Tim Aten|Naples
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Two new Mexican restaurants launched in the Naples area just in time for Cinco de Mayo this weekend.
K-Rico Mexican Grill opened Monday at Bayfront in Naples and Maria’s Tacos y Mas started serving its street tacosand other traditional Mexican favorites last Wednesday at Naples Park Plaza in North Naples.
K-Rico Mexican Grill
Promoted as “an infusion revolution” serving modern Mexican California cuisine, K-Rico Mexican Grill launched Monday in the former longtime restaurant space of Roy's at Bayfront in Naples.
“It’s a beautiful location. I love the feel of it,” General Manager Jamie Beale said. “I love the energy of being in here. There’s a lot going on. It’s more of a relaxed atmosphere. It’s fun. We want people to walk in and feel the vibe and feel the energy.”
The restaurant has been completely remodeled inside since Roy’s chose not to renew its lease two years ago after a 10-year run in the upscale mixed-use center at the southern end of Goodlette-Frank Road at U.S. 41.
“I think the place is beautiful,” Beale said. “We want to make it a destination down here.”
Beale describes the décor and atmosphere as “upscale, modern, very chic, hip, a lot of energy,” she said. “Being right on the water with probably one of the best views in Naples, which is a bonus.”
The new restaurant has about 250 seats including community tables, banquettes, bar stools, a private dining room and covered outdoor dining near the Gordon River waterfront.
The restaurant turned out even better than imagined, said Kevin Stoneburner ofStoneburner Cos., the Naples-based real estate development firm behind Bayfront and K-Rico.
“I was patient,” Stoneburner said. “I took my time. I was going to open before season. Wasn’t ready. The design wasn’t ready. The food wasn’t ready. So, I was patient and said I’m going to wait and make everything right, and I hope everybody enjoys it. I think right now we’ve got a very good food product, good atmosphere.”
The menu was a work in progress that paid off with a final product that features a slick presentation that is not only easy to read but showcases creativity in every category.
“We wanted to get the menu right. We had a menu, but it really didn’t fit the personality of the restaurant, so we kind of revamped it a little bit,” Beale said.
The venue is not striving to be culturally authentic when it comes to its modern Mexican cuisine with a California influence.
“Nothing’s like anything you could really find at a standard Mexican restaurant,” Beale said. “Everything’s got a little bit unique twist to it. Like our steak tacos have a cherry chipotle-sauce on them. It’s all a little bit different.”
Open daily for lunch and dinner, the restaurant’s offerings focus on a half-dozen taco varieties ($10-$14 for two), different house specials ($15-$30), salads ($8-$14) and appetizers ($6-$14) such as empanadas, tamales, taquitos, quesadillas, tostadas and a watermelon ceviche with snapper and shrimp marinated in fresh citrus juices, watermelon, mango, jalapeño, pineapple, radish, red onion, jicama and a habanero-ginger sauce.
“It was my recipe for the cornbread,” Stoneburner said about the house-made jalapeno cornbread soaked in agave butter. “It was just something I thought up.”
Other standouts are predicted to be the chicken taquitos and a lobster and shrimp empanada with brie and roasted sweet corn in a puff pastry crust served with pineapple-mango salsa and pineapple crema.
“Believe it or not, the hamburger is the best hamburger I’ve ever had in my life,” Stoneburner said. “It’s a Mexican hamburger with bacon, jalapeños and Mexican cheese. I’m not a burger person but I said, ‘Wow, that’s really good.’”
A house specialty, El Macho Burger is a short rib brisket blend with lettuce, tequila-pickled onion, jalapeno bacon, guacamole, fresh jalapeno and Cotija cheese on an artisan roll with yuca fries.
Other specialties include an enchilada with Negra Modelo-marinated pulled smoked chicken, twisted chili-infused tortillas, a Chihuahua-Oaxaca cheese blend and salsa verde served with dirty rice and borracho black beans; and El Chaparral, which the menu claims is “the ultimate comfort food” with slow-roasted boneless short rib over yuca fries and topped with a creamy queso sauce, scallions and avocado-jalapeño crema.
“I call it the Mexican version of a loaded fry,” Beale said. “It’s one of those great shareable items. It’s very good.”
Specials available after 5 p.m. feature grilled Caribbean jerk chicken topped with tropical blueberry salsa, spiced caramelized pecan-crusted salmon, blackened red snapper topped with a creamy lobster and shrimp mezcal sauce, and a pan-seared New York strip steak crusted with coffee and peppercorns and drizzled with a creamy jalapeño-redeye mole.
Desserts feature key lime pie and tres leches served in a jar, flan, plantain-filled churros and a s’mores empanada served hot with chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker inside a puffed pastry drizzled with raspberry sauce.
The restaurant has a tequila room and an indoor-outdoor full bar. The 20-page drink menu is packed with more than 100 tequilas, 15 mezcals, eight Margaritas, eight specialty cocktails, 40 white wines, 30 red wines and 25 beers.
Stoneburner also owns K-Prime Steakhouse, Stoney’s Stone Crabs and Shane’s Cabana Bar in Bayfront and plans hisfifth restaurant there this year. An art gallery space next to Stoney’s will be converted into a Mediterranean-style wine and tapas bar.
K-Rico Mexican Grill, 475 Bayfront Place,is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more information call 239-316-7662 or go to kricomexicangrill.com.
Maria’s Tacos y Mas
► Maria’s Tacos y Mas opens in Naples Park Plaza in North Naples
Know more
► Turco Taco is moving into a local landmark in downtown Naples
For the latest in local restaurants coming and going, see Tim Aten’s “In the Know” columns archived at naplesnews.com/intheknow, and on Facebook at facebook.com/timaten.intheknow.