“There are no bagel shops down here,” said Ingole, 39. “I’ve had other companies here in town, but this is my first (restaurant). I’m just kind of a guy who sees an opportunity and tries to take it.”
Ingole and his wife, Jennifer, opened Downtown Bagel and Deli at 1414 Dean St. last week. The order-at-the-counter restaurant features a salad bar, sandwiches and an array of bagels the Ingoles get from the Bagel Factory.
The cream-cheese spreads – including chive, honey-walnut, olive, pineapple and more – are made in house.
Downtown Bagel’s sandwiches take a cue from Ford’s, with names such as The Don Paight and The Mayor Henderson, which features layers of Boar’s Head roast beef, ham, turkey and Genoa salami with melted Swiss and American cheeses on a toasted hoagie roll. Prices top out around $7.99 for a bread or bagel-based sandwich.
There are desserts, soups and a small selection of beers. During breakfast Downtown Bagel offers fresh-squeezed orange juice and mimosas.
“We had a nice little rush in here this morning,” Ingole said on the deli’s opening day. “Everyone down here has known that we’d be opening, and they’ve been very supportive.”
Call 332-1414 or visit downtownbagel.com.
10 years of Tapa Hop
Tickets are on sale for the Greater Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce’s 10th annual Tapa Hop on Sept. 18. A trolley will take hoppers to five beach restaurants serving a variety of tapas-style small plates. Participating locations include Parrot Key Caribbean Grill, Gulfshore Grille, Junkanoo on the Beach, Pinchers on the Beach and Big Game Waterfront Grill. Each restaurant will serve a handful of dishes with diners voting for their favorites. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door and can be purchased at the Greater Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce or at fortmyersbeachchamber.org.
Italian Fest coming
Italian Fest returns to the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 7. Participating restaurants include: Pizza Fusion, A Touch of Italy, Mastello’s, Mario’s, University Grill and LaMotta’s. The festival’s Marinara Contest will also return. Home cooks are encouraged to enter their homemade, tomato-based and meatless sauces for judging. The entry fee is $10 payable to the Rotary Club of Fort Myers. For contest rules and more information about Italian Fest visit fortmyersitalianfest.org.
Openings
• A sign for Jingdu, a hibachi and buffet restaurant, is up at the Ross-anchored shopping plaza at 13300 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers. The restaurant faces Cypress Lake Drive on the south side of the plaza.
• Wild Winghouse Sportsbar & Grill is opening soon according to a sign last week in front of the former Racks n’ Tails restaurant at 4451 Veronica Shoemaker Blvd., Fort Myers at Colonial Boulevard.
