Blue Agave "upscale" Mexican

Blue Agave is a Mexican restaurant that opened on the East Trail at the beginning of the year. It is closed on Sundays, which is how we ended at Machu Picchu the other day.
Monday - Friday from 5 to 7, they have 2 for 1 Happy Hour and if you sit at the bar, you can do 1/2 price appetizers... so off to the bar we went.
Our very friendly bartender Greg greeted us and encouraged us to try the dip trio, fiesta shrimp, ceviche & their sweet corn.

We didn't care much for the shrimp, which were fried. Without the tomatillo sauce, they didn't taste like much.
Dominic loved the Guacamole. We both thought the pico de gallo & the queso fundido w chorizo were yummy. The corn was good & different... cheesy & w sour cream, but we probably wouldn't get it again.
The ceviche was good. It wasn't great, but it was enjoyable and not overpowered by the lemon.
All in all, a great deal if you're in the mood for appetizers & drinks. We took a flan & a tequila cheesecake to go and they were both fantastic.
Not a slam dunk experience but definitely looking forward to trying their entrees and giving them another try.
There are traditional Mexican items, Tex Mex items and items "for the gringos". Check it out at http://www.blueagavetequilabarandgrill.com/

Homemade Grilled Salmon Arugula Salad

Simple yet delicious. Another beautiful creation by Dominic

All you need is a few ingredients like fresh salmon, garlic, salt, Emeril's Original Essence, Gia Russa Balsamic Glaze, arugula and cherry tomatoes.

Grill the salmon for 5-7 minutes and BAM!  

A Friday Treat (on a Monday) - Gina's Cafe in the Park

Gina's Cafe in the Park is a hidden gem in our industrial park here in Naples. Gina's sister, Lisa, who brings her 3 Chow-Chows Jasper, Chloe & Snookie to Camp Bow Wow, invited us to try it. It is located at 1100 Commercial Blvd # 102, Naples, FL 34104 and their phone number is (239) 263-4566.

I love their HUGE grilled chicken sandwich which I get with a side of hot buffalo sauce (one of the few that I actually consider HOT) and Dominic likes their egg salad sandwich. Fruit is offered as a side at no extra charge so we usually choose this as our healthy option.

HOWEVER, on Friday's Gina's makes a very DECADENT special called "Chicken Monterrey" and since Friday's are our busiest days at Camp, we figure, we can use the extra "fuel" to burn.

A few hours ago, Dominic reminded me that we still had left overs... YAY!

I apologize for not having a photo of the dish as it is currently sheltered in my stomach, but every time I take a bite of this dish, I smile.

Basically, its chicken breast on top of white rice, smothered with some kind of creamy sauce. It has mushrooms, tomatoes and we think Monterrey Jack Cheese (hence the name). Its comfort food. Every taste takes you to a very happy place.

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Update after recent visit.... decided to try something new from their menu and selected their "Cheese-steak wrap". At Gina's the prime beef is made in-house and boy is it good! I didn't feel that guilty eating it because it was nicely enveloped in a spinach wrap and I had a side of fruit but you know that cheese isn't fat free!!! 

They offer it with chicken as well, but Lisa recommended the beef. Dominic took a few bites and did not disagree!

Machu Picchu - 3861 Tamiami Trl E, Naples

Small, family owned Peruvian Restaurant on the East Trail behind Pollo Tropical. Even though the exterior appearance is poor, inside you will find linens on the tables and a very clean restaurant.

Our waitress was young and wasn't very convincing with her recomendations. We ordered "The Classico", a large plate of mixed fried seafood which came with a portion of their fish ceviche. Since the waitress said it was enough for 2, we ordered a side of rice and nothing else. We knew we could always order more later.

The ceviche was very fresh tasting, but it was too acidic. The fried seafood (shrimp, white fish, calamari, octopus) was covered with red onions. It was delicious. We sprinkled a bit of the ceviche juice to give it more flavor, but after a few bites, we had enough fried food.

All in all, it was a good meal... VERY cheap! We each had 2 cans of soda and the total was $25 (plus tip).

Even though we would go back, we'd probably try someplace else instead. We enjoyed Inca's Kitchen (11985 Collier Blvd #9, Naples) more, but Inca's is pricey.

For a nice night out, Inca's is the place, but for a casual meal, we'd try a different dish at Machu Picchu.

Our First Post - Blu Sushi

Its only natural that I start this blog with my very favorite place in SWFL, Blu Sushi. Dominic & I are not huge sushi afficionados, but we LOOOOOOOVE Blu's extensive "cooked" roll selection. On the left you can see Lava Drops which are fried pieces of heaven (tempura fried Volcanos). To the right of the Lava Drops, are two Tampa rolls. The Tampa roll is light and simple and very delicious. Its fried white fish, scallions & rice... YUM!

Above the flower you can see Tony's Special which is a Volcano on top of a Mexican. The warmth of the Volcano makes the Mexican taste even better than by itself! Below the flower is the Sugar Mamma. Sugar Mamma & Mexican are very similar except the Mexican is made with Shrimp and the Sugar Mamma is made with crab. They also make the Sugar Daddy, which is a Sugar Mamma topped with the Volcano because who doesn't love the Volcano (crab meat mixed with spicy mayo and served warm over rice).

The fried roll on the right is one of my top 2 favorites (along with the Tampa). It is called "Find What Baby" and even though I do not care for Salmon, Smoked Salmon is the main ingredient. It also has a crunchy asparagus and smelt roe. Its then tempura fried (YUMMY) and drizzled with oyster sauce.

On top of that you can see a Spicy Tuna Roll & a basic Volcano.

Our favorite starters are Edamame, Gyoza (shrimp dumplings) & Dominic's favorite sashimi is the Escolar (aka Butterfish or "white tuna").

We've tried the PBJ & the Blu Special, but they were too complicated for our taste buds. We also tried the Lobster Roll ($30), which could have been truly amazing had it not been swimming in a pool of spicy mayo.

Blu used to have the best "all u can eat" lunch special, which prompted us to take every single visitor to SWFL for lunch. However, they've changed their lunch to a different offering. It is still a good deal and the food quality has really gone up!

Blu is also known for their nightlife. Their Outrageous Cocktails, a DJ that provides good beats and their South Beach style decor attract some of SWFL's most beautiful people!