Best New 2024 Restaurant in Naples, Top 7 Events You'll Kick Yourself For Missing This Week, 🍻Drink Beer like a True Neapolitan, Cast Your Vote before it's Too Late!

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Friends and Neighbors,

Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas Eve to all who celebrate! When I first moved to Naples full-time, I thought I’d never get used to warm weather and lights on palm trees. Now, with a happy and healthy family, I can barely remember it any other way. 

In this issue, we reveal the winner of Best New Restaurant of 2024 reader poll! Scroll down to find out which restaurant readers crowned as their top choice. I made sure to visit and check it out, and you should too. 

Also in this issue, we highlight the Top 7 Events this Week, and offer a peek inside Brookside Market, a hidden gem near downtown Naples. With so much going on this week, we’ve tried to curate the best of the best. 

Finally, as the holidays wind down, we wanted to poll readers about their favorite comfort food in Naples. Vote for your favorite type of comfort food below, and be sure to include the restaurant name in the comments.With so many gourmet options around town, sometimes it’s nice to eat something that feels like home. 

Have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

P.S. Check out The Naples Florida Review archive here for more dining and entertainment ideas. Also, subscribe here to get our list of the Top Events each week. 

Table of Contents

• Best New Restaurant of 2024: Unidos

• Top 7 Events This Week

• Drink Beer Like a Local: Brookside Market is a Hid …

• Reader Poll: 

Best New Restaurant of 2024: Unidos

Your votes have been tallied, and the winner of The Naples Florida Review’s Best New Restaurant of 2024 is Unidos! The race for the win was tight, and Le Colonial and Syren clinched the second and third spots, respectively. 

I was honestly a little surprised and pleased that readers chose a Latin restaurant in an old Starbucks fronting 41 over the glitz and glam of the new 5^th Avenue hot spots. It’s one more sign that the culinary scene in Naples continues to thrive beyond downtown. 

Unidos is the brainchild of Sal Muñoz, who has a similar restaurant called Unidad outside of Chicago. Sal operates the business alongside his wife Jaime Muñoz and business partner Carlos Angel. The owners are frequently onsite at the restaurant, and when I met them they were enthusiastic and pleasant. 

The Muñoz family aims to deliver a menu that reflects a broad range of Latin cuisine, with everything from a robust ceviche selection to a generous chorizo platter to the star of the show: meats that are perfectly grilled over an open flame. 

When you walk in the restaurant, it’s hard to believe that not long ago it was a dated Starbucks. Unidos has an open layout with tables and booths along the rectangular interior. There is also a bar area with stools. The décor is sophisticated and understated with lighting features and a beautiful open kitchen that has transformed the space. 

Between my husband Manny and me, we tried chorizo platter and corn guacamole for appetizers, and we were quite pleased with both. The chorizo was moist and flavorful and right off the grill. For dinner, Manny had the picanha steak a la brasa and I had the Unidos Risotto. Their impressive food fire grill allows them to actively adjust the distance between the meat and the flame, and I thought Manny’s steak was cooked perfectly medium rare. The risotto might seem like an unusual choice, but it was delicious and comprised of spicy huaicaina risotto with a choice of grilled portobello, steak or salmon. I had the dish with mushrooms and I thought it was perfectly cooked and well seasoned. 

Unidos has a full bar and a good selection of beer, wines and signature cocktails. I found the prices to be a little steep, but the quality was good and the service was also excellent. Looking around the full restaurant, I saw many tables with ceviche and it looked good enough that I’ll definitely return to try it. 

So Unidos has been officially crowned the Best New Restaurant of 2024! Cheers to their first (almost) year in business, and if you have a chance to try it out, let me know what you think at [email protected]. 

Top 7 Events This Week

December 24^th to December 29^th, Some Like it Hot at Artis-Naples

There are still some seats available to the Broadway Tour production of Some Like It Hot, which was nominated for 13 Tony Awards in 2023 (winning 4). The cast has been on a nationwide tour in 2024, and this is your chance to see a first-class cast in our small corner of the country. 

Friday, December 27^th, 5:30pm to 9:00pm, Tiburón Holiday Market

Looking for some holiday fun before the festive season wraps up? Visit the Ritz Tiburón Holiday Market to enjoy their European-style holiday market this Friday before it shutters for the season. Ice skating, holiday vendors and food are all available at this family-friendly event. Dates have been selling out so check ticket availability here. 

Saturday, December 28th, 7:30am to 11:30am, Third Street Farmers Market 

The 30^th season of the Third Street South Farmers Market is back in full swing, and with the holiday season upon us, the street will be packed with merchants selling everything from ceviche to candles. To see a full list of merchants, click here. 

Saturday, December 28^th and Sunday, December 29th, 1pm-3pm, Fort Myers Cirque Holidaze

For two days this week, the Fort Myers Cirque Holidaze will be performing at the Barbara B. Mann Theatre in Fort Myers. This holiday show is one more way to stretch out the holiday season and watch circus acts set to the sounds of the season. Tickets start at $39 and are available here. 

Sunday, December 29^th, 3:30pm-6pm, The Great Chanukah Street Fair

No matter what your religious affiliation is, Preschool of the Arts’ annual Chanukah celebration is worth a visit. This year’s theme is The Great Chanukah Street Fair and the event will be held outdoors at Cambier Park and include caricaturists, jugglers, face painters, bounce houses, bungee jumping and more. Admission is free and food – including some pretty delicious latkes – is available for purchase at the event.  

Sunday, December 29^th, 11am-6:30pm, Sunday Funday at Stan’s Idle Hour

Shake off the stress of the holidays this Sunday at Stan’s Idle Hour in Goodland. Stan’s is an iconic Southwest Florida bar, situated on the water. Whether you arrive by boat or car, Stan’s is full of revelers on Sundays, and you can enjoy live music from Iconic. Stan’s has a special menu on Sundays that features seafood-heavy fare like peel and eat shrimp (1lb for $20) and a fried softshell crab sandwich ($18). Drink specials are available all day. 

Monday, December 30^th, 6:00pm and 8:00pm, Chris Kattan at Off the Hook Comedy Club

You are probably most familiar with Chris Kattan from his memorable characters on Saturday Night Live, but his live comedy show is also very good. Kattan will be performing at Off the Hook Comedy club on December 30^th and again for New Years. For tickets click here. 

Drink Beer Like a Local: Brookside Market is a Hidden Gem

The first time I visited Brookside Market, I was on the hunt for the smashburger that I couldn’t stop hearing about. It was actually getting annoying. Bowing to the tide of peer pressure, I took the quick trip south on 41 to see what Brookside Market and Only Doubles Wagyu Smash Burgers are all about. 

I’d driven by Brookside Market countless times since it opened in 2022 and had never spotted it. Nestled behind Olive Garden and IHOP, look for Capital Shop and you’ll see Brookside Market’s low profile building and minimal signage. A world-class smash burger in a parking lot next to a pawn shop? I wasn’t convinced. 

Brookside Market doesn’t feel like it belongs in Naples. The second I stepped inside their outdoor space and spotted the picnic tables and cornhole boards, I felt like I was somewhere closer to Brooklyn or Saint Pete rather than Naples. The vibe is approachable and low-key. The market was founded by locals and the crowd there was distinctly so. No fuss, a clean modern retail space and plenty of space outside for regular food trucks – like Only Doubles – to complete the experience with a quick bite. 

Brookside Market serves beer and wine, but a quick survey of the retail reveals that beer is the real star here. At any given time, Brookside Market has 160 self-serve beers, 6 rotating craft drafts and 24 varieties of wine and bubbles. They also have a wide selection of non-alcoholic brews. Large coolers line the indoor retail space, which also includes a bar with stools against one wall. While you peruse the selection you can check out their mural, which displays ‘Collier County’s illustrious and sordid past.’

We sat outside and put in our orders for the famed smash burgers that were being busily prepared on a grill nearby. By the time our burgers were ferried over, we all had cold beverages in front of us as we watched a couple kids play cornhole with their parents nearby. The burgers smelled heavenly and tasted even better. The perfectly-smashed patties were served on fresh potato buns and tasted glorious on a sunny Friday afternoon. 

If you’ve somehow missed Brookside Market like I had, it’s certainly worth a visit this holiday season. The location is five minutes from 5th Avenue, but the vibe is miles away. Subscribe to their newsletter (it’s one of the funniest ones I get) and swing by on a Friday when Only Doubles is a regular visitor and let me know what you think!

Reader Poll: 

Please drop your favorite places to go for comfort food in the comments!

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Why It Matters

Every great story in Naples adds a new layer to the city we love. Unidos winning Best New Restaurant reflects a shift in our culinary tastes, while Brookside Market shows us how unassuming spots can become local treasures.

These aren’t just places; they’re experiences, moments that bring us together and shape our community.

Whether you’re planning your next night out or exploring something new, these stories remind us why Naples is worth celebrating every day.

Carolyn Cervoni
Editor-in-Chief
Naples, Florida
The Naples Florida Review

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