The outdoor dining guide you need, for Southwest Florida foodies

By Cary Barbor,

Published November 29, 2021 at 11:22 AM EST

Grouper tacos are served with million-dollar views at Bert's Bar on Matlacha.

Today on Gulf Coast Life, we talk about outdoor dining. As we head into December, it is prime visitor season here in Southwest Florida. Maybe you are looking for somewhere to take a crowd. Maybe you are just getting to the area for a winter visit and want to enjoy the nice weather. And of course, coronavirus is still with us. So dining outdoors may be more comfortable for a lot of people. The question is—where to go?

Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm is one of the only restaurants in the world where the meat on the menu is organically and ethically raised onsite.

Dine al fresco on the patio at The French, on 5th Avenue S. in Naples.

Our guest today can answer that for you! Today we have Annabelle Tometich, Food writer and critic for the Fort Myers News Press. She recently published an epic list of 64 restaurants in the area—from Punta Gorda to Everglades City—that have nice outdoor dining spaces. She is going to fill us in on those and more, and help us choose an outdoor spot, no matter the occasion.

A quaint cottage with a series of decks, Crabby Lady looks onto the vast expanse of Goodland Bay. Specializing in fresh-from-the-boat blue crabs, the restaurant also offers shrimp, chicken, shrimp and pasta.