This summer’s getting even hotter! Matanzas heats up the summer with fresh specialty dishes
As we head into the hottest time of the year, Matanzas Inn Restaurant and Resort, 416 Crescent St., still manages to keep things extra steamy, offering hot specialties fresh from the kitchen on a daily basis. Home to the famous Dockside Pizza since the original restaurant came down to make room for the Harbour House years ago, head chef Dave Chetwin, who has been with the company since 1984, is proud to introduce a brand new specialty pizza to Matanzas about once every month.
Some recent specialty pizzas include the well-enjoyed Taco Pizza and Lasagna Pizza, each made with special sauces and cheeses, but this month involves something fresh from the sea.
This month’s extra special dish of the day is “Dave’s Docksider White Clam Pizza.” All homemade from the freshest ingredients, this very tasty Italian treat features olive oil and fresh-chopped garlic, topped with red onions, mushrooms, tender chopped clams, diced tomatoes, parmesan, ricotta and mozzarella cheese, dusted with Italian herbs.
“Everything we make is homemade, from scratch super fresh, hand-chopped, hand-pressed,” Chef Dave said. “We use the best vegetables, cheeses, herbs, spices, meats, the same recipes, the same great taste at Dockside, for all these years.”
“Dave’s new White Clam Pizza is absolutely delicious,” said Linda Glover, Matanzas staff member. “It’s very tasty, just fabulous!”
The pizza is indeed a treat for the taste buds. The ricotta cheese is well-complemented by the subtleness of the clams, garlic and chopped tomatoes that cover the soft, homemade dough.
Matanzas offers eight specialty pizzas on a regular basis, along with an endless selection of toppings to choose from. One big hit is “Dave’s Docksider,” complete with pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms. Another is the “Super White Pizza.” Are your taste buds salivating yet?
If pizza isn’t tempting your palate yet, check out some of the other tasty items on the menu.
“We have all types of fresh seafood and steaks,” Chef Dave said. “We have excellent steaks, fillets, grouper, snapper, New York strips, Danish baby-back ribs tender, fall-off-the-bone good.”
Keep your eyes peeled for all types of specials and dishes offered throughout the year from the Matanzas kitchen staff.
Pizza is served upstairs at the Upper Deck Monday to Friday, from 4 to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 9:30 p.m. Feel free to order in or carry out.
Add an extra “kick” to your dishes with homemade bottled “Gourmet Datil Pepper Sauce,” a sweet pepper sauce with a slight bite, or “Chef Dave’s Blackening Mix,” which is ideal for use as a dry rub, or sprinkle on your popcorn or wherever else you’re looking for some extra spice.
For more information on the other succulent items Matanzas offers, or to place your order, call 463-3838.
Fillet and Release tourney brings Tampa Bay Bucs Cheerleaders and more to Matanzas
The seventh annual Fillet and Release tournament will be held Saturday, Sept. 17 along the watery stretches of Fort Myers Beach, with weigh-ins, tourney parties and more held at Matanzas Inn, 416 Crescent St.
Each year the annual tournament benefits Hope Hospice (a special kind of care designed to provide comfort and support to people of all ages who are facing a life-limiting illness) and has raised a total of more than $17,000 in the last five years for the organization.
A special appearance by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders will be at the weigh-in and available for photographic opportunities for anglers and guests, at Matanzas Inn, by 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17. The captain’s meeting will be held at Bahama Breeze, in Fort Myers, at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16. The tournament will be from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m., with the weighing in ceremony party to follow.
The tournament is comprised of four anglers per boat, with one redfish and one trout to be weighed in per team. The cost to enter is $250 per team, and a cash payout of $7,250 will be awarded, based on 30 boats entered. Other prizes will be awarded from generous local business donations in Lee County.
Each year, this tournament has grown and expanded in money collected for Hope Hospice and awarded prizes to the teams entered. Entry forms should be filled out and sent in as soon as possible. All details are online, at FilletAndRelease4Hospice.com.
For more information, contact Ralph Andrew, 222-6787, or Amy Andrew, 940-4473.