A special friend and I recently had dinner at Bleu Provence (https://www.bleuprovencenaples.com/), a remarkable restaurant in Naples, FL. Not only are the food, atmosphere, and service terrific, but its wine selection and service are so good that, since 2015, it has been a winner of Wine Spectator's Grand Award, which is awarded to only 100 restaurants world wide.
We sat out on the back patio, with its very romantic atmosphere. It was partially bordered by trees and was covered.
We both had the three-course, $35 early dining menu, and a nice red wine.
The three-course meal consists of an appetizer, a main dish, and dessert. The dishes we had were all delicious.
When I started perusing the wine list to find a wine, I was very surprised at how lengthy it was. I had only seen wine lists so large at a few restaurants in my life. most notably at Antica Bottega del Vino in Verona, Italy, and at Bern's Steak House in Tampa.
Our superb waiter explained that Bleu Provence was a 2019 winner of Wine Spectator's Grand Award. When I checked the appropriate edition of Wine Spectator at home, I read that Bleu Provence, with nearly 4,000 wine selections, had received the Grand Award every year since 2015. There are only four Florida restaurants who received that award in 2019 - Bern's in Tampa, one in Palm Beach, and one in West Palm Beach.
The appetizer my friend chose was salmon marinated in citrus vinaigrette, and served with strawberries and vinaigrette. Not only was it tasty, but the serving size was generous.
My appetizer was Provençal Soup served with gruyère cheese, rouille sauce, and croutons.
We chose the same wonderful Duck Leg Confit as a main dish. It had an orange and Grand Marnier demi-glace, and was served with Mango Fries and Sweet Potatoes gratin.
For dessert, we both enjoyed the Lemon Tart Meringue.
The wine I chose was a 2015 Barruol Tiercerolles, Crozes-Hermitage Syrah from the northern Rhône. It was excellent.
The Early Dining Menu is only available from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday.
After our meal, Alex took us to visit the very impressive wine cellar.
The restaurant has been in the Crayton Cove area of Naples since 1999. The owners, Lysielle and Jacques Cariot, operate the restaurant with their three sons. They are from Provence.
During normal times, I highly recommend reservations.