DeRomo's Gourmet Market and Restaurant, Bonita Springs, Florida

Assortment of my holiday cookies from DeRomo's Bakery

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to wander the NYC city streets on my own and found myself in the epicurean paradise called Eataly.  Its a one stop shop for all things food - grocery, bakery,  fromagerie, deli, restaurant, coffee bar.  It had me at "hello".  I never thought I'd find any place close enough to my own backyard that would come close.  I'm very happy to stand corrected!  In the upscale shopping enclave of the Promenade now stands DeRomo's Gourmet Market & Restaurant, a little slice of Italian heaven in Bonita Springs, Florida.    

Set in old world rustic decor, DeRomo's offers a multitude of offerings.  The grocery offers a wide selection of items including produce, fresh breads and bakery items, homemade and specialty pastas and gourmet snacks.  DeRomo's also has a well stocked meat counter boasting beef, veal, pork and poultry cuts alongside house made Italian sausages and ready-to-cook specialities like braciola.   The variety of available selections makes DeRomo's an ideal shopping location for party hosts and home chefs.

Among my favorite sections in the market is the bakery.  Each trip to DeRomo's guarantees that I will leave with a box full of homemade cookies and pastries.  The pastry case rivals any authentic Italian bakery in Little Italy.  My go to selections include the amaretti and pignoli cookies, both of which have a soft chewy and lightly sweet center prefect to pair with an after dinner cappuccino or espresso.  But if you prefer a sweet with a bit more crunch, DeRomo's bakers do not disappoint with its assortment of biscotti.

In addition to grocery offerings, DeRomo's also boasts prepared foods and ready to order items from its deli area.  Sandwiches, pizzas, flatbreads and hot soups are all available for the lunch diner on the go.  Comfort foods like meat stromboli and Italian wedding soup will not disappoint you.  Don't want to "take out"?  "Eat in" and enjoy your meal on the outside patio.  In the springtime, on a nice temperate day, the patio makes for a nice mid-day lunch date.

For those looking for a more elegant dining experience, head through the market's back door and right into DeRomo's restaurant.  The menu features many of the traditional offerings of fine Italian dining, including my perennial favorite, eggplant parmesan so nicely breaded and sauced.        Those dining alone can also enjoy the upscale experience and set themselves at the bar situated between DeRomo's indoor and outdoor dining areas.





DeRomo's is a unique experience in the Southwest Florida area, one that I have been enjoying many times over since its opening in just over a year ago.   Admittedly, the quality of the fare is reflected in its prices.  But it is quite true that you do get what you pay for.  And when you are looking for something comforting and delicious, DeRomo's is an ideal place to go.

The Crust, Naples, Florida

Pizza with tomato sauce, provolone cheese and crumbled italian sausage

I'm a sucker for pizza.  What's not to love about bread and cheese, right?   If you've read my earlier posts, you all know that I'm particularly wedded to a thin crust.  I'm sure my fellow Chicagoans are in disbelief.  After all, my beloved birthplace is the home of the deep dish.  But I just never got used to the gummy crust at the bottom of a Chi-town pie.  Nope.  For me it's crispy cracker crust all the way. That is exactly what The Crust promises.  So, ever on a search for the perfect pizza, the fam and I made our way to the Pavillion shopping center in North Naples during the pizzeria's opening week.  I know I was taking a risk by going on the restaurant's fourth night of operation.  I mean, I hadn't given them a chance yet to work the kinks out.  But curiosity got the best of me ... and I'm glad that it did.

The Crust definitely delivers exactly what it promises.  The Crust serves thin-crusted, midwest style pizza, cut into "party size" squares.  While other pizzerias tout their sauces, the Crust touts ... well, their crust.  The name says it all.  "Crispy on the bottom, fluffy in the middle ..."  The Crust's pizza crust is just as described on their webpage.  And just to prove it, I had to take a pic.

Now that is crisp!  And I'm not the only one that thinks so.  My husband, Italian by heritage and upbringing, is pretty discerning when it comes to pizza crust.  His family is from "just the other side" of the GW Bridge and he's grown up with more than his fair share of New York style pizza.  He doesn't let a  poorly cooked crust past his lips without vocal criticism.  I was nervous bringing him to the Crust without first sampling it myself.  And, to my great relief, it only took one bite for him to succumb to the crust of the Crust.  (Yes, I meant to say that!)

What I loved:  You mean besides that thin and crispy crust?  The options.  While the Crust offers a few gourmet pizza combinations, I was drawn to the Crust for its "make your own pizza" option.  I'm not just talking about the ability to select from a variety of toppings.  I'm talking about the ability to also choose the crust (traditional or gluten free), the sauce and the cheese.  Now that my son is on a mandatory low sodium, low protein diet, the ability to customize our pizza as much as possible is key.  I count this as a big plus for all of you who are on doctor prescribed diets.  The Crust gives you the option of selecting between traditional tomato sauce, pesto or olive oil.  And the latter is ideal for those who are told to keep sodium to a minimum.  So, for my son, we opted for an olive oil coated crust.  I myself stuck with good ol' tomato.  Both were good.

As for the cheese, here the Crust also deviates from the norm.  The Crust's menu pizzas are all topped with provolone cheese instead of the usual mozzarella.  And although you can select a different cheese,  mozzarella is not an option.  I'm not sure why, but I'm not sure I care.  The provolone tasted just as good to me.  I didn't even miss the mozz.  Call it blasphemous if you want, but I call it tasty.

Even better was the service.  For an opening week, I found the staff to be much more than adequate.  Our server, Calesta, was prompt and courteous, frequently checking on us but not so much as to be hovering.   The manager on duty also took a moment to check on us and to converse with neighboring diners.  We sat next to the bar/kitchen but didn't find the activity around us to be intrusive.  And we enjoyed the decor that pairs black and white photos of Old Hollywood with rustic wood tables and industrial elements.  I personally loved the hooks underneath the bar.  Obviously whoever thought up that one thinks just like a woman.  

What I Didn't Love:  Umm ... I'm still thinking on this one.  I've read a few other reviews on Yelp that weren't as sold on the Crust.  Perhaps I just have different taste.  Perhaps I was just as pleased as punch about the customization options.  Perhaps I fared much better going on day four post-opening than those who went to the soft opening.  I certainly mind less than others that this eatery seems to cater to a more "upscale" Mercato kind of crowd.

How much we spent:  ($$)  For our party of four we ordered two custom pizzas, one with provolone and olive oil and one with provolone, tomato sauce and crumbled italian sausage.  We also ordered four sodas.  Our total bill was $48, which included a generous 20% tip.

My rating:  (4 spoons)  I haven't had a pizza I liked this much since my visit to The Blue Moose in Colorado.  The fact that my better half likes it too must mean that there is promise in this pizza.

Before you go, don't forget to check out Anna's Mini Review.  She's got a good pic of our olive oil pizza.  :-)

Anna's Mini Review - The Crust, Naples, Florida

Hello! I'm Anna and I'm reviewing The Crust. It is an amazing pizza place. And it's right by my house !!!!!!! Well, I am a natural pizza lover because my mom is one too!

I had a custom designed pizza for dinner.  It was very good.  I say, very good.  The cheese was provolone instead of mozzarella.  And instead of tomato sauce, it was olive oil.  The crust was cooked perfectly.

We also got another pizza.  I had a bite of it too.  It had a very good crust with tomato sauce, provolone cheese and sausage.


It was delicious food.  It was very superb.  It was cooked perfectly.

The service was very good.

I give it a five spoon rating!

Please go to The Crust!

Blue Moose Pizza, Vail, Colorado

Outside of Blue Moose Pizza in Lionshead Village

Not every restaurant we dine at is the four or five star type.  I admit I'm a food snob and when I travel I have a habit for tracking down all the James Beard Award nominees in my chosen destination.  But, from time to time, I do want food that is simple and straightforward.  Sometimes, I appreciate a really good pizza.  Vail is miles away from both New York and Chicago but that doesn't mean it's lacking in fine pizzerias.  Blue Moose Pizza is one of them.    With locations in both Beaver Creek and Lionshead Village, Blue Moose Pizza is a favorite for Vail visitors.   Blue Moose is especially loved by families.  Their walls are adorned with pizza box-sized  framed artwork of younger diners.  Tables are topped with butcher paper and cups of crayons, ready for drawing.  Kids are kept happy and busy until the pies arrive to the table.  It's no wonder that the Blue Moose is a hit with parents and children alike.

What I loved:   As a Chicago native, I know I ought be to be loyal to the deep dish.  But, I'll apologize to my fellow Chicagoans now and confess that I love a good thin crust, especially the crispy cracker kind.  Some may say that's more flatbread than pizza, but I don't care.  It's how I love my pizza.  And what I love most about Blue Moose pizza is their crisp thin crust which I understand is a well kept secret.   I have no idea what is in it or how it's cooked, but I assume it must be cooked in a brick oven.  The crisp browned bubbles on the bottom of the crust prove that it is cooked through, not soggy, chewy and droopy like other New York style pizzas.  I also like that Blue Moon uses ground sausage to top their pizzas when sausage is ordered.  I am just not a fan of that sliced sausage stuff.  When I want pepperoni, I order it so I don't need my sausage to fake being it.  Ground sausage is the way to go and I love that Blue Moose gets that too.  What's the other thing they get?  Just how much sauce a pizza really needs.  In my mind, sauce doesn't need to drown the pizza; it just needs to be there enough to lend its flavor.  So on a Blue Moose pizza, the sauce is applied thinly where the cheese is applied liberally.  And right where the cheese stops and the crust begins, which is my favorite part, is a nice, sweet ring of tomato.  Just enough to flavor the bit of bread that finishes off the slice.  I don't need to dip that crust in marinara because Blue Moose has brought that marinara to me.  I'm getting hungry just writing about it.

What I didn't love:  I can't really say that there is anything that I don't like about Blue Moose.  It's a fun place to come for a quick bite to eat.  I think I can only say that I don't love visiting on a rainy day.  The outdoor seating is the best place to be.

How Much I Spent:  ($) Our family of four ordered a 15" "build your own" pizza with sausage on 1/2 and four sodas for a total of about $32, with tip.

My overall rating:  3 1/2 spoons (out of 5).  Now I can't comment on any of the other menu items because, frankly, the only thing I've ever ordered at Blue Moose Pizza is the pizza.  But, I assume with pizza this good, the other menu items are at least worth a try.