Where Locals Go on Sanibel Island

A few blocks walk from Periwinkle Park are several restaurants. After a great day of walking the beaches, we decided that pizza sounded like the best plan. We set out on foot with our flashlight down the dark bike paths that offer pedestrian access to almost any shopping or restaurant on the island.

The moon was full, and the breeze light, so only a light sweater was needed. The restaurant we had chosen, Matzaluna is the closest to the park, so we crossed the street and made our way inside. It was busy - about a 20-minute wait. Jim smiled and found us a seat near the bar. This is the first time I can remember that Jim was ok with a restaurant wait. With no schedule to bind us, the pace of our life is already slowing down.

Even though there were a lot of people in the bar and restaurant, the noise level was subdued. Really nice that we could have a quiet conversation over dinner. The menu offered far more than pizza. There were Italian specialties like veal marsala, shrimp carbonara, chicken puttanesca, and eggplant parmesan, but we wanted to try the pizza since they had a wood-fired pizza oven. Our only dilemma -  which to choose? They had endless combinations! Since the pizzas were personal-sized, I chose a sweet caramelized onion, spinach, artichoke with goat cheese while Jim vied for his favorite - pepperoni. The crust was perfect - thin and crispy. And the toppings! were spot on. The service was excellent and the fact that they had JLohr Cabernet Sauvignon on the wine list and a host of craft beers available made them the perfect pizza place for us!

We ended the evening with a leisurely walk back to the Park, enjoying the starlight and soft breeze. Lovely Sanibel.