Keeping everything fresh, seasonal and made from scratch is all seen in the food presented by Keith Meyer, executive chef and co-owner of F.M. Don’s in downtown Punta Gorda at the corner of Taylor and Marion.
Chef Meyer is well-known in the area along with his lovely wife Stacey Deffenbaugh Meyer, an anchor for NBC-2 News. The power couple make themselves visible in the restaurant and in the Southwest Florida area, especially with Stacey’s volunteering for countless non-profit events.
With a degree in finance and working in that field, Chef Meyer always yearned to work his magic in the kitchen. He attended the French Culinary Institute in New York City. After graduating he worked side-by-side with chefs trained in French cuisine. With a desire to call a place his own he opened F.M. Don’s.
Enter fresh, simple and local ingredients and that’s what’s on the menu at F.M. Don’s. There are choices from appetizers and small plates to share all the way up to perfectly sized portions for one.
Starters include hummus, pimento cheese, short rib sliders, soups, salads and more. We shared the burrata and asparagus with tomato, artichoke, prosciutto and fresh basil and a blended hummus with beet juice.
We all tried different menu selections for dinner: lemon roasted chicken with ratatouille; Faroe Island salmon served over a bed of creamed corn and topped with mushrooms; grilled swordfish with bacon, roasted brussel sprouts, potato, asparagus, carrot, tomato & herb salad; and for dinner a wedge salad. The salmon was perfectly prepared with a nice crust to the top and melted in my mouth. The swordfish had an excellent char and beautiful presentation. The wedge salad with extra bleu cheese crumbles was crisp, cold and topped with homemade bleu cheese dressing and the chicken was crispy and mouth-watering. We all had to stick our forks into a side of mashed potatoes.
Other items on the dinner menu include: seared scallops, Chef Keith’s famous bison meatloaf; fish & chips; pasta & roast pork, pork chop; beef short ribs; filet and rib-eye.
For dessert, we tried one of everything. Each bite was better than the last. We sampled the best carrot cake, chocolate layer cake, seven-layer lemon coconut cake and peanut butter and chocolate cake. Everything is homemade.
There are also menus for lunch, a matinée menu, bar bites and Sunday brunch.
Add a warm welcome, excellent service, a visit from Chef Keith to the table all in an upscale atmosphere and its one of our favorites.
You can sit outside or inside. Reservations are suggested. Hours are Sunday through Wednesday 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
#seasonthis #SWFLA foodies #Chef Keith Meyer
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