Second Was Better Than The First
Matlacha, Florida
Cuisine Style: Italian
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 2 / 5
Dined: October 2019
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Miceli's Restaurant Zomato rating:
Miceli's Restaurant Executive Chef:
The Miceli Brothers
Miceli's Restaurant is an Italian and American centric spot offering a traditional blend of foods and is the only Italian restaurant on Pine Island and the town of Matlacha which is known more for its seafood, so it holds the market for now on this cuisine with the only competition being a Carrabbas Italian Grill several miles away in Cape Coral. They also have their own shop with products and shirt artwork created by the local artists that Matlacha is famous for.
Matlacha is one of five small communities near Cape Coral and is located on a small island in Matlacha Pass, east of the larger Pine Island. It is an "Old Florida" fishing village, home to many colorful art galleries, island boutiques, restaurants, and traditional Floridian cottages that have murals matching the “hippy” vibe of the village itself.
The restaurant was much slower and less crowded than our first visit back in June, and the service staff was much more attentive which brought the overall rating for the restaurant score up significantly. Now let's talk about some food and drinks.
Miceli's Restaurant Menu:
- Appetizers
- Fresh Salads
- Baskets
- Homemade Soups
- Sandwiches, Burgers & Wraps
- Grinders
- Specialty Pizzas
- Calzone and Stromboli’s
- Daily Specials
- Pasta Entrees
- Dinner Entrees
- Kids menu
- Homemade Desserts
My wife had a few glasses of the house cabernet while I had Yuengling beer, as it was happy hour and the drinks were half off. For this visit, we stayed to eating a few happy hour foods starting with the shrimp scampi appetizer with jumbo Gulf shrimp in a creamy lemon butter sauce served with a loaf of garlic bread. A very rich cream sauce and lots of flavors made soaking up every piece of it with the bread a joy within itself. It was lightly seasoned and soft textured. The presentation at first did not win many marks, but the taste made up for that in the end.
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| Miceli's Restaurant / Shrimp Scampi |
Next, we shared the toasted ravioli dish that came with five to the order, stuffed with ricotta cheese and deep-fried to a darker golden brown. The dish also came with a marinara dipping sauce. Biting into each piece you could feel the crunchy flaked breadcrumbs with medium Italian seasonings and parmesan. I believe it could have used more ricotta stuffing, however.
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| Miceli's Restaurant / Toasted Ravioli |
Dessert:
For dessert, we shared the key lime pie over a graham cracker crust with whipped cream. The taste was perfectly tart as this pie should be, with a moist and soft creaminess. I’m not sure if it was made in house in processed elsewhere, frozen and delivered, but either way, it was a good finish to our meal.
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| Miceli's Restaurant / Key Lime Pie |
Plus check out some of these wonderful selections from Wine Dine and Play:
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other noteworthy Italian cuisine articles and restaurants similar to Miceli's Restaurant:
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Alioto’s Restaurant Historic restaurant serving Sicilian-infused seafood in San Francisco, California
BiCE Restaurant Acclaimed upmarket classic with innovative Italian at the Dubai Marina in Dubai, UAE
BRIO Tuscan Grille Relaxed Tuscan-inspired Italian chain eatery, reviewed in Sarasota, Florida
Carrabbas Italian Grill An Italian-American chain from Texas with original family recipes reviewed in St. Petersburg, Florida
FarmTable Cucina organic, sustainable, and local with a focus on Italian and New American themes in St. Petersburg, Florida
FarmTable Kitchen Casual Cal-Italian cuisine and chef tables in St. Petersburg, Florida
Feola’s Italian Ristorante Relaxed eatery for pizza and pasta in Treasure Island, Florida
Feola’s Restaurant - The second article of this eatery in the Thunderbird Resort in Treasure Island, Florida
Gratzzi Italian Grille Traditional and classic Italian plates in St. Petersburg, Florida
Gino’s East Pizzeria Chain serving Chicago-style deep dish pizza and other Italian eats in Chicago, Illinois
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La Petite Maison Relaxed French-Italian restaurant at the DFIC in Dubai, UAE
Locale Seasonal Northern Italian at the De Bortoli Winery in the Yarra Valley, Australia
Noble Crust Modern contemporary Italian and Southern dishes in St Petersburg, Florida
Pia’s Trattoria Tuscan-themed old-school Italian restaurant In Gulfport, Florida
Pizza Republica Trendy Italian trattoria and pizza restaurant in Centennial, Colorado
Ponte Vecchio Fine dining Italian classics in the Fallsview Hotel, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Portofino’s A family-owned Italian Restaurant near Maximo serving great pizza in St. Petersburg, Florida
Prato Rustic Italian bistro with modern takes on classic dishes in Winter Park, Florida
Roberto’s Ristorante A walk into the Piemonte with a contemporary twist at the DIFC, Dubai, UAE
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The Garlic An old-world approach to Italian with Mediterranean classics in New Smyrna Beach, Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Pine Island and Matlacha restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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A healthy Asian alternative to other local restaurants
Matlacha, Florida, USA
|
Drunken most point in the southern USA
St. James City, Pine Island, Florida, USA
|
Seafood with the essence of place
Matlacha, Florida, USA
|
|
Breakfast plus coffee beans from around the world
Matlacha, Florida, USA
|
A Marina with seafood stand, market, and gulf view dining
Matlacha, Florida, USA
|
A Few Florida Favorites:
|
2nd review of this Beachside joint offering casual American eats
Pass-a-Grille / St Pete Beach
|
New American Cuisine in a casual but elegant setting
Sanibel Island, Florida, USA
|
A bistro focusing on the Mediterranean and New American Cuisine
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations, and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambience, food quality, and wow factor.
To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Miceli’s a 2 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants. The first review score was 0.5 of 5 stars, so they have massively improved from my last visit, thanks to the quality increase of service.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Miceli’s Restaurant
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Max Points Possible:
|
Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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11
|
11
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0
|
Food quality
|
11
|
9
|
2
|
Plate presentation
|
9
|
5
|
4
|
Customer service
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12
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8
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4
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
|
7
|
2
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Total regular points awarded
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52
|
40
|
12
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
|
0.769230769230769
| ||
“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
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0
|
0
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Total bonus percentage
|
0
| ||
Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
|
0.769230769230769
| ||
Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
|
2
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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2 of 5 Stars:
77% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
Far Above the Average Dining Experience
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Corkage fees:
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Miceli's Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant-style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style at Miceli's Restaurant:
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Italian
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Gluten-free choices, Low Carb Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
|
Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
|
Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wears flip-flops!
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Child policy:
|
The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Miceli's Restaurant Experiences:
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Contemporary, Hotspot, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Rustic, Scenic views, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Miceli's Restaurant has a private lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Loud
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Smoking:
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Miceli's Restaurant is a non-smoking restaurant with a non-smoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
|
£
|
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$
|
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
|
€
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Alcohol prices:
$11.00 USD
Miceli's Restaurant:
3930 Pine Island Road
Matlacha, Florida
33993, USA
By Boat
Latitude: N 26° 38′ 9.0035″
Longitude: W 82° 3′ 53.4719″
Longitude: W 82° 3′ 53.4719″
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 239-282-8233
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Email Us:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Lunch: Sun - Thur
11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Fri - Sat
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Happy Hour: daily
11:00 am - 7:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for Miceli's Restaurant:
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****
The world’s best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Japanese restaurant & saké bar with sushi
Key West, Florida, USA
|
Levant, Jordanian, and Lebanese cuisines
Amman, Jordan
|
Southwestern-inspired New American fare
San Antonio, Texas, USA
|
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
