Jacaranda & The Timbers

I decided to review our night at Jacaranda and visit to The Timbers together in attempt to wrap up Sanibel adventures once and for all. I'm pretty thorough when it comes to this thing called vacation, (this doesn't count Captiva Island and doesn't even begin to cover Disney World) so I hope you guys can bare with me as I go back and fourth with normal life (can't neglect Boston events!) and vacation life.

Vacation going friends and I made our way to Jacaranda also know as The Jac for drinks and live entertainment one evening mid-week. The Jac, named for the purple flowered Jacaranda Tree, has an extensive and impressive drink menu ranging from martinis, to tropical concoctions, to frozen bevies to margaritas. I happily chose a Key Lime Martini ($9) to start.
I loved the vibrant lime green swirls, this one was all at once frothy, sweet, tangy and creamy.The ingredient of cream seemed to captivate me this evening and remained a theme on which my drink choices were based. Even though the Key Lime martini was seriously good, I was in the mood for sampling. A Chocolate Martini satisfied the next random craving. I hope I already sipped the drink before taking this picture - otherwise, that's a weak pour!
My third and final drink of the evening was a Berries-n-Cream. This drink contained ingredients that I was skeptical about all together: Berry vodka, cream and Amaretto. The Jac was two-for-two so I figured, why not? This large plastic cup of booze is reminiscent of a White Russian - but instead of coffee based liquor think fruit flavored! I absolutely loved it and even remembered the ingredients weeks later, so that's saying a lot. Must.recreate.stat. These two enjoyed whatever it was they were drinking as well! The Jac boasts a patio lounge (we sat indoors at the bar) that can best be described as a tropical zen garden. I prepared a photo collage:
Jumbo tiki masks and a parrot planter with a tail made of recycled painted tire set the scene. Inside the bar I was into the old school paraphernalia - multiple neon Coors Light advertisements and a cigarette machine.The Jacaranda is located on none other than 1223 Periwinkle Way. (Gotta love an island with one main road.) Actually, the only spot in Sanibel we ventured to not on the main road was The Sanibel Grill and adjoining neighbor The Timbers owned by the Prawnbroker Restaurant Group. The dueling establishments are located at 703 Tarpoon Bay Road. We wandered into a packed Sanibel Grill on the last night of vacation for a night cap and ended up down the hall at The Timbers raw bar shooting oysters and chowing down on Seafood Gumbo.The two on the left are East Coast Menemesha Pond Oysters from Martha's Vineyard, MA. Our bartender / shuker threw in the one on the right as a bonus, a West Coast Sister Point Oyster from Washington State.

Our friend Tuck's first oyster. Cheers!

The featured oysters were briny and fresh, washed down with a cold glass of House Chardonnay ($5) and followed up with a cup of Steve's Seafood Gumbo ($4). It was brewing in the crockpot right in front of us and the weather just happened to be slightly cooler than normal. Basically the stars aligned for a rich hearty bowl as just the thing to compliment the evening. Plentiful bites of shrimp, large hunks of sausage, pulled chicken and tender crab meat packed into a hearty, spicy N'awlins style gumbo. As I devoured this, I checked out the framed autographed photos that adorn the walls. In every shot owner Matt Asen is posing with with famous celebrities; TV personalities, actors, Major League ball players, NBA and NFL Athletes - apparently he is quite the guy. After I read a bio article, also framed on the wall, I was super impressed and decided I had to meet this restaurateur / local celeb by default for myself. Just my luck, he was hanging out on the porch a few tables over from us. I headed over to give a hand shake and introduce myself and before you knew it him and his Golden Doodles were one of the gang.It is easy to see why such a man is so successful. With an infectious personality, a zest for life, and an evident passion for sports and fishing, it's no wonder he's established the islands most popular seafood restaurant and sports bar respectively, The Timbers and The Sanibel Grill.

Schnappers Hots, Oh Boy!

So far I've recommended The Lazy Flamingo and The Island Cow for fresh seafood eats and local Island fun. Both are quality restaurants to visit if you happen to spend any time on Sanibel. As far as must eats go, Schnapper's Hots makes the top of my list. What I'm saying is, if you miss all the rest, or if you choose other restaurants to dine out at, do not bypass this gem of a hot dog stand. Located on the main strip amongst all the rest at 1528 Periwinkle Way, Schnapper's boasts a front porch painted in the familiar island pastels of yellow, pink, blue and green, with a contrastingly bright yellow awning. You can't miss it. (No really, you.can't.) A plethora of options await you inside and they claim to have the Islands best pizza. I looked no further than the hot dog menu. (Specialty dogs are in abundance, do not be fooled by the below three.)I've never been to Chicago, but am a huge fan of Chicago Dogs. Go figure. Right away I decided on "The Capone" ($4.50). The rest of the group decides their fate.

I appreciated the sarcastic humor as displayed in a "Same Day Service" sign. They also proudly display index survey cards with customer comments. (Where they're from, what they ate, what they thought.) Hopefully mine made it up, with the blog address of course!Adam and Mike await their dogs.Adam got his favorite combo - sauerkraut, mustard and onion. (I think this one had a fun name, but it escapes me.)"The Capone" Oh.my.goodness. Best hot dog I've had in my life, hands down. (Sorry Fenway Franks. But you just can't get this in the ballpark.) Schnapper's serves a quality char-grilled dog and then loads it with the freshest ingredients of your (or their) choosing.The cold crunchy cucumbers and soft juicy tomato slices are in brilliant contrast with the warmness of the char-grilled dog. Freshly diced onions and a smother of relish provide a welcome dose of sweetness. The potent mustard and the incredibly spicy-hot sport peppers pack a final punch. All this goodness is barely contained in a soft chewy bun.

Happy satisfied customers:Oh Boy! is right. If that hot dog isn't heaven on an island already deemed heaven on earth, I don't know what is.

The Island Cow

Vacation is invigorating.

Tan faces and huge smiles on display at the condo before heading out to dinner one evening.
Tricia's Aunt and Uncle made the reservations for our large party of ten at a fun casual restaurant called The Island Cow.
They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in a lively and friendly atmosphere, encouraging you to "come as you are". Straight from the beach, showered with a couple drinks in you, children in tow; the staff here accommodate all types of crowds with ease. They were patient as members of our party staggered in at different times, seating folks and taking drink orders even before everyone arrived. And take for example the fact that we had multiple parties at one table. Right off the bat the waitstaff asked who would be needing separate checks. I was pleasantly surprised they offered before we even had to ask. It was also comforting to know at the end of a big meal we wouldn't have to divide up the bill 10 ways till Sunday. I appreciated our waitresses thoughtfulness and the $1.99 Coronas. Other memorable touches at The Island Cow included cups full of crayons and a plate full of moist muffins to snack on bursting with flavors of warm blueberry, tart cranberry and sweet corn. Adam and I shared an appetizer and an entree, beginning with the Buffalo Shrimp ($9.99) Finger lick'in Gulf Shrimp - wow spicy! We passed the basket around the table - the portion was plentiful and the sauce was spicy without overpowering the fresh crispy battered shrimp. Another app of Frickles ($5.99) A heap'in helping of fried pickles was passed around.I definitely could have eaten a whole basket of these. A must order when they dine here, Tricia's cousin Karen commented. I concur!
Our dinner was fantastic. And reasonably priced too! Cowrazy Kabobs ($17.99) Over 1 lb. of skewered satisfaction. Gulf pink shrimp, tender cuts of steak, bacon wrapped bay scallops, bell peppers, sweet onions, all flame grilled. Served with sweet corn and smashed red bliss potatoes. Inside you'll find white walls collaged with framed photographs of the island and a plethora of cow-themed decor. Worn wooden booths line the perimeter and pastel blue, yellow and pink chairs surround the tables nestled into the center of the restaurant. Outdoor dining is offered on the front porch flanked by green vegetation and shell lined paths. Guests may choose to relax with a drink at the bar, or outside where inviting teal blue, lime green, hot pink and bright yellow Adirondack chairs are set up about the grounds.
Serving up "Udderly Great Food" at reasonable prices in a bright and colorful atmosphere that is bustling with positive island energy; another solid spot to dine at on a Sanibel vacation discovered!