my office and home.  One might think that I would have been thrilled when the north location opened in February 2010.  But even after three years, I was skeptical of the new location.  I've seen a few local restaurants open second locations with little success.  So, admittedly, I was not sure if the newest incarnation would reflect the same authentic taste as its older sibling.  I couldn't have been more wrong.

A few weeks ago, after a long drive back to Naples from the east coast of Florida,  the family and I were longing for a good satisfying lunch.  We were pretty hungry after more than two hours in the car and no one was particularly forthcoming with suggestions.  That was when I remembered a recent Facebook post from a friend who swears by their ropa vieja.  Neither my husband and I had been to the Bull in a while and our hunger was getting the best of us.  I was ready to cast my skepticism aside for a helping of beans and rice.  So, to the north location we pointed our car.  This location is slightly bigger and, of course, newer than its sister to the south.    The decor is bright and inviting.  There is ample seating available and, I believe, some room for a few more tables.  The bar accommodates a generous number of diners as well.  The female-dominated staff (got to give props for the girl power) keep an immaculate dining room and provide prompt, friendly service.

The food?  Well, the food is excellent, just like the fare I always expect to have at the Bull.  And I come to the Bull just for the basics:  beans and rice.  Even at this north location, the Bull knows all too well how to take these simple things and make them taste so good.  The beans are so nicely seasoned, cooked with slivers of sweet onion.  And the rice is flavored with the most subtle hint of lime.  I can't help but keep coming back for more.  So simple, but so good.

But the Bull offers much more than just the basics; there are many protein-filled options for the meat lovers out there.

• Flounder Fernandez.  Lightly dredged filets of flounder pan-fried with garlic and lemon and served with a cilantro garlic sauce.
• Ropa vieja.  Shredded flank in a tomato sauce with onions and green peppers
• Palomilla steak.  Flank steak marinated in garlic and lemon, dressed with grilled onions
• Churrasco.  Seared steak topped with chimichurri sauce.  
• Pollo a la Cubana.  Roasted and flash fried chicken quarters basted with mojo and garlic sauce
• Lechon asado, tender roasted pork basted with garlic and lemon, just like the lechon of my youth.   

My absolute favorite?  Platinos maduros.  Sweet fried golden plantains.  Caramelized on the outside, crispy on the edges but firm and sweet on the inside.  Just like my mom makes them.  And that's why I order them every single time.

There is so much at the Bull to sample that it will take quite a few visits to get through the menu and enjoy the full Fernandez the Bull experience.  But that's okay, whatever it takes to keep you coming, right?

World Bakery & Cafeteria, Naples, Florida

The World Bakery & Cafeteria in Naples, Florida is located in a small strip mall on Pine Ridge Road, just west of the corner at CR 951.  The "cafeteria" moniker is definitely appropriate.  This eatery isn't glamorous.  The service takes some getting used to.  The food presentation isn't pretty.    But if you can look - or rather taste - past all of that, the World Bakery & Cafeteria offers a good "bang for your buck" Cuban-style lunch that is worth trying.  The traditional Cuban fare will appeal to any city transplant longing for a taste of their own little Havana.

When you first walk into World Bakery, you can't help but notice the bakery and deli style food cases.  This is no sit down eatery with menus.  In this place, customers walk right up to the food cases to order what they want.  Now, don't be surprised if you have to wait a bit.  Sometimes, it takes a few minutes for someone to get around to you, not necessarily because its busy in there but just because the people behind the counter work at their own pace.  But fortunately you won't have to wait too long.  Savory and sweet items are all available for order although you may have to resort to pointing and broken Spanish to place your order.  Not everyone who works here speaks fluent English.  But thankfully my Filipino makes me proficient enough in conversational Spanish to get by.  And, if you don't know Spanish, don't worry.  The servers there will eventually figure out exactly what you want or a regular might jump in and help you out.  Once your order is filled, they pack it all up in a plastic grocery bag and hand it to you with a slip of paper.  My first day there I had no idea what to do with that slip of paper.  All I knew is that I wanted to pay for my meal.  I literally waited to observe and mimic someone who appeared to be a regular.  Thanks to him, I now know that you are supposed to bring your little slip to a register at the far end of the pastry counter, although you may need to let them know you're ready to check out.  And there is a digital read out on the register just in case you are rusty with your Spanish numbers.

Ordering at World Bakery may not be the easiest experience (at least initially) but the eating goes much better.  Even though there are a limited number of tables for in-restaurant dining, I suspect most of World Bakery's patrons take their orders to go.  I opted to do the same since my home is less than a mile down the road.  For lunch today, I ordered a roasted leg of chicken and ox tails, along with generous sides of yellow rice and sweet fried plantains, all to go.  Because World Bakery has a large selection of sweets, I also ordered several of those to go:  two types of flan, a slice of vanilla cake with blue frosting (specifically requested by my Anna), a puff pastry ("pastel") filled with guava paste and a Cuban cake soaked in simple syrup.

What I loved:  The ox tails were really great.  Although still a little gelatinous and fatty in places, the ox tail was braised all the way and so fork tender.  The braising liquid flavored with Spanish olives gave a great savory taste to the meat.  I appreciated that the server spooned some of that flavorful braising liquid over my yellow rice and took care to include a few Spanish olives to my box.  The plantains were nicely fried and well caramelized.  Sweet but still a bit firm, just the way I like them.  And because the serving of rice is so ample, my lunch was also very filing.

Of all the desserts, the flans were the winners.  If you love egg custards, World Bakery can oblige.  They have several types of flan although its not readily apparent how they are all different.  Thankfully being Filipino means I know a little something about flan.  I ordered two types.  The first was firm, cut into a slice that could be hand held.  Lightly sweet and thick and creamy in texture, it's clear that this flan is made with a lot of egg yolk.  The other, tocinillo flan, has thin layers of caramel on the top and the bottom and is thus a little sweeter than its cousin.  This flan though is lighter in texture and is very reminiscent of the Filipino flan I grew up with.  Next time I'll bring my parents and order the tocinillo.  I'm sure my dad will thank me for it.

What I didn't love:  Unfortunately, not all of those desserts hit the spot.  I did not love the simple syrup infused cake.  It looked really good in the case, but it just didn't taste so good in my mouth.  The syrup was nice and light, subtlety sweet, but the cake otherwise had no flavor.  In fact, but for all the moisture from the syrup, I would have thought the cake was dry.  Maybe it's supposed to be that way.  I have no idea.  I just know it's not to my liking.

As an Asian, I'm pretty discerning when it comes to rice.  The yellow rice at World Bakery is nicely seasoned and contains bits of vegetable making the rice a nice stand-alone dish if you so desire.  But this rice is little dry to the taste.  Maybe because I didn't pick up my lunch order until 1 p.m. and the tray may have been in the case for an hour.  Maybe because I just prefer a very sticky rice.  It's not bad.  Just not my favorite.

Ox tails with yellow rice and sweet plantains

How much I spent:  ($)  For lunch for me and my two kids, I spent $15.   The sides are very generous so I ordered two meals for the three of us to share.   Since we ordered our meals to go, I didn't purchase any drinks.  I spent $6 for all of the sweets, although normally I would have not bought so many.  In fact, I probably would not have bought any since we were only purchasing lunch.  I bought a selection of five only for the purpose of this review.  Of course, next time I will have to take home some tocinillo.

My overall rating:  3 spoons.  World Bakery & Cafeteria serves up a good lunch for a good price, especially if you are looking to pick up something relatively quick to go.  For those living nearby, this eatery could come in handy as a weekend or dinner solution when you're not up for cooking.  Or when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.