By L.G. GORDON, lggordon@naplesnews.com
December 19, 2003

Since Remy's Neighborhood Bistro in Target Plaza changed hands about a year ago, the place has been given a face lift. Owners Kosta Jankovski and Chris Mangovski kicked up the decor a notch or two.

On the other hand, the noise level is down, making for a much more pleasant dining experience.

TIDBITS

Remy's Neighborhood Bistro; 2300 Pine Ridge Road; Target Plaza; 403-9922 Hours: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Food: Innovative bistro fare. Service: Paula was terrific ... pleasant and attentive. Our meal was well-paced, too. Atmosphere: It's an attractive place with an industrial ceiling competing with neoclassic decor and abstract prints dotting the walls. Prices: Starters and small plates from $3.50 to $9; entrees from $16 to $25; early bird specials average $13; luncheon fare from $3.50 to $11; desserts average $4. Wheelchair accessible: Yes. Credit Cards: All major. Value: Excellent. Tired of cookie-cutter menus? Zip over to Remy's for delightful food at sensible prices. Our rating: * * * (* - Good. * * - Very Good. * * * - Excellent. * * * * - Extraordinary.)

Following a visit a few years ago, I compared the cacophony to the lunchtime roar at my old high school cafeteria. But the other evening, I didn't have to shout my order to our server and my guest and I were able to engage in normal conversation.

One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the food. While it has always been a notch above the competition, on this visit it was better than ever — although my guest was apprehensive at first.

"There seems to be a lot of lemon caper sauce on this menu and several items have sweet touches like amaretto butter, Calvados Apple Brandy and raspberry sauce," she noted. "I don't know about this."

Then she tasted "Remy's Favored Salad" ($3.50 per half order) and decided the written descriptions didn't necessarily do justice to the bistro fare.

"I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying this," she said between bites. "The salad is zesty and fresh ... just wonderful."

Ingredients included a nice mix of impeccably fresh baby lettuces, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, candied walnuts, Mandarin orange slices and strawberries in a zestful raspberry lime vinaigrette.

Diners can turn this into a tasty, affordable ($10) entree by ordering the large size salad and adding the protein of their choice, including chicken breast, Atlantic salmon, crab cake or grilled shrimp.

And here's another economy move. If you take a break from holiday shopping between 5 and 6:30 p.m. — a lot of popular businesses are within walking distance — you can enjoy a well-balanced dinner for just $13.

The early bird specials, called Bistro Dinners, offer a choice of soup du jour or house salad and one of the following entrees: grouper nicoise, shrimp Provencal, penne bolognese, veal Marsala or Atlantic salmon. Choose a dessert for an extra $4.

However, even though my guest and I arrived much later and ordered from the regular menu, we found prices to be more moderate than the competition. And outside of the Key lime pie, which didn't win any raves, we had only good things to say about everything we sampled.

The tomato-based conch chowder ($4.50), for example, had a rich, slow-simmered flavor and just the right about of seasoning. I liked the fact that the conch was finely chopped, which reduced the chew factor.

Other starters include French onion soup, Caesar or mango spinach salad, polenta crostini, nut-crusted brie, crab cake, oysters Rockefeller, fried calamari and hummus.

My guest, who's admittedly weary of the cookie-cutter menus frequently found throughout Naples, decided on one of the more innovative main courses — the "Blue Crab Portobello Tower."

It proved to be a winner.

The $18 entree consisted of a thick slice of marinated portobello topped with good crab meat, roasted pepper, ripe tomato and melted goat cheese. It came with a wonderful basil cream sauce. Non-meat eaters would particularly enjoy this dish.

I went the opposite route, digging into a succulent, perfectly cooked Black Angus filet mignon ($25), which was finished with an excellent port demi-glace and especially nice bearnaise sauce flavored with roasted shallots.

In the past, I've paid $10 or $15 more for similar steak dinners.

Entree options also range from bouillabaisse, pork tenderloin, roasted half chicken, mussels chardonnay, veal Mediterranean, osso buco, New York strip, grouper, rainbow trout, crab cake and tuna.

As mentioned, my guest and I considered the Key lime pie less than stellar. We both frequently order it out and make it at home. The texture of this version lacked creaminess; it reminded us of Jell-O. And the lime flavor reminded us both of commercial lime juice.

Bottom line: Remy's Neighborhood Bistro offers a nice change-of-pace. We were served tasty, carefully prepared food in a comfortable setting and at a reasonable price.

"The chef attempts a twist on classics and succeeds. His interpretations are good. This is the best shopping center restaurant I've been to and I'll be coming back," she said.

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