# What to do when it rains in Marco Island/Restaurant suggestions needed



## JPrisco (Oct 22, 2011)

First visit to Crystal Shores using DC points coming up next week.  Have never been before and rain is forecast for two of our four days - great.  Any ideas on what to do on a rainy day in Marco Island or nearby?

Any restaurants we should try - celebrating our 30th Anniversary.

Thanks
Joanne


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## NKN (Oct 23, 2011)

*What to do when it rains in Marco Island*

We haven't stayed on Marco, but we did stay in the southern area of Ft Meyers.    

We took drives over to Sanibel Island to check it out and there was a nice nature conservancy east of F.M.  There is also an Edison museum which was interesting.    Go further north and visit the Ringling Brothers museum (Sarasota?) - we haven't been there yet.  Or make the drive over to Miami, and visit some of the sites there...should be some good museums.

Or, as is useful sometimes.....stay in, read a book, do laundry, play on computer.

Nancy


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## kjd (Oct 23, 2011)

Even though we had sort of a soaker on Monday and Tuesday the weather has been beautiful in SW Florida.  Sometimes if you're unfamiliar with the area you can get faked out by the weather forecasts.  The rain that you hear forcast for the area is often random and will sometimes last for 15-30 minutes in the afternoon.  If the rain is coming off of the Everglades Marco usually doesn't get much if any.  If it's coming from the Gulf then you're more likely to get some rain.  We're at the end of the rainy season so you should be ok.  However, Hurricane Wilma happened five or six years ago at this time of the year.  We have had an unusually quiet storm season this year.

Here are some restaurants you might consider.  There are a lot of good ones here.  Auturo's (Italian), Snook Inn (casual American), Pelican Bend (on Isle of Capri, seafood), Suzie's or Breakfast Plus (breakfast) and Conrad's (across the street from Crystal Shores).

If you venture into Naples there are several good restaurants along 5th Avenue.  The Mangrove Cafe is very good.  There are several good ones along the East Trail.  An interesting one is Eurasia.  They serve Italian and Asian.  It's the result of two chefs getting married and combining their talents into one restaurant.  If you're not inclined to choose from Italian or Asian (mostly Vietnamise menu items) they also have steak and hamburgers.


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## larue (Oct 23, 2011)

JPrisco said:


> First visit to Crystal Shores using DC points coming up next week.  Have never been before and rain is forecast for two of our four days - great.  Any ideas on what to do on a rainy day in Marco Island or nearby?
> 
> Any restaurants we should try - celebrating our 30th Anniversary.
> 
> ...



There is a shopping/restaurant complex immediately across the road from Crystal Shores that has very good Italian and Mexican restaurants.  The Italian Restaurant, DaVinci's is a bit more upscale, is decorated nicely and has great food.  There is also a really unique movie theatre in the same complex that serves informal food during the movies.  You sit at tables instead of in movie seats.  Not for your anniversary of course but for something else to do during a bout of rain.

Other restaurants that we enjoyed included Verdi's American Bistro (strip mall location but very good food and service) and Arturo's Deli Express for New York style pizza (very authentic, but plan take out as there are only about 6 seats in the entire place surrounded by huge cans of tomatoes).

I would also consider checking out the sunset dinner cruises.  We went on one and the food was good and the views and atmosphere was great!


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## JPrisco (Oct 23, 2011)

Thanks for all the great info - appreciate it!


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## LilMsFoodie (Oct 23, 2011)

*I've travelled to marco many times over the years & have always*

found the restaurants rather pedestrian.  I've been to all mentioned here so far and many others.  

Sitting on an ocean front terrace facing sunset with a great bottle of champagne or wine and something from this would be the ultimate in romance to me rather than some dreary local place.  The preparation mentioned below took about 17 minutes in the oven.   That was it!   

We had a few days at Crystal Shores about 3 weeks ago and had a spectacular meal we were able to prepare in our condo with the help of an excellent fish market.  Here's what I wrote on Yelp at the time.  

Paradise Seafood & Gourmet Market  
721 Bald Eagle Dr
Marco Island, FL 34145
(239) 394-3686

Categories: Seafood Markets, Grocery
5.0 star rating
10/2/2011
Lifesaver on Marco Island

We like to weekend on Marco but have never found any restaurants that we thought were first rate.  I read about this little market here yesterday morning and headed over.  

I purchased their en Papilotte vegetable preparation and some very very fresh hog fish (a south Florida snapper, very delicious and clean tasting).  They prepared the hog fish in parchment on a bed of cannelini beans and spinach with julienned veggies and feta on top along with kalamata olives to add some salt with out adding actual salt.   I brought it back to our Crystal Shores condo and we had a spectacular dinner facing the gulf at sunset.   Can't do that really anywhere here at decent restaurant.  

They had excellent crusty boule and I bought some clarified Plugra butter from them.  

The famous cupcake place nearby was closed for vacation so we bought some keylime gelato sandwiches at Paradise and they were truly excellent.  Much better than I would have expected.   We will go back in a heart beat.


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## flyboy0681 (Oct 24, 2011)

Snook Inn is always my first stop for lunch. It's on the water, has a dock and is a tranquil as it gets.


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## janej (Oct 24, 2011)

We went to see the Ford Edison Winter Estates when we were there in August.   It was drizzling all day.  The place is very interesting.   We had to force our teens to go initially, but they ended up enjoying it very much.   Then we went to an outlet on our way back to Captival Island.  It was huge.   We could have spent a whole day there.


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## JPrisco (Nov 1, 2011)

Thanks!  We went to the fish market and got some great fish.  Never would have found it without your help LilMs.


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