SW Florida and Global Warming

2006 as hottest year on record in the continental United States.

1Rank of America as top global warming polluter in the world.

20%Percent increase of America's carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since 1990.

15%Percent increase of America's carbon dioxide emissions forecasted by 2020 if we do not cap pollution.

80%Percent decrease in U.S. global warming pollution required by 2050 to prevent the worst consequences of global warming.

78 Number of days by which the US fire season has increased over the past 20 years - tied closely to increased temperatures and earlier snowmelt.

200 million Number of people around the world who could be displaced by more intense droughts, sea level rise and flooding by 2080.

358 Number of U.S. mayors (representing 55 million Americans) who have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement pledging to meet or beat Kyoto goals in their communities.

0 Number of federal bills passed to cap America's global warming pollution.

1 Number of times President Bush has mentioned "climate change" or "global warming" in his previous six State of the Union speeches.

The Celtic Ray Punta Gorda FL

The Celtic Ray "The best fish and chips in the World"
Aug 2007

The Celtic Ray Public house is a traditional Irish pub with music and of course great beer and great food! We found them on bestportcharlottedining.com and I'm so glad! The Celtic Ray Public House in downtown Punta Gorda opened in 1997. They serve beers, bottled beers and ciders. There menu features traditional Irish Pub food, One of the most common phrases you will hear at the Pub is "this is the best fish and chips in the world..." You never know If they will have a coupon on swfloridarewards.com so check often. Try the desert I thought I was in heaven....

Barnacle Bills Englewood FL

Barnacle Bills "Fish Heaven"
Oct 2007
We happened on a site called bestportcharlottedining.com and was brought to the attention of Barnacle Bills! Next time we will check swfloridarewards to see If they have any coupons. Good service everything came fast to the table even though the place was packed. excellent fried fish we had the grouper -soups are very good you should try the split pea, menu selection good had a hard time to figure out what to pick - good people, we will come back again.

House Of Prime Rodizio Grill Port Charlotte FL

House Of Prime Rodizio Grill "Fabulous Brazilian Rodizio in Port Charlotte"
April 2007
What a find on bestportcharlottedining.com we have used bestcitydining.com before when we lived in chiago IL and are aways glad when it just keeps working time after time.
Incredibly delicious roasted meats and fish with appetizer buffet featuring over 25 choices all for $18 per person. You can't go wrong with the selection but the place was vary busy and we had to wait for a short while for the drinks but vary worth it. We love this place. should have checked the swfloridarewards.com for coupons, Will next time.

Bubba's Roadhouse Cape Coral FL

Bubba's Roadhouse & Saloon: "Great Florida Steak!!!!"
Aug 2006

If you are visiting Cape Coral, or live here check out bestfortmyersdining.com you have to go to Bubba's. The steak's are so good, along with the peanuts, and corn bread. You can also get some sea food that is great. It is great for the whole family, I went with my 2 little kids and they had a great kids menu also. Next time we will check out swfloridarewards.com
for Bubba's coupons.

Mamma Pasta Italian Restaurant Fort Myers FL

Mamma Pasta Italian Restaurant "Best Italian Treasure"
Oct 2007
Found it on bestfortmyersdining.com
What a wonderful surprise to find this little gem here and not new york. The food was well prepared and cooked to perfection. I had a shrimp and vegetable dish in a lemon caper sauce. The vegetables were sauteed in the sauce with just the right crispness and the shrimp maintained it's fresh flavor. Desert was a yummy Tiaramasu. The service was attentive but not smothering. The only thing that would improve this dining experience would have been background music. The acoustics were such that conversations from other tables were ever so loud. Would I go back and check swfloridarewards.com for coupons on my way!

La Fontanella Ristorante Bonita Springs FL

La Fontanella Ristorante "Great Italian food"
Jun 2006

My wife and I found this restaurant recommended in bestfortmyersdining.com, and figured we would give it a shot. The restaurant prides itself in Gourmet Italian Cuisine. It lives to its claim! The food was Great, the service was exceptional. It is located in a shopping plaza, but don’t let this discourage you in anyway; because the service, the food and the staff make up for the difference. Sometime during our meal, the owner of the restaurant would introduce himself and check on the service. Next time we will check if they are running any coupons in swfloridarewards.com.

Tropical Reef Naples FL

Tropical Reef "best fish in Naples!"
Apr 2007

I tell everyone about this place after I found it on bestnaplesdining.com! It is very small but ALWAYS busy. You'll want to make a reservation. Every time we have friends or family in town we always take them here, because it is truly the best food/seafood you'll ever have. The specialty, grouper, is insanely delicious. In the evening, they actually set up seating in the cheesecake store next-door to accomodate more guests. It felt a bit strange eating next to a cheesecake cooler, but it was worth it! The restaurant owner, who is the main chef, caters as well. It has taken the owner a few years to get this place off the ground, and it's finally gaining the popularity it deserves! A+
Note: check swfloridarewards.com to see if they have coupons for special occations.

Fitzgerald's Bonita Springs FL

Fitzgerald's Irish Pub: "Great food"
March 2007

We found them on bestnaplesdining.com and Went here for dinner and had a great time. Had the corned beef & cabbage and the beef stew. The prices were great and the portions were HUGE! Next time we will check sswfloridarewards.com for a coupon before we go.Nearly ever customer left with a take home container. The beef stew was EXCELLENT and I highly recommend. Really added to the sports pub/Irish atmosphere. Highly recommend Fitzgeralds!

Mama Leone's Venice FL

Mama Leone's "It was excellent"
March 2007
Everything was fresh and full of flavor. Awesome Italian cuisine in Venice FL."We had dinner with friends at Mama Leone's on Jacaranda Rd. on a tip from bestportcharlottedining.com we thought we would give it a try. It was a little busy but we only had to wait about 7 minutes - if even that long. Once seated, we did not have to wait long for service was fast and friendly. The Calamari was lightly fried to perfection. The veal dish was very tender - the Marsala sauce had a lot of mushroom and was very flavorful. All pasta was cooked el dente, which is the way it should be. The pizza was extraordinary, we got garlic and peppers on it and it was- hands down - the best pizza I have ever had in my life in SW Florida. This place makes for a great night out. I hope they will put a coupon on swfloridarewards.com again soon.

Golden Corral Punta Gorda FL

Golden Corral "The Real Thing"
Apr 2007

A great find on bestpotcharlottedining.com, super food and great people, what more could anybody want.Nothing but good, except that I wish I could eat there more than the once a week which I am now doing. I look forward to every visit at the golden corral with my wife and mother-in-law. Although I'd like to lose a few pounds, I believe I'm addicted to your scrumptious fried chicken, don't ever change it. Excellent food presentation, always quite clean, and the best variety in Charlotte county now If they could run a coupon in swfloridarewards.com I'd be in heaven.

Charley's Boathouse Fort Myers Beach FL

Charley's Boathouse Grill: "The Experience"
Nov 2007

My husband and I ate at Charley's Boathouse Grill in early November, 2007, while vacationing in the Fort Myers, Naples area. We always use bestcitydining.com when on a vacation. We were not familiar with the restaurant but the parking lot was mobbed and we had read about it on bestfortmyersdining.com so we thought it was probably good. I was very skeptical at first because it seemed a bit pricey but by the time we left we both agreed that it had been a very nice dinner I guess we should have checked swfloridarewards.com for a coupon. We certainly got an ample amount of food and everything tasted good. I still think it's a little pricey but I would definitely consider going there again next time I'm vacationing in the area next year.

Bistro 41 Fort Myers FL

Bistro 41 "You will not be disappointed!"
Mar 2006

Ate lunch here on a Sunday in Feb after finding out about them on bestfortmyersdining.com. The weather wasn't the greatest in Fort Myers that day, but their patio had a cover and everything I put in my mouth was excellent even the water. I had french onion soup and quiche (which came with a salad). Great!!! And it's convenient because it's in the good shopping area. Check before you leave the house to see if there is a coupon on swfloridarewards.com You can't go wrong!

Big Hickory Fishing Nook Bonita Springs FL

Big Hickory Fishing Nook Marina: "wonderful Time"
Sept 2006

We were referred to this restaurant by the people over at the Hyatt coconut plantation They said it was recommended by bestnaplesdining.com. What a find! Truly Old Florida ambience and excellent food. The cubana grouper is to die for. We recommended it to the couple sitting next to us and they felt the same way they looked for the coupons on swfloridarewards.com. A little hard to find but worth it.

Crow's Nest Marina Restaurant & Tavern Venice FL

Crow's Nest Marina Restaurant & Tavern "Great Food and View all time!"
Mar 2007

Of all the places my husband and I ate at while we were in Venice the Crow's Nest, by far, was our favorite of all the bestportcharlottedining.com. The ahi tuna, grouper nuggets, seafood bisque, and clam chowder were all superb, as was the service we received...add to all of this a beautiful view too, and it makes for quite a lovely meal. I can only say that I am very disappointed that we didn't find the Crow's Nest sooner and get coupons on swfloridarewards.com during our stay and that we'll definitely be returning again when we get back to Venice!

Tarpon Lodge Restaurant Pine Island FL

Tarpon Lodge Restaurant "It's The Tops"
Dec 2006
Bestfortmyersdining.com recommends this restaurant and it affords day-trippers an interesting lunch or dinner opportunity in Pine Island.
The dining room, with its hardwood floors, framed prints of hunting and fishing scenes and the occasional small trophy animal mounted on the wall, creates a convincing country gentleman ambiance. It's a place where outdoorsmen feel at home
and can count on hearty, forthright fare.
As you might expect, the menu is as far from fusion as it's possible to get. Traditionalists may find it refreshing to recognize all the items in a dish. The food is straightforward American, featuring simple but well-prepared seafood and meat and an abbreviated wine list, from which we still managed to select a lovely accompaniment to our meal a Whitehaven sauvignon blanc, from the Marlborough district of New Zealand. Crisp, light and not quite as citrusy as some, it complemented both the appetizers and entrées well and, at $40, was a good buy, too.
Lunch is particularly casual, with cheese steaks, crab cake sandwiches, shrimp po�boys and salads that range from $5.95 for a jumbo hot dog to $14.95 for the fresh catch of the day.
Dinner selections scale upward a bit, with veal piccata, aged filet mignon and skewers of bronzed Gulf shrimp.
The shrimp were large, sweet and fresh, given a lively little bite from the seasonings that also imparted a bronze hue, and served with a mild cilantro crème fraéche. The house specialty crab and roasted corn chowder lived up to its billing. It was a thick, rich cream soup loaded with savory corn and mild crab. Although bowls are available, a cup was plenty.
Given our proximity to the fish-laden waters of Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor beyond that, the evening's fish entrées seemed more appealing than meat.
A sautéed grouper with mango curry sauce was generously portioned, moist and flaky. The sauce, which was a restrained version of curry sauce, imparted Eastern-influenced spices and sweet mango without drowning out the fish's subtle flavor.
The Asiago-encrusted tripletail with artichokes had a bolder taste but, again, the fillet was moist and fork-tender, with a tangy crust.
For a sweet finish, the vanilla crème brule was a fine choice. Another classic, the custard, was creamy and lush with an oh-so-light crust of sugar fired over the top.
A cozy bar, complete with fireplace, was far quieter than the main dining room. But even when the volume climbs, Tarpon Lodge remains a lovely throwback to the days of Old Florida, when gracious service and rustic elegance went hand in hand. Just in case just check swfloridarewards.com for coupons to this wonderful restaurant.

Veranda Fort Myers FL

Veranda "Wonderful for lunch"
May 2007

About every four months we drive from Sarasota down to Ft. Myers to meet friends at a half-way point for lunch. The destination is always the same since we found out about veranda on bestfortmyersdining.com, the Veranda restaurant is in Ft. Myers. The atmosphere is terrific, two very old buildings merged together, a restful garden setting outside. Inside, the service has always been good. The luncheon menu is a bit limited -- some soups and salads, a few sandwiches, a few "main course" items, plus desserts, but all of it very good. You don't feel at all rushed, though the service is good and attentive. On our last trip last week, one of the people in our party had crab cakes, which are always good; I had tilapia with crab meat on top, and that was superb. If you live in or near Ft. Myers, the Veranda is a great break from everyday activities, simply unwinding over a pleasant lunch; if you're a visitor, it's a wonderful respite from the beach scene. We did not find a coupon on swfloridarewards.com though we check every time.

Charley's Boathouse Grill Fort Myers Beach FL

Charley's Boathouse Grill "Very special restaurant"
Oct 2006

This restaurant was wonderful from beginning to end just like bestfortmyersdining.com said it would be. Quiet and romantic, the perfect atmosphere for a special dinner. The food was delicious and the wait staff were friendly and effecient. My husband surprised me with a mouthwatering piece of "birthday" key lime pie complete with a candle! A perfectly divine evening. We even checked swfloridarewards.com for a coupons!

Farmers Market Restaurant Fort Myers FL

Farmers Market Restaurant: "Farmers Market the best!"
Apr 2006

My husband and I eat at the Farmers Market at least once a week! We always check swfloridarewards.com for coupons after we found it on bestswfloridadining.com. They have great fried chicken and ham hocks.Understand that they close at 8pm every evening so they will run out of vegetables towards the end of the day but everything IS fresh. Why would generations of "old Fort Myers folks" still keep coming here and waiting in line at 12pm if it wasn't so good?

Enzo's Pizzeria & Italian Bonita Springs FL

Enzo's Pizzeria & Italian: "We'll go back!"
Jun 2007

Our first time at Enzo's was a very pleasant experience we found them on bestswfloridadining.com - attentive and personable server - and great food. We shared the fried calamari appetizer - nice and lightly battered. The veggie pizza was topped with loads of spinach, mushrooms, olives and peppers and has a delicious crust. Found the wine by glass price a little pricey, however check for coupons on swflrewards.com. This is a place we will definitely go back to for seconds! Bonita Springs has a real Gem!