Fort Myers restaurants: A Caffé that's Italian through and through
Diana and Antonio Durante are thankful for many things this Thanksgiving, especially the fact their doors are open. The owners of Caffé Toscano, which opened in 2013 at the Bridge Plaza in south Fort Myers, typically close their cozy cafe for a month or so each summer to visit family and friends in Italy.
However, it never seemed like enough time. This year, they extended their stay to more than three months with a plan to reopen Toscano in mid September. Mother Nature had other ideas. Hurricane Ian caused some water damage in the restaurant, but it did not dampen the couple’s spirit.
They returned from Italy refreshed, inspired and with a renewed passion to feed Southwest Floridians with what Diana calls “authentic Italian cuisine.”
At Caffé Toscano, you won’t find Italian-American classics such as chicken Parmigiana or fettucine Alfredo. Its eggplant is not breaded and fried, either. It’s roasted with extra virgin olive oil and layered with tomato sauce, basil, Parmigiano reggiano and mozzarella.
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Antonio grew up in Florence, Italy. His first job as an adult was selling mozzarella. The family he worked for was so proud of their product, they spent a month teaching him how to make it, so he could sell the cheese with better knowledge and passion.
In and out of Florentine restaurants, Antonio began learning family secrets from his clients, including recipes for Bolognese and sausage, both of which he makes at Caffé Toscano. The Bolognese is featured in his Tuscan-style, three-layer lasagna.
Food is in Antonio’s DNA. When his two boys were growing up in Fort Myers, their schedules jammed full of sports and activities, dinner was sacred. The family sat down to a home-cooked meal each and every night, no matter what time it was.
When their boys moved out, the empty nesters pursued their dreams of restaurant ownership. That was nine years ago.
“It was unbelievable how things just lined up, like it was meant to be,” Diana said.
Having worked as a food purveyor for big companies and small Italian importers alike, Antonio is very particular about the products he brings into his small kitchen. He has connections to some of the best Italian ingredients, and he likes to use them.
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When in Italy, the couple seek out small producers of everything from honey to pancetta to aged prosciutto.
“We know where the products come from, even the olive oil, including the origins of the olive trees,” Antonio said.
A typical prosciutto is aged 12 months. However, Caffé Toscano only serves those aged 20 months or more.
“When it’s younger you taste more salt,” Antonio said. “As it ages, the salt is less, and you can taste more of the meat. It’s nutty and sweeter, almost floral.”
One customer comes in on a regular basis specifically for the prosciutto and cheese appetizer. The cured meat is shaved paper thin and draped beside a selection of imported cheeses.
Gnocchi is another signature of Antonio’s.
“It is the most incredible, beautiful gnocchi I’ve ever eaten,” Diana said.
Regulars agree. The sauce is made with mascarpone and preserved black truffle.
“It is so creamy and delicate, you would never guess it’s mascarpone,” Antonio added.
The pasta for the nightly specials, along with regular menu items, comes from Italy and is cooked to order. The sauces are, too, so each dish is fresh.
Meat lovers gush over the osso bucco di vitella, a veal shank braised with white wine and herbs. For seafood aficionados, Toscano's king salmon hails from New Zealand, and Toscano's staff bakes it in a Florida citrus sauce.
“It has a high fat content, comes from the cleanest waters in the world, and it just melts in your mouth," Diana said.
The portions are mostly manageable enough to allow room for one of Toscano's house-made desserts, such as its traditional tiramisu or beloved olive-oil cake. Popular in Tuscany, olive oil replaces the butter in this cake, which also includes grapes and walnuts. It’s served with a scoop of gelato.
This Thanksgiving week, one that looks so different for so many due to Hurricane Ian’s destruction, the Durantes took a moment for reflection.
“I’m grateful to be able to give some sense of normalcy to our customers, even when they are going through what they are,” Diana said. “To celebrate the little things like ‘We got power today,’ or ‘The adjuster showed up.’”
Antonio is grateful, too.
“I’m thankful to be able to serve people, to give people a little bit of comfort and help them forget about the tragedy for a moment while they share a good bite of food with family and friends.
"We come together," Antonio said, taking a deep breath and letting out a heavy sigh, "and then we go back to work and build again.”
Gina Birch writes about food, wine and spirits for The News-Press and at thebirchbeat.blogspot.com. Follow her as @ginabirch on Twitter and find her on Facebook.
Caffé Toscano
Address: Bridge Plaza, 12901 McGregor Blvd., south Fort Myers
Hours: 4:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday
Call: 239-415-8466
More: caffetoscanofl.com
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers restaurants: A Caffe that's Italian through and through
