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Fine-dining with rustic elegance: La Corte Courtyard Garden Bistro opens in South Cape

6 min read

By MELISSA SCHNEIDER

mschneider@breezenewspapers.com

Nestled along peaceful Lafayette Street in the South Cape, Southwest Florida’s most recent fine dining restaurant, La Corte Courtyard Garden Bistro, offers a touch of elegance with rustic flair, opening quietly last week during a soft-opening celebration. The restaurant will officially be open to the public Tuesday, Oct. 11.

“We want to transport you somewhere between New York and New Orleans,” said co-owner Michael Bodetti. “My wife, Sabrina, is an architect and designer, studying in Milan at one of the best architectural schools in the world. She created the wonderful designs you see throughout the restaurant.”

Dining at La Corte can be quite a unique experience, as the eatery’s layout is divided among smaller, more intimate dining rooms, each offering a different theme, but each warm and inviting, nonetheless.

Bodetti explained the layout and design his wife created in the garden bistro.

“One of the features we really like is, depending on what type of mood our guests are in, they can sit at the bar and be social, or they can sit in one of our smaller rooms that can hold two, four or six people. We have a larger Mirror Room that can hold as many as 14 people, and then a mix of other rooms, all sectioned off. It might not be the most efficient, but people really love it. They love that, depending which room they’re in, it has a completely different feel from the others.”

Other dining rooms in La Corte include the Opera Room, the Gallery Room, the Garden Room, the Bistro Room, the Thyme Room, and Bodetti’s favorite spot, the Courtyard. “It’s covered, very tranquil. You feel like you’re in Europe somewhere in Southern France,” he said.

The ambiance and style of this elegant eatery is top-notch, but a good restaurant requires good food, and Bodetti, along with fellow co-owners Alex Vitali and Vincent Palmese (friends with Bodetti for 50-plus years), are sure they’re bringing that to the table, with a little help from their executive chef, Tim Spain.

“Tim is one of the top chefs in the world. He’s a 10th generation Floridian, and has been culinary trained in places such as Bordeaux, France, and other parts of Europe, as well as attending the Masterworks Program at the Culinary Institute of America,” Bodetti said. “He can cook anything. To run a restaurant, it’s more than knowing how to cook, but rather it’s all about consistency and successfully running a kitchen – as well as the food. He is an artist and an excellent chef. The food looks amazing and tastes amazing.”

La Corte’s men is comprised of a rustic Mediterranean and feel-good Italian base, with some French dishes here and there, tying in tropically American elements, such as seafood, beef and other protein platters, and Chef Spain is sure to utilize only the freshest ingredients, incorporating as much locally grown products as possible.

“The beef, the seafood, it’s all fresh and local, changing the menu based on what’s in season. We have an herb garden on the property that Chef Spain uses, and we also have Immokalee-fresh vegetables and products. Our chef is very adamant about buying local and buying high quality – and it really shows in the flavor profiles that he creates,” Bodetti said. “We’re focused on being as natural and organic as possible, focusing on high-quality ingredients that taste great, and we’re very versatile, continuing to introduce new menu items that people enjoy.”

Two entrees have already been turning heads in the short amount of time the restaurant has been open.

“Our grass-fed Brangus beef Chef Spain brings in from farms in Florida is absolutely amazing,” Bodetti said. “One of the other dishes that’s very quickly becoming our most popular is the lamb rack (Colorado Pasture Lamb). It is amazing, and normally I don’t even like lamb. The grouper is really, really good as well – the freshest grouper he can get locally, encrusted with a pistachio panko white butter sauce. Other than tasting the meals, it’s hard to describe just how good it is.”

Completing your dining experience, Bodetti and the team have looked over the finest details in the restaurant, with elegance even emanating from the dinnerware, stemware and cutlery service.

“We brought in a full set of top-of-the-line place settings. They’re a beautiful set of dishes, flatware and cutlery, and it feels so good when you eat with it, it just feels different, such quality – it really gives you that elegant feeling while dining,” Bodetti explained.

Come by the restaurant a little earlier than your reservation (or stick around after your meal) to enjoy a sumptuous spirit from La Corte’s full service bar, and get cozy in the plushly furnished lounge. Bodetti and his team plan to offer special evenings of live music of many genres, including jazz, blues, perhaps some DJ-spun sounds and even some rock, as well as a high tea service in the near future.

“We are also looking to put together a Chef’s Table event, where Chef Spain will serve a special sampler meal, explaining to guests the details of how the dishes are made, where the ingredients originated, the spices used, and why it works – and tastes – so well,” Bodetti said. “We love Southwest Florida, and especially Cape Coral. The people here are just so real. There are all types of people here, all different income levels and situations, but the common theme is they’re all good, nice people. This is not the kind of restaurant where people go every night for dinner – we try to accommodate as wide of a population as possible. It’s a great place to celebrate a special event, birthday, anniversary. We’re very accommodating to different size groups, and happy to offer private parties.”

Hours to La Corte Courtyard Garden Bistro, 1520 Lafayette St., are Monday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch, 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner, and the lounge is still open between services for those seeking a drink at the bar/lounge. An early dining fare special is offered from 4:30 to 5:30, “for those who don’t want to spend more of a fine-dining price but still like the experience,” for $19, which includes an appetizer and limited-selection entree. The restaurant is also open Sunday for brunch, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., closing after then to allow for private events. “We’d love to host your wedding party or private celebrations and functions,” Bodetti said.

Reservations are highly suggested, although walk-ins are welcome. Visit LaCorteBistro.com to view the full menu, or call 239-542-2224 to place a reservation. Feel free to Like the restaurant’s Facebook page, as well, for exclusive events and food/drink specials.