Where to Dine in the Bayshore Arts District

As the line from the movie Field of Dreams goes, “If you build it, they will come.” Folks are flocking to the blooming Bayshore Drive area, which not long ago was called blighted by county commissioners. The gateway to Naples Botanical Garden, known as Bayshore Arts District, is a growing community with cool restaurants, bars, and galleries. Attendees of the tenth annual U.S. Open Pickleball Championships April 11-18 will find a variety of dining spots on the way to the USOP National Pickleball Center in East Naples Community Park. It’s a far cry from what they found when the championship began in 2016.

Options now include cafés like Bayshore Bodega and Bean To Cup Coffee Lounge, and restaurants like The MED, Rebecca’s, The Real Macaw, Seventh South Waterfront, I Love Curry, and Taqueria San Julian. For house-made frozen treats (including alcohol-infused varieties), visit Fernweh Ice Cream. Ankrolab Brewing Company serves beer, cider, and food. After a $1 million refresh, Celebration Park features five chef-driven food trucks, a liquor bar, and more seating.

The Gardenia House, a boutique hotel and apartments where Bayshore Bodega is located, hosts a Sunday farmers market. “It has quickly become a true gathering place for the community,” says Diane Sullivan, owner of the hotel and Naples Beach and Bay Realty. Developer/restaurateur Rebecca Maddox is a Bayshore Drive pioneer, running Three60 Market there for 13 years. More recently, she opened an eponymous wine bar, Rebecca’s, and a private club, The Maddox. She leased the Three60 Market space to the relocated Seventh South Craft Food + Drink. The Real Macaw, another venerable spot from back in the day, has been taken over by Siobhan Cleveland, who inherited it from her mother, Jeanne Harvey.

“We used to be the little Caribbean restaurant on the wrong side of the tracks,” Cleveland says. “Now it’s so diverse, there are people with strollers, or walking their dogs at night. It’s a more welcoming neighborhood.”

Another upgrade, the new Bayshore Drive boardwalk, provides a lighted pedestrian path and elevated boardwalk through the wetlands, connecting Bayshore to Sugden Regional Park. Meanwhile, Sullivan’s Building Bayshore campaign aims to improve empty lots and storm-damaged properties. “I’m proud to help lead the next chapter, building new homes, creating new opportunities, and continuing the evolution of Bayshore for generations to come,” she says.

The post Where to Dine in the Bayshore Arts District appeared first on Naples Illustrated.