Another source for mangoes appeared on Pine Island this summer.
We made another run to Pine Island today for mangoes. It’s a tradition I started nearly 20 years ago. A new fruit stand has opened for business in a grove I’ve been driving past for years. Instead of wholesaling their mangoes this year they decided to open a retail stand on their property. Today they had “Smith” mangoes. We bought a quarter bushel. The owners were very friendly and we enjoyed chatting with them. Their stand is a bit hard to see as it’s tucked away off the road. Just follow the bright signs. UPDATE: Here’s a link to their informational web site: Promised Land Mangoes on Pine Island, Florida
Just after the turnoff to Pineland there is an old, somewhat unkempt grove on the left, just before you get to Roberts Road. A very friendly couple were selling their own "Smith" mangoes (apparently related to the Haden variety) straight from the grove. The canopy-covered fruit stand was tucked inside the gate under the mango trees.
Just past the mango grove is the Pineland Post Office. Check it out. Hasn't changed in the 20 years I've been coming here, at least not on the outside.
Of course the Pine Island Fruit Market is always a great source for mangoes and more. We stopped there too. Found a few late-season lychees as well. Yummy!
A trip to Pine Island is not complete without cruising along Main Street in Bokeelia to enjoy the view of Charlotte Harbor.
Our lunch at Moretti's Seafood Restaurant in Matlacha.
We tried a new restaurant today. Moretti’s Seafood Restaurant in Matlacha (a small island between Pine Island and the mainland, say it “matt-la-shay”) caught my eye, so we stopped for a bite on the way home. It’s in a very old (but clean) wooden building right on the water. The A/C was working hard to keep the inside cool, but was coming up just a little short. Nevertheless, the inside was cooler than the covered deck overlooking the water, and there was no cigarette smoke inside.
The white tablecloths were a nice touch, as were the manatees playing in the water just a few feet from our table. I ordered a mango smoothie which turned out to be excellent. We both ordered Maryland crab cakes off the lunch menu (though they do serve from the dinner menu all day as well). The lump crab meat with green and red bell peppers made wonderful crab cakes which were served with tartar. I had mine on a hamburger bun. I finished the crab and relished every bite. I didn’t finish the bun. The side dishes were typical of any restaurant dish in that price range.
We enjoyed our meal and might consider returning one day for dinner to try some of their more sophisticated fare. One thing that bugged me the whole meal though was the back door leading out onto the deck. Servers and customers were going in and out constantly and the door seemed engineered for maximum SLAM effect. By the end of the meal I was getting kind of jumpy in anticipation of the next slam. Next time we’ll pick a table further from the door. Actually we had the same issue at the very creatively named Waterfront Restaurant in St James City on the south end of Pine Island a couple of weeks ago.
I always remember my parents and grandparents warning me in advance not to let the screen door slam behind me. Apparently not everyone got that sage advice growing up.
Here I am enjoying a very good mango smoothie at Moretti's Seafood Restaurant. It was much better than I expected it would be.
