No Garlic Regrets 🧄 | Zeppelin in Naples 🎸 | Fiery Restaurant Debate 🔥 | Must-Do Events!

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Friends and Neighbors,

This week’s edition has it all: garlic soaked adventures, a Led Zeppelin cover band, a poll that’s destined for fiery feedback and more! 

We’re in the thick of season here in Naples, and I’m here to help you to shake up your routine, try something new for lunch and – importantly – to  encourage you to tell me what you really think in the comments. Your honesty and humor is one of my favorite parts of each Tuesday when the newsletter goes out. You can always email me at [email protected] to get in touch. 

So enjoy this issue and be a defensive driver out there. This is just about as bad as traffic will get and we’ve all got to deal with it together. 

Thank you for reading,

P.S. Check out The Naples Florida Review’s entire  archive by 

CLICKING HERE. 

Table of Contents

• Head to Rumba for Lunch 

• Top 6 Events This Week

• Overrated or Worth the Hype? Naples Restaurant Edi …

Head to Rumba for Lunch 

One of the first afternoons I spent alone with my mother-in-law, Gloria, began at Rumba Cuban Café. It was still that awkward phase of getting to know someone, and I remember being anxious to impress her—and even more anxious about the lineup of wedding dress appointments we had that afternoon. Having been to Rumba before, I was excited to introduce her to it.

If you’ve never been to Rumba, it is sandwiched in a cramped strip mall on Airport-Pulling and is (unfortunately) only open for breakfast and lunch. Seating is limited to a narrow sidewalk area, while inside, the small dining space is filled with simple, no-frills tables. They serve the kind of Cuban coffee that can bring you back from a coma, along with soda, beer, wine, and a limited bar.

The menu ranges from their excellent Cuban sandwich and media noche to bowls and generously sized entrée salads. My husband considers their masitas some of the best in town. (Masitas are flash-fried pork chunks that taste a heck of a lot better than the description.) I’ve enjoyed their shrimp al ajillo more than once, but no matter how far I wander into the menu, I seem to end up back at the chicken churrasco salad.

And so it went that long-ago spring day with my mother-in-law, as I aggressively loaded my fresh, warm mariquitas with their incredibly good and incredibly potent garlic sludge sauce. My churrasco chicken salad was just as incredible as ever, dressed in a light sauce that highlights garlic. I liked the garlic sauce from the mariquitas so much that I asked for a second side of it and added it to my salad for good measure.

Gloria ordered the tostones campestre, which were loaded with shredded pork and topped with a cheese sauce. I couldn’t believe it was intended to be an appetizer. She also dipped right on into the mariquitas, and another side of garlic sauce needed to be procured.

An hour later, I found myself in a small, cramped fitting room with a stranger using enormous wooden clothespins to somehow show me how the right-sized wedding dress would look. That’s when I smelled the garlic. I wasn’t just smelling of garlic—I was radiating it. Of course, my breath was the worst part, but Rumba’s particular Eau de Garlic was now quickly becoming a danger to the integrity of the dress. I thanked the attendant—who was polite, but certainly had a sense of smell—and left quickly. The eyes of everyone in the store were glued to us as we bid our garlic-soaked adieu.

I hope the prodigious level of garlic promoted by this review will be enough to drive you through the doors of Rumba Cuban Café sometime soon for a memorable lunch. If the mere thought of garlic has you skipping the rest of this paragraph and heading for the Top 6 Events this week, I understand.

I, for one, will keep returning to Rumba and feigning ignorance each time I ask if they are still open for dinner. Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to report that the answer has changed. 

Rumba Cuban Café is located in the Prominade Plaza at 1265 Airport-Pulling Road. Rumba is open from 10AM to 3PM Tuesday through Sunday.  

Top 6 Events This Week

1. Bonita Brew Fest

📅 Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025
📍 Location: Riverside Park, Bonita Springs
🍺 Description: Enjoy a variety of craft beers from local and regional breweries, live music, and food vendors in a lively outdoor setting.

2. Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade

📅 Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025
📍 Location: Downtown Fort Myers
🎆 Description: Celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison with one of the largest parades in the Southeast, featuring illuminated floats, marching bands, and local performers.

3. Rookery Bay Brush Strokes

📅 Date: Starting February 11, 2025
📍 Location: Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, Naples
🎨 Description: Participate in watercolor painting classes inspired by the coastal beauty and wildlife of Southwest Florida.

4. Blues, Brews & BBQ

📅 Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025 (12 PM – 5 PM)
📍 Location: Ave Maria, FL
🎶 Description: Enjoy full sets from top Southwest Florida blues artists Deb & The Dynamics and Old School, plus vintage car exhibits, food trucks, craft beer, and family-friendly activities. For more info, contact the Ave Maria Welcome Center at (239) 352-3903.

5. Kashmir – A Led Zeppelin Tribute at Artis Naples

📅 Dates & Showtimes:

• Saturday, February 15: 6:00 PM & 8:30 PM

• Sunday, February 16: 5:00 PM & 7:30 PM
  📍 Location: Artis—Naples
  🎸 Description: Experience the iconic sound of Led Zeppelin with Kashmir, one of the nation’s top tribute bands, featuring Jean Violet as lead vocalist. Expect spot-on recreations of Zeppelin's legendary music, visuals, and stage presence.

6. BYO Bicycle Backcountry Bike Tour

📅 Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025 (8:30 AM – 11:30 AM)
📍 Location: Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Naples
🚴 Description: Join Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s naturalists for an off-road biking adventure through their 13,000+ acre preserve. This 8-mile tour covers gravel and dirt paths with stops to observe wildlife, learn about the watershed, and explore the local ecosystem.
Requirements:

• Participants must be 15+ years old

• Must be able to bike at a slow pace for at least 8 miles

• Off-road bikes recommended (mountain, gravel, or wide-tire bikes)

• Bring food, water, and necessary supplies—this is a self-supported ride

Overrated or Worth the Hype? Naples Restaurant Edition

Naples is home to some incredible dining spots, but not every restaurant is for everyone. We want to know: which of these well-known Naples restaurants sparks the most debate? Is it a must-visit or totally overrated?

Vote below and tell us why in the comments! 👇

What do you think? Cast your vote for each and let us know how you really feel in the comments! I’ll publish some of the best next week. 

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Why It Matters

Life is made richer by the moments that surprise us—a meal that stays with you long after it’s over, an event that connects you to your community, or a story that sparks curiosity. These small but powerful experiences bring joy, connection, and flavor to our everyday lives.

So embrace the garlic, chase the music, and let this week be one to remember. 🌟

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

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