Nov 11, 201510:21 AMAlong the Gulfshore

Gulfshore Life’s editors explore Southwest Florida

Photos by Dorothea Hunter Sönne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you find yourself never wanting to say so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good-bye to Oktoberfest (or longing for its return), take a trip to Bavaria year-round by popping into Old Europe Bistro on Airport-Pulling Road in Naples.

Down to the blue-and-white-checkered tablecloths capped with lace doilies, you barely need a plate of food to feel transported. But that would be a shame because the restaurant has been quietly cooking spaetzle, schnitzel and strudel with authentic recipes from the south of Germany to the admiration of expats for more than a decade.

The lunch special is one of the best deals in town: For $15.95, you can raise a Pilsner (or a glass of house wine) with a choice of the day’s salad or soup plus an entrée like the winsome jaeger schnitzel. The thinly pounded pork loin, ever-so-lightly fried, gets covered in a creamy, mushroom-studded sauce and served alongside a generous helping of delicate, firm, herb-flecked spaetzle. Another stand-out side to the two other schnitzels is a chilled potato salad that relies on just a bit of oil, a splash of vinegar and the bite from minced pickles to leave a lastingimpression.

The shaded biergarten isn’t immediately visible when you walk in, but, just like in Munich, it’s hard to beat raising a mug there on a warm afternoon.

To plan a visit:

Old Europe Bistro

2464 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples

(239) 254-9690, oldeuropebistro.com

 

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