Amfora delivers Mediterranean romance to Coconut Issue

It was a cool night in Estero when I to start with frequented Amfora. 

The host led me to a table in the outdoor courtyard following to a gently crackling hearth. The flames emanating from the blue glass wrapped me in a warm embrace. String lights solid a soft glow over the desk. A flute of effervescent prosecco tickled my nose. 

Just after these types of a intimate evening, I am all set to get down on 1 knee and talk to Amfora to commit the rest of its lifetime with me, or the rest of mine, whichever is more time.

Amfora opened earlier this yr at Coconut Stage, in the device that formerly held MidiCi: The Neapolitan Pizza Co.

Co-owners Gzim Molabeciri and Sabir Fici and Chef Mounir Loqman have taken inspiration from Spanish, French, Italian, Adriatic and North African cuisines, resulting in dishes this sort of as Parisian gnocchi with saffron crema, swordfish cioppino and salmon tartare.

With that a lot of influences, it’s quick for a cafe to fumble, but Amfora mixes all those people aspects to make spectacular dishes for any palate. 

The grand mezze platter is one these masterpiece. Dishes of homemade baba ghanoush, hummus and olive chermoula are served with wedges of prosperous haloumi, feta and heat slices of refreshing bread — focaccia one night, ciabatta a further. 

Talking of bread, Amfora’s servers bring out a clean basket ahead of just about every meal together with a dish of floral-fragrant olive oil flown in from Greece. That olive oil is Amfora-branded and offered at the cafe for $11.50 a bottle.

Every dish is built with the exact intense notice to element, from creamy lobster bisque poured from a copper ladle into a bowl of steaming lobster meat, to whole branzino fillets de-boned tableside.  

Mr. Fici did the honors to my fish just one evening. With a smile, he asked our celebration to simply call him Sam and instructed us to put together for a display. He delicately flicked his fork and knife as a result of the fillet, separating the flaky meat from bone and presenting the completed product or service with satisfaction. I ate it with equal gusto.

Sweet blistered cherry tomatoes and creamy truffle risotto supplied a excellent compliment to the fish, balancing the flavors and textures for one perfect forkful following the next. 

Amfora’s rigatoni Bolognese is tossed in a hearty sauce dotted with wagyu beef and tender peas that pop on the tongue. Its Mediterranean pizza is built Sicilian-model, with a crisp crust laden with salty anchovies, rich truffle pecorino and a host of roasted veggies. 

Amfora truly is a really like story from the initial chunk to the last. The food is the star of the movie, moving just about every minute together with a new compelling taste. The staff members are the supporting roles — the fairy godmothers, the intelligent most effective buddies, the discerning family members — who make the magic occur, keeping the plot on monitor.

And who am I?

I am the audience, loving, listening, consuming Amfora each and every action of the way, and leaving with a standing ovation.

Bravo.

Jean Le Boeuf is the pseudonym made use of by a nearby meals lover who dines at places to eat anonymously and with out warning, with foods paid for by The News-Press. Follow the critic at facebook.com/jeanleboeufswfl or @JeanLeBoeuf on Twitter and Instagram. 

Amfora Mediterranean Cafe

8076 Mediterranean Push No. 107, Estero

• Cost: $$$-$$$$$
• Internet: amforarestaurant.com
• Contact: 239-949-4038
• Several hours: 4:30-9:30 p.m. daily
• Etcetera.: Outdoor seating, wine record, imported olive oil for