Naples Nibbles

So I came across a street festival today (more on that later), and where there's a street festival, there's street food. Sort of. My first indulgence was a mini turtle cheesecake cupcake. Chocolate cake, cheesecake frosting, and all the requisite turtle toppings. Pretty good choice.

After that, I saw a stand offering "Chicago-style Hot Dogs". I'm from 90 miles outside Chicago. I studied there for a few months in college, have had relatives and friends living there almost my whole adult life, and I cheer for the Bears AND the Cubs (we can debate the wisdom behind this choice at another time). But you tell me: Is this a Chicago-style hot dog?

The answer, my dear readers, is No. I'll admit to skipping the sport peppers, but they had no tomatoes! So I put <gasp> ketchup on it. And that pickle relish certainly isn't neon green, and there's nary a poppy seed on that bun. But they did have the oft-forgotten celery salt, and it was still a hot dog, so I ate it. I'm mostly okay with that choice.

And to wash it down several blocks later, I just had to hit up this coffee shop, and the bathroom sign made it worth the effort of crossing the street.

Definitely a bad ass choice.

"Always Full of Fun"(tm)

When I was growing up in, let's say... The 80's... I spent a lot of time with my paternal grandparents. And they spent a lot of time drinking water out of Tervis tumblers with golf motifs (okay, my grandma's was probably gin and tonic). And so I always associated this beverage ware with retired folks. And I never really saw them anywhere else until five years or so ago when they started showing up in big displays at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. And at the International Home and Housewares Show, where I was working as a buyer. But apparently, Tervis hasn't lost any presence down here in its home state, coincidentally(?) land of many retired people. And I was nostalgically excited to stumble upon an entire Tervis store right on 5th Avenue.

American-made, lifetime guarantee, and now motifs for anyone you can imagine. Flowers, fish, sports teams, and various colorful patterns and kitschy sayings, of course. And also the following:

For kids and fans of Japanese cutesy stuff

For wedding parties

For partiers (beer pong, anyone?)

And for hipsters. 

Keepin' it classy, Naples

No Bud Light bottles in the bushes 'round here.

Would You Like Ice Cream with that Gyro?

Tucked into a strip mall, next to a movie theater, is an ice cream parlor/cafe ahead of the times. Mario'sice Cream and Pizza. No, they don't serve Dippin' Dots. They pair food. With. Ice cream.

Being in the pair-beverages-with-food business, I was delighted to see such thought going into these recommendations. Sugar- and fat-free Butter Pecan after a greasy gyro, Classic French vanilla after a classic hot dog,super-sweet cotton candy after a savory club sandwich topped with salty bacon... It's too bad that I had dinner already and only had the ice cream. Hmmm, I should have asked which flavor paired with grilled tilapia and fried plantains. I went for with-sugar, with-fat Butter Pecan, and I can't say it was a bad choice.

One of these things is not like the others

I'm sure there's some psychology behind what your see first in this picture, but I'm not gonna look that stuff up. I'm on vacation!

Naples... the Zoo.

I love zoos. But only good ones. I think I've said all this before in my "Into the Oakland Jungle" post, so I won't repeat it here. The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is a good zoo, so good that I want to visit it every time I come to Naples. Also accredited as an arboretum, this lush tropical zoo reminds me most of the Belize Zoo (which you should go to if you're ever fortunate to visit that beautiful country). The best features of this zoo, included with admission: great walking paths with labeled plants; a guided boat tour of the man-made lake that contains barrier-free islands populated by gibbons, lemurs, and monkeys; and a twice-daily Feature Show.

The Feature Show is my favorite part of the zoo. Usually I find zoo show schedules detract from my seeing all the exhibits I want in the time I have because parks can be large, and theaters are usually inconveniently located. But this park is not huge, so it's easy to see a few exhibits before and after the show without spending a lot of time retracing your steps.

But back to the show. Zookeepers use the show to introduce attendees to animals that are never on public display, to educate us about wildlife conservation, and to entertain. The presenters are funny and informative, keeping kids' attention without condescending. And the whole program is very integrated. It doesn't feel like a show and tell plus a separate lecture on wildlife-inspired medical research. Also, I've seen the show twice - once a few years ago - and they brought out different animals each time. So it's worth seeing each time you're there.

This show they featured a screech owl ("one of the fiercest predators in the wild"), two-toed sloth (absolutely adorable as she clung to her keeper), a large bird of some kind that was trained to tap a red frisbee for treats, a gila monster (filled with deadly venom that may hold the key to curing Type 2 diabetes), and a fosa (pronounced "foosa"). The fosa was crazy.

Josh and a screech owl. This screech owl can take down other birds and small mammals as big or bigger than itself. Fierce indeed.

Surprisingly, I had a difficult time getting a good picture of this two-toed sloth during the show because she was moving too fast. Or maybe it was the zoo keeper pacing quickly in front of the audience...

This is Josh with a fosa. This is not a Scott, the other zoo keeper in the show. This fosa thinks that a Scott is a tasty, tasty morsel. So you would never be able to takes picture featuring both a Scott and a fosa because Scott spent the whole time trying to avoid the fosa, who was usually straining at her leash in a Scott's general direction. How did I learn this? A genuinely fearful Scott told me so. Just like this. In real life, fosas live on Madagascar and eat ring-tailed lemurs. A Scott must smell like a ring-tailed lemur. Don't think a Scott should be afraid of this gal looking so cuddly with Josh? Go find some nature documentaries. You'll be glad you don't smell like lemur. Or do you? Be careful in Madagascar...

Sometimes You Just Want a Salad

Jane's on 3rd. Natural, organic, and serves breakfast at lunch. But sometimes, all you want is a salad, despite the quiche, crepes, and eggs Benedict calling your name. Jane's is also a pretty great place for salads. 

Like pretty much all restaurants in Naples, especially those on 5th Ave, Jane's has plenty of outdoor seating. And people seem to really avail themselves of these dining al fresco opportunities. But Naples and it's residents are much like Sonoma and its residents; 66 and sunny is just too cold to sit outside without heaters. Our waiter even pulled out a chair for me right next to a heater, and I'll admit, I looked at him like he were crazy. "No, thank you... I'm from the Midwest." He chuckled and then offered me the seat furthest from the heater.

The salad. The salad was listed on the menu as "One of Princess Diana's Favourite Salads." Now, I'm no British Royal Historian, but I can't argue with a restaurant that spells "favourite" in British. Roasted beets ("real fresh beets, not canned"), goat cheese, pistachios, baby arugula, mandarin oranges (probably also not canned), Granny Smith apple, and a raspberry vinaigrette. Oh, and a "crouton" of sorts: very thinly sliced wheat raisin bread toasted crispy and dusted with sugar. And add some avocado, just because you can. Fresh, tasty, and utterly satisfying. Just like my iced tea, which came in an oversized Tervis tumbler. With this weather and this food, I could get used to a place.