Crispy Brussels Sprouts. -LECOLONIAL / COURTESY PHOTO
If the desire for French-Vietnamese food strikes around lunchtime and you happen to find yourself in the vicinity of Fifth Avenue South, you’re in luck: Le Colonial now offers lunch daily.
The restaurant’s a la carte menu and two prix-fixe options are available. Small plates such as ca song (spicy yellowfin tuna tartare), sup ga cay (spicy chicken soup) and goi du du (green papaya salad) are available. Among the large plates are favorites like bo luc lac (shaking beef) and shareable such as crispy Brussels sprouts.
There also are two-course ($35) and three-course ($39) prix-fixe lunches with several dishes from which to select for each course.
Lunch is served noon-3 p.m. daily. 457 Fifth Ave. S.; 239-372-9700; lecolonial.com.
Customize pizza, pasta, poke
Giuseppe and The Lion has unveiled a new menu that still features many of their signature Italian and Asian classics but also gives guests the opportunity to customize their meals.
Shaken beef. LECOLONIAL / COURTESY PHOTO
The regular menu has been refreshed and is available all day, every day. On the menu are Italian dishes such as the eggplant parmigiana tower, pasta bayou alla Giuseppe and lamb shank, and Asian selections such as potstickers, sesame tuna, fried calamari Asian style and a variety of sushi, sashimi and rolls.
If nothing on the voluminous menu seems like just the right combination, consider building your own pasta dish (pick the pasta, protein, sauce and vegetables), pizza (choose cheese, toppings and protein) or poke bowl (choose rice, protein and other ingredients).
To celebrate the holidays, the restaurant offers a Christmas Special menu from Saturday, Dec. 20, through Wednesday, Dec. 24, in addition to the regular menu.
Among the selections are festive drinks such as You’re a Mean One and Santa’s Helper, as well as dishes including seared scallops Bearnaise, the Seven Fish Special, veal osso buco, herbed halibut velouté and pistachio and ricotta cream cake. 1585 Pine Ridge Road; 239-592-0050; giuseppeandlion.com.
Time to order yule log
With Christmas fast approaching, there’s still time to order a Buche de Noel – French Yule log – and serve it on Christmas Eve.
The Bakery at Grappino is taking orders until Saturday, Dec. 20, for the traditional French Christmas cake that consists of cream-filled chocolate sponge cake frosted in chocolate. The cake is $67 and serves six to eight. Cakes will be available for pickup Wednesday, Dec. 24. 80 Tamiami Trail; 239-331-4325; aielligroup.com/grappino-naples.
Bistro la Baguette is taking pre-orders, too, for chocolate or grand Marnier Buches de Noel. They are available in sizes that will feed four ($28), six ($39) or eight ($48). 3560 Tamiami Trail East; 239-403-7861; bistrolabaguette.com.
Bicyclette creates 7 fishes feast
The Feast of the 7 Fishes is a traditional meal long enjoyed by Americans of Italian descent and growing numbers of other seafood lovers.
That feast takes on a new look and flavor in the hands of chef/restaurateur Kayla Pfeiffer. On Wednesday, Dec. 24, Bicyclette Cookshop will serve its version of this feast.
Courses include shrimp concha brioche with calamondin butter, mussel escabeche and frites, salted cod gnocchi, dorade en epis and panna cotta with fish sauce caramel. It’s $98 per person. 819 Vanderbilt Beach Road; 239-514-3333; bicyclettecookshop.com.
Dining and Cooking