Destination restaurants: Pine Island's Tarpon Lodge is an adventure

Part of the fun of destination dining is the journey, and whether you drive or boat to Tarpon Lodge & Restaurant, it’s an adventure.

The historic fishing lodge on the northern end of Pine Island was built in the 1920s as a private residence. Reinvented numerous times over the decades, the pioneering spirit that lives within its rafters is at work again, inspiring innovation to help the property persevere through the pandemic of 2020.

“The coronavirus has made boating more popular than ever,” Rob Wells says.

To accommodate the increased traffic at his docks, Tarpon Lodge's general manager has added a tiki bar. It provides food, drinks, live music on Saturdays and plenty of space for distancing. 

“People feel comfortable there,” food and beverage manager Shoreh Durkin says. She’s planning a garden party in October, with food, wine, music and the chance to buy local goods without going into a store. Tickets will be sold, keeping attendance limited.

More:5 restaurants, 1 guru: How Captiva became a dining destination

And:Punta Gorda's Peace River Seafood adapts by going back to its roots

During the COVID-19 shutdown, employees were paid to help spruce up the waterfront property. Metal beams on the dining patio were meticulously sanded and repainted, with Chef Heath Higginbotham doing much of the work.

The patio is the center of dining at Tarpon Lodge. It’s light, open and under air. French doors lead to a more private dining room. They're never closed, adding to that airy feeling so many diners currently find comforting.

More:The best red wines for summer, and how to keep them refreshingly cool

And:17 Lee County restaurants get zero violations on health and safety inspections

Customers will notice several sanitizing stations. Employees don masks and wear rubber gloves that are changed frequently during service.

“Employees are taking great care of themselves and our guests,” Durkin says. “They are passionate about it.”

They are also passionate about hospitality and a hand-crafted menu that represents the area, created with a worldly touch.

Some of Tarpon Lodge's menu items are tweaked seasonally, however, the crab-and-corn chowder has remained the same since day one. Served for lunch and dinner, by many accounts, it is a favorite.

The fresh catch of the day is a signature that allows creativity by Higginbotham and his culinary team. The daily preparation could include such local seafood as hogfish, triple tail, yellow tail or grouper.

Lump crab comes on a popular chicken entree, delicately layered with Monterey jack cheese in a lemon and white wine sauce. Served over a bed of wilted spinach and garlic, Durkin says, “It’s light, simple and everyone just loves it.”

Chicken Francaise is being added for fall and “it melts in your mouth,” Durkin says.

Seafood gets the lion’s share of this kitchen's attention, however, the steaks also get rave reviews according to Durkin. Similar to the catch of the day, toppings on the New York strip change often.

Tarpon Lodge also offers vegan fare. Ancient grains are used as a base for seasonally changing produce. The kitchen crafts each dish, plant-based or omnivore, to order. In a nod to classic surf-and-turf, Gulf pink shrimp can be added to any entree.

For dessert, save room for the triple chocolate mousse cake with a Graham-cracker base.

“It adds a wonderful contrast in texture,” Durkin says. “The mousse is so silky and rich.”

She says the kitchen has also perfected crème brulee. 

For guests who aren't quite ready for the adventure of a car or boat ride home, Tarpon Lodge offers rooms and suites to extend a visit. Its sister property, Cabbage Key, which is a short boat or ferry ride away, also offers lodging. 

Accessible only by boat, Cabbage Key is known for its bar and restaurant dripping with dollar bills that have been signed by visitors. A fun tradition for customers, their dollars become a conduit to give back to the community. As they fall from the wall, the bills are donated to local charities to the tune of about $20,000 dollars a year.  

Currently, the raining money is earmarked for organizations helping those impacted by the pandemic.

Those who start their adventures by car will wind through Matlacha, a narrow strip of land lined with colorful, funky shops and galleries. Most of the drive is through native Florida palms and brush, past small nurseries and farms full of tropical plants and fruits.

Decompress—the word many visitors use to describe the drive. This effect is often seen on their faces when they walk through Tarpon Lodge's doors, with its fireplace, creaky wooden floors and walls lined in old photographs.

It feels as if you’ve journeyed to an old friend’s house where you are graciously greeted, encouraged to slow down and enjoy each other’s company, grab a drink, walk to the water, catch the sunset and enjoy a thoughtfully prepared meal.

It’s like taking a step back in time, rediscovering the Florida of your childhood or that of your elders, a Florida many people have only heard about. It is destination dining that feeds more than the stomach. It feeds a sense of adventure, of history, of community. It feeds the soul.

Tarpon Lodge is at 13771 Waterfront Drive, Bokeelia; call 239-283-3999 or visit tarponlodge.com for more. For information on Cabbage Key, call 239-283-2278 or visit cabbagekey.com. 

Gina Birch writes about food and wine for The News-Press and at thebirchbeat.blogspot.com. Follow her as @ginabirch on Twitter and find her on Facebook.