Best Steak in Naples, Top 7 Events This Week, Rebecca's New Wine Bar 🍷

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Friends and Neighbors,

The verdict from last week’s poll is in, and your favorite steakhouse in Naples is the 31 year old Andre’s Steakhouse, located at 2800 Tamiami Trail N near downtown. In this issue we will explore a bit of the history of Andre’s, and delve into what this Naples Classic is all about. 

Love Andre’s Steakhouse? Hate it? Don’t feel like your voice was heard? Our poll for Best New Restaurant of 2024 is still open, and there’s time to cast your vote. Simply go here to vote for The Best New Restaurant of 2024 and be sure to subscribe (if you haven’t already) to see who the winner is. Right now, polling is still close! If you choose “other,” don’t forget to put your selection in the comments. 

Looking for the best events in town this week? We’ve got you covered. Check our list of the Top 7 Events in Naples This Week and explore top events in and around Naples. We plan to continue to feature the best of Naples each week so feel free to reach out if there’s a can’t-miss event coming up that you want to share: just reply to this email or write to [email protected]. 

Finally, Naples entrepreneur Rebecca Maddox opened a new wine bar and store in North Naples recently at Logan’s Landing. See what the new location is all about in the issue below. 

Happy Holidays!

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Table of Contents

• Your Favorite Steak in Naples: Andre’s Steakhouse

• Top 7 Events this Week

• New Wine Bar Opens in North Naples

Your Favorite Steak in Naples: Andre’s Steakhouse

“Andre's is an old place, but it has the best steaks and tomato salad!” D.D.

“The restaurant smells like the inside of my grandmother’s closet, but it is the best old-school steakhouse in town.” C.B.

“Ever since the loss of St. George & The Dragon, the Pewter Mug’s move to Bonita, and the shuttering of Preston’s, Andre’s is the best and most traditional steakhouse in town.” T.P.

The race for favorite steak in Naples was a close one, but Andre’s Steakhouse secured the win by one vote over Jimmy P’s Charred. Rounding out the top five were The Continental, The Capital Grille and The French / Rouge Steakhouse. I was surprised and pleased that there was a nice range of restaurants in the top five, and that just two of them are truly part of the downtown 5^th Avenue/3^rd Street scene (The French/Rouge and The Continental, respectively). 

So does Andre’s lives up to the hype? In order to understand much about the restaurant, ambiance, menu, and even logo, you first have to have a familiarize yourself with the Peter Luger’s New York culture from which it was born. 

Peter Luger’s, where Andre’s founder learned the steakhouse business, is arguably the most famous steakhouse in New York City, and it is renowned the world over. I first went to Luger’s in Brooklyn in 2006 with coworkers from the New York Stock Exchange. En route I was told the rules: the waiters see patrons as a complete inconvenience, you will not be provided with a menu unless you ask, if you do ask, the menu does not have prices and you cannot pay with a credit card. Acceptable forms or payment include cash, check with valid ID and debit card.  We had the bacon appetizer, tomato and onion salad and a porterhouse for four. I thought the rules and attitude were pretty unnecessary (“it’s part of the experience” they said), but the food was incredible. 

Andre’s – a product of this well-known steak house - opened 31 years ago in a non-descript small strip in Naples that also, interestingly, currently has a podiatrist and an office where you can get your nerve damage treated. The vibe inside Andre’s is dark, old school and dank. Dark wood tones, old school décor that looks like it could use a dusting and low slung ceilings. The overall feel is nothing like the brightly lit rooms of Peter Luger’s Brooklyn, but it is reminiscent of some of the other classic steakhouses like Smith & Wollensky or Spark’s Steakhouse. It is not a place where you suspect you’re about to spend $120 on a steak – but you certainly will. 

Andre’s copies a few of the dishes that were made famous by Peter Luger’s to a pitch-perfect degree. The grilled, smoked bacon is about as close as I’ve had to Luger’s outside of New York, and the presentation of the tomato and onion “salad” (it is just thick cut slices of tomato and onion fanned on a plate) is very close to Luger’s – especially with the silver boat of steak sauce. Andre’s steak sauce is also very close to Luger’s – you can compare what you have with your meal with the Luger steak sauce available at any Publix. 

Like Luger’s, Andre’s has an impressive wine list and cellar. On their website, Andre’s notes that they have won the Wine Spectator Award “yearly since 2001.” They also feature beer, a full bar and a comprehensive boozy coffee menu. 

But if you’re here for this review, you’re here to hear about the steak. If you’re going to Andre’s Steakhouse for a steak, get the porterhouse for two to four. That way, you get to have two of the most famous and delicious cuts available: a New York Strip on one side and a filet on the other. The steak is served just like the porterhouse options at Peter Luger’s – on a sizzling plate awash in butter and steak juices. As your waiter sears off the first few slices against the plate the anticipation grows. Pick a slice from the middle of the pack and get to work! 

How does the porterhouse stack up to Luger’s? In presentation they are pretty close to identical. A sizzling white plate, plenty of butter, good char on the exterior of the steak, seasoned but not too salty. Is the steak as good as the ones at Luger’s Brooklyn? No, but it is a great approximation for Naples. Keep in mind that Luger’s has a huge facility for aging steaks and unbeatable supply for when porterhouses are hard to find or at a premium. 

So, Naples Florida Review readers, I’ll give it to you – Andre’s is pretty great. It is a slice of Naples 90’s history at a time when many of the older restaurants around town are struggling to get by or shutting down. Also, Andre’s has far, far, superior customer service to Peter Luger’s. Andre's is gracious enough to provide you with a menu that has prices, and you can pay for your meal with a credit card. So head on over to Andre’s to see how this 30 year old legend stacks up and let me know what you think by replying to this email or emailing me at [email protected]. 

Top 7 Events this Week

Naples Christmas Parade is Today (December 3^rd) from 6:30PM to 8:30PM! The Naples Christmas Parade is a fabulous local tradition that is fun for the whole family. The parade – which has floats and music from local groups – winds through downtown in a fun procession of light and sound. Get there early to grab a spot close to the street. Check the route here.

The Naples Design District Holiday Stroll is Tomorrow (December 4^th) from 4PM to 8PM. The Naples Design District Annual Holiday Stroll will be taking place tomorrow in the Naples Design District near downtown Naples. Explore local businesses and enjoy live music after dark. You might even run into me and my crazy family as we check out the new Gulfshore Playhouse and other vendors on the five block tour.  

Check out the new Horizon Art Installation at Mercato. It’s official! The immersive Horizon Art Installation is now open to the public at Mercato. Swing by and see the outdoor art exhibit and sit inside one of the pods to experience unique visuals above. The exhibit is free and will run through February 16^th. 

5^th Avenue South Tree Lighting and Christmas Stroll: Friday, December 6th, 5pm-10pm & Saturday December 7^th, 10am-10pm. Check out the lighting of the iconic 5^th Avenue South Christmas Tree on Friday, December 6^th at 6pm and take the chance to stroll up and down the avenue – unimpeded by cars – on Friday evening and Saturday during the day. It’s a great time to take in the sights and sounds of the season and the event is very family friendly. 

Santa Paws will be taking place on December 7^th from 2-5pm at Riptide Brewing Company in Bonita Springs. Bring the whole family – whether they travel on four legs or two – on a short ride up to Riptide Brewing Company in Bonita Springs. The event includes live music, vendors, food trucks and more. You can also try some great local beers along the way!

Birding with Biologists Workshop will take place at the Donna Fiala Eagle Lakes Community Park on December 7th from 8:00AM to 11:00AM. The event is open to all levels of birders - especially beginners. The tour will be led by local expert biologists from Audubon Florida and Rookery Bay Research Reserve. Registration is required, so head on over to www.rookerybay.org/events today!

Johnsonville Lights in The Garden is now open at the Naples Botanical Garden. Each year Lights in the Garden is a family-friendly seasonal staple. Walk through the Naples Botanical Garden at night for an entirely new experience beneath thousands of lights. Stroll the Garden illuminated in thousands of lights. This year, enjoy live music each night, photo ops, a living bromeliad tree, and treats and specialty cocktails for purchase. Visit here for tickets.

New Wine Bar Opens in North Naples

A new Three60 Wine shop and bar recently opened on November 15 in Logan Landings in North Naples. Located in a large freestanding 3,500-square-foot building, the shop marks the largest iteration of the concept, which previously debuted in Estero earlier this year. The new location offers wine by the bottle, a 12-14 seat bar for on-site enjoyment, and events like tastings. 

Like other Three60 concepts, the new location is well-stocked, with 11,000 bottles.  Three60 Wine emphasizes its competitive pricing, high quality, and exceptional staff. While I haven’t visited the new location yet, I was impressed by the quality and service at sister wine venue Rebecca’s earlier this year. The new venue also caters to private events, accommodating up to 120 people. 

Founded by Naples entrepreneur Rebecca Maddox, Three60 Wine originated from her previous business, Three60 Market, on Bayshore Drive. The first standalone store opened in 2021. This Logan Landings location represents a prototype for future stores, combining wine retail with vibrant bar settings and community-oriented experiences. Events like “Sip, Shop, and Sample” wine tastings are designed to appeal to local residents and shoppers frequenting the nearby Sprouts supermarket and restaurants.

I, for one, am excited to check out the new location. If you’ve been, drop me a note at [email protected] and let me know what you think! 

You can read more here in this article from Gulfshore Business.

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Why It Matters

Naples is more than just a sunny escape—it’s a city with stories to tell, flavors to savor, and memories waiting to be made. Whether it’s a decades-old steakhouse, a fresh wine bar concept, or the magic of holiday lights, these moments connect us to what makes this community shine.

So go ahead, explore something new this week—you just might find your next favorite thing.

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

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