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Tim Aten and Captain Brien obsess over pizza while mentioning some restaurants coming to Naples soon. They chat about upcoming shows at Off The Hook with Michael Blackson then wrap up with more about what’s new.
Funny jokes and notes from a day and the life Off the hook Comedy Club. Off the hook comedy club post on twitter daily follow us #captainslog for the latest info.
The captain’s log is officially sponsored by Captain Brien Spirits maker of Captain Brien Sugar Free Vodka and Barrel Aged Dark Rum both are gluten free also!
Check Tim Aten out and show him some love at:
- Website: www.naplesnews.com/intheknow
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/timaten.intheknow
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/timatenknows?lang=en
PODCAST RECAP
Miss something on one of our episodes of the #naplescaptainslog? Don’t worry we got you covered! Here you will find a full transcript from this episode of the #naplescaptainslog!
Captain Brien: Hey guys, thanks for joining the Captain’s Log today. Check it out. By the way, if you haven’t liked and shared the post, please do so. I do this every day. I don’t know, anyway. Tim Aten is our guest today. He is the famous reporter that you know locally for In the Know column, and we’re gonna learn about some new restaurants comin’ your way, and it’s all exciting good stuff. Get ready ’cause the Captain’s Log’s right at ya. Good morning, back again on the Captain’s Log, Tim Aten. In the Know, buddy.
Tim Aten: Hey.
Captain Brien: You’re the star of this whole town.
Tim Aten: Yeah, this is great.
Captain Brien: You write all the columns, everybody wants to follow you, know what’s going on next.
Tim Aten: Yeah, but this is the seat, man. This is like The Tonight Show. I feel like a lot of famous people have sat here.
Captain Brien: We are having fun, yes, I tell ya. It’s season two of The Captain’s Log, and I keep saying that season one only took 13 years to finish. I don’t know why I never said, season two, throughout all those years, but–
Tim Aten: I know, and you’ve, what, more than a couple hundred, right?
Captain Brien: Yeah, 200 episodes.
Tim Aten: Wow!
Captain Brien: I should have said, season two, at some point, right?
Tim Aten: Wow.
Captain Brien: But I wasn’t that organized up until recently. So anyway, yeah, you should be live on the air if you see it now, and then, we’re gonna take a little ride and see what’s goin’ on.
Tim Aten: All right.
Captain Brien: I wanna know what’s in the know. That’s the key, right?
Tim Aten: Oh, well, this time of year there’s a lot happening. in fact, I’ve been so inundated the last, the end of the year just hits. I feel like I get hit by a truck every year. It’s just so much to do to catch up.
Captain Brien: It really is.
Tim Aten: To look back, review, and to look ahead, it’s crazy, but there’s a lot comin’.
Captain Brien: What’s the big stuff? Tell me some good stuff. I wanna know.
Tim Aten: Well, comin’ up we have, between January and February, what we just know, there’s eight new restaurants coming each of those months. So we’re gonna have 16 new restaurants at least
Captain Brien: Wow!
Tim Aten: in January and February, and–
Captain Brien: And there’s a few right here, right? You got the Havana Blue and–
Tim Aten: Yeah, yeah, over here, yeah, the Cuban restaurant. The one that I think I’m interested in trying the pizza is Mr. 01 Extraordinary Pizza–
Captain Brien: That’s the guy from Miami, right?
Tim Aten: Yes!
Captain Brien: Oh, makes the star pizza.
Tim Aten: Yeah, exactly.
Captain Brien: I can’t wait. I’m gonna totally go for that.
Tim Aten: Yeah, yeah, I wanna try that one, and there’s another pizza place coming in February that I’m interested in is the guys that do Low Brow, have you been down there?
Captain Brien: Oh yeah, Chef Chris is my good buddy.
Tim Aten: Chris Jones, oh yeah–
Captain Brien: He’s openin’ another place?
Tim Aten: Yeah, he’s doin’ one called Industry Pizza and Slice Shop–
Captain Brien: Nice!
Tim Aten: Which is gonna be on Pinebridge in that little area where there’s Patrick’s and Bon Jour and Chinatown in that little strip.
Captain Brien: Yeah, yeah
Tim Aten: Back there
Captain Brien: Oh good
Tim Aten: That little, it was a dog bakery before.
Captain Brien: I know exactly what you’re talking about.
Tim Aten: But anyway, he’s gonna have slices, New York slices and like 24 inch pies. And I really wanna
Captain Brien: I love that
Tim Aten: I know. I can’t wait to try that
Captain Brien: I love that
Tim Aten: Cause it’s different than what he’s doing at Low Brow, but you know it’s gonna be good
Captain Brien: Right because his pizza’s more of like a rustic kind of brick oven, right.
Tim Aten: Yeah.
Captain Brien: So is he gonna do a New York style? Is that what he’s doin?
Tim Aten: Right New York and he’s gonna do some like Detroit squares too.
Captain Brien: I love that.
Tim Aten: But mainly he’s doin the slices.
Captain Brien: And he’s.
Tim Aten: And that’s what’s good. You can get it by the slice, because you can’t find that much here.
Captain Brien: No.
Tim Aten: I mean you can for lunch some places.
Captain Brien: I go to Mama Mia’s for a nice slice.
Tim Aten: He’s doin lunch. Exactly and Peppy’s is good.
Captain Brien: Yeah.
Tim Aten: For slices, but they’re only during lunch. But this guy, he’s doin all day.
Captain Brien: I love that.
Tim Aten: Yeah.
Captain Brien: I love that. Chef Chris is a good friend of mine and he’s phenomenal.
Tim Aten: Yeah.
Captain Brien: I mean he came from so many different country clubs and what he’s doing now is great. I just, I love everything that he’s been.
Tim Aten: Yeah doin great.
Captain Brien: From the food truck and all that.
Tim Aten: Great sense of humor and
Captain Brien: Yeah.
Tim Aten: You know that’s what’s so funny about it, it’s one of those, you get chuckles goin in there so.
Captain Brien: So when does the, is the place with the star pizza guy comin? Cause I haven’t seen it in build out yet.
Tim Aten: Yeah it’s supposed to be in February so I think, I’m not sure, I think close to February 1st but I’m not certain exactly what day. And that’s the thing, its kind of a moving target. Even if they tell you a date, its not necessarily for sure. There are two for sures opening though on January 21st and that’s, one of them is The Yard House, which I’m excited about.
Captain Brien: I can’t wait
Tim Aten: Yeah that one
Captain Brien: Any time it’s in West Palm
Tim Aten: Yes
Captain Brien: The food is phenomenal. The atmosphere is always lit and
Tim Aten: Well I want to
Captain Brien: I’ve been tellin people too
Tim Aten: Yeah and I’m gonna try to get in there and do a pre-story on just how the beer lines were. There’s like miles of beer lines. They have 130 kegs they tap.
Captain Brien: Wow.
Tim Aten: More than 130.
Captain Brien: Yeah.
Tim Aten: Up on the whole second floor and so, no it’s exciting to find. Even though its a chain, it still has a smaller type of chain
Captain Brien: Yeah they do
Tim Aten: I mean it’s part of Darden
Captain Brien: the food they do is really good though. I have to admit, like, I’ll go there every once in a while. Ill be in West Palm Beach on a Sunday, I’m telling you people line up at the door
Tim Aten: Wow
Captain Brien: To get a seat for the game. That’s how busy it is.
Tim Aten: No I knew it was gonna be big. And then that same day the first Newk’s Eatery opens here.
Captain Brien: Wait, what’s that one? You got me on that one.
Tim Aten: It’s like, it’s kind of a counter service. It’s American comfort food. It’s a place that’s gonna, the first ones gonna be on Naples Blvd.
Captain Brien: Is this a chain or is this
Tim Aten: It’s a chain yeah. They have.
Captain Brien: Its called Newk’s?
Tim Aten:Yeah Newk’s Eatery and they.
Captain Brien: I think I’ve seen it in a magazine but I’ve never been.
Tim Aten: Yeah and so they’re gonna have three of them probably around, before this time next year, we’ll have, cause there’s gonna be a second one.
Captain Brien: Okay
Tim Aten: Its going to be at Logan’s Landing at Logan and Immokalee
Captain Brien: Where’s the first one goin?
Tim Aten: The first one’s gonna be in that little strip they built in front of Hollywood 20 on Naples Blvd.
Captain Brien: Yeah yeah.
Tim Aten: Yeah so it’ll be, they’ll have outdoor dining
Captain Brien: Oh nice.
Tim Aten: there and it’ll be.
Captain Brien: That’s right, right around the corner yeah
Tim Aten: Yeah its real nice people that are, the franchisees live in Bonita. And they own like three of them I believe in New Orleans area and so they’re gonna have three here. They’re gonna have, there will be another one up on Alico.
Captain Brien: What kind of food is it?
Tim Aten: It’s, it’s kind of like comfort food. Soups, salads, you know hamburgers, sandwich, like a lot of sandwich type stuff.
Captain Brien: Okay.
Tim Aten: But I think, I think that it probably will do okay. And then we have some other ones that are, one, that other one that has probably the most buzz of any restaurant around is that Rocco’s Taco’s.
Captain Brien: Phenomenal.
Tim Aten: Which is coming in
Captain Brien: Phenomenal.
Tim Aten: Mid- jaunary, it might even open the same day for that matter, January 21st
Captain Brien: Rocco’s Tacos out of control good. Love it. I love the DJ.
Tim Aten: So yeah that’s, those are big.
Captain Brien: The hype atmosphere. I mean another place from the east coast is jammed.
Tim Aten: Yes.
Captain Brien: Literally jammed every day.
Tim Aten: Yep.
Captain Brien: I think they’re gonna crush it at the Mercato.
Tim Aten: Oh yeah.
Tim Aten: Totally.
Tim Aten: No doubt and so that one is, like I said, it’s got more, it’s got.
Captain Brien: It should.
Tim Aten:The only one that rivaled that for buzz and probably exceeded it was Celebration Park Food Truck.
Captain Brien: Oh yeah.
Tim Aten: That just opened up.
Captain Brien: Which is great. I’ve been there like four times already and I love going there.
Tim Aten: That had a huge buzz.
Captain Brien: Yeah.
Tim Aten: And so does Rocco’s Tacos and so does, another one that’s coming this season to Mercato is TooJay’s deli, which is again
Captain Brien: Another east coast guy.
Tim Aten: East coast, exactly.
Captain Brien: Food’s great. I’m so happy they’re coming
Tim Aten: Yeah.
Captain Brien: So are they going where the old deli.
Tim Aten: Yeah where Stage 62 was.
Captain Brien: Really?
Tim Aten: Yeah.
Captain Brien: Yeah yeah yeah so TooJay’s, phenomenal.
Tim Aten: Yeah.
Captain Brien: How about their soup, you ever have it?
Tim Aten: No I haven’t been there.
Captain Brien: Oh their matzo ball soup.
Tim Aten: I have not been. I’ve always heard about it. In fact, people started asking me about them like more than five years ago. When is TooJay’s gonna come?
Captain Brien: You know why? Because they were looking at the place where I’m at.
Tim Aten: Oh they were?
Captain Brien: They were.
Tim Aten: They were also looking at the pavilion across, over there.
Captain Brien: They were pretty close to striking a deal. where I opened Off the Hook.
Tim Aten: Right.
Captain Brien: And um yeah.
Tim Aten: A lot of people were though. Because I heard, I remember when your place was, that was also gonna be one of the first locations for Twin Peaks.
Captain Brien: Oh really?
Tim Aten: In southwest Florida.
Captain Brien: Wow.
Tim Aten: They were gonna open there before they did the one up in, on Alico.
Captain Brien: That place is so busy.
Tim Aten: I know. But I don’t know, for some reason, they didn’t. And the another one who was gonna come there before you was Charles Mereday, Was gonna.
Captain Brien: Oh yeah.
Tim Aten: Was gonna do a place. He actually told me that an then it wasn’t long before he ended up leaving town.
Captain Brien: I think the Regency Center was pretty picky on who they wanted there so I think it took a little local buzz, right?
Tim Aten: Right, right.
Captain Brien: They kinda were like “look we want you to go there” so that’s I think what happened.
Tim Aten: Well and when you had the most longevity, cause you’re like at least the fourth um.
Captain Brien: Yeah.
Tim Aten: Place to go in there.
Captain Brien: Yeah.
Tim Aten: Or maybe fifth even because.
Captain Brien: It could be.
Tim Aten: Yeah because it started, when I remember the first one was Encore.
Captain Brien: That’s right.
Tim Aten: Was Encore and they were there only a couple years. And then there was Cafe Italia
Captain Brien: Mmm-hmm.
Tim Aten: Which was only there a couple years.
Captain Brien: Yep.
Tim Aten: And then there was, the next two were only there like a year, Latitude and Bond.
Captain Brien: Yeah I don’t think any of them really had like something you could sink your teeth into. I think that was most of it.
Tim Aten: Right.
Captain Brien: But in general, the Plaza is really like shopping and the restaurants at night, there’s not very many in that area right now so.
Tim Aten: Right. no but you’ve got a great location though because
Captain Brien: We’re packed. Yeah because I get to use all this parking.
Tim Aten: Yeah.
Captain Brien: That’s why it’s great.
Tim Aten: But it’s like seven, more than 7000 square feet I think right? So its a big place.
Captain Brien: It’s 8500 yeah
Tim Aten: Oh wow that’s good.
Captain Brien: it’s pretty big. The kitchen’s huge. Actually we have two kitchens, the front kitchen and the back kitchen. So the original people, I guess, that originally designed it, we only did a minor construction but I guess they thought they were gonna serve, you know 10,000 people a day cause they built it like a hotel.
Tim Aten: Oh my gosh.
Captain Brien: The kitchen’s insane, so yeah
Tim Aten: But you’re, you’ll be coming up on your fourth anniversary though this year.
Captain Brien: That’s right.
Tim Aten: I think and so you’ve already survived more than any of those other two put together.
Captain Brien: Right yeah.
Tim Aten: So that’s good.
Captain Brien: I mean we had an ongoing business. It’s been almost 14 years now.
Tim Aten: Mm-hmm.
Captain Brien: So that was just a good move for us but that makes it nice, you know.
Tim Aten: Right.
Captain Brien: Now that we’re there and we’re actually putting in a new stage next week.
Tim Aten: Oh wow.
Captain Brien: So that should be cool. Not a whole new stage, we already did that. But we’re putting in a whole new backdrop. So we’re redesigning the back of the stage, which is cool because we’ve been doing so much with video and we’re recording and we had some clips hit 2, 3 million views with the comedians, you know, on stage.
Tim Aten: Oh yeah.
Captain Brien: So we’re gonna really, in 2019, we’re shooting 4k, three cameras like every night at the shows and its been doing really well on Instagram and Facebook and even YouTube.
Tim Aten: That’s good.
Captain Brien: So that’s our new move for 2019.
Tim Aten: That’s great. Well I know that you’ve got the two different names, you’ve got the Rose Seafood and then you’ve got the Off The Hook, so what, do you see your place as a comedy club with a restaurant or a restaurant with a comedy club or how do you see it?
Captain Brien: As far as that goes, honestly, I want it to be a restaurant with a comedy club cause I want people to eat, but everybody does eat now and we’re clearly a comedy club. So it’s kind of been a transition. Originally we were a restaurant. Then we went to restaurant with a comedy club. And now it’s pretty full scale comedy club 24/7. I mean we’re doing shows every night except Monday. So Tuesday through Sunday there’s just shows. So it’s very hard even to come in for the restaurant
Tim Aten: Right.
Captain Brien: Unless you are watching a show. Which is great because then I get to feed them and they get to laugh and they get to buy tickets. So it works out good for us.
Tim Aten: And the drinks, don’t forget.
Captain Brien: And they get the drinks, yeah cause I have the new vodka and the rum.
Tim Aten: Yeah I know.
Captain Brien: Have you tried that yet?
Tim Aten: No I want to though. That sounds great.
Captain Brien: You gotta try it. Ill give you a bottle of Captain Brien’s vodka or rum. Whatever your preference is when we leave. That’s my departing gift. I get people on The Captain’s Log, they get a gift, you know.
Tim Aten: That’s funny.
Captain Brien: So.
Tim Aten: So I know you started like nine years ago. You were down, or not nine years ago, you were nine years in Marco.
Captain Brien: Yes.
Tim Aten: So how did you start with the comedy though? What started that?
Captain Brien: So because, originally in 2001 when I opened Captain Brien’s it was like a take-out concept. And then when we grew to the 200 seater on Marco Island, basically at the end of 8:00 at night I was like I think it’s gonna be pretty slow if we don’t figure out what to do for a late night and I just one day decided, these guys are just gonna have a conversation right across, car to car, huh. So then I just decided that we needed to do something late at night and that’s really all it was. Was a decision to do late night entertainment and it started growing and growing and growing but the BP oil spill was really I think one of the reasons why we changed the whole concept to doing national comedy acts all the time, was because there was so slow during that time and people like hesitant to eat the seafood. Remember there was that.
Tim Aten: Oh right, right.
Captain Brien: “Ooh we shouldn’t eat seafood.” It affected us so bad that I basically
Tim Aten: Or they thought there was oil on the beaches
Captain Brien: Right.
Tim Aten: And they didn’t come down.
Captain Brien: Right yeah they didn’t know.
Tim Aten: Right, never go there once.
Captain Brien: Exactly so during that transition. I basically started just doing huge like national acts every week and focusing on the local Fort Myers, Naples and Marco Island clientele to come to the restaurant for comedy.
Tim Aten: Wow.
Captain Brien: And that’s, that’s it. After that it became 50% comedy, 50% restaurant. And then it kept going and you know the restaurant became secondary to the comedy.
Tim Aten: Well how did you, do you have connections with national acts? How did you come about that?
Captain Brien: You know what? It really just started where I would just, was knocking on Hollywood 24/7, that’s it.
Tim Aten: But it’s easier now I’m guessing?
Captain Brien: Now they call me 24/7. now it’s more of a pain in the butt.
Tim Aten: Oh my gosh.
Captain Brien: But the thing is.
Tim Aten: That’s a nice problem to have
Captain Brien: It is but it’s still always a challenge to put the right act on the right week and also they have to be available. Like so you have to work together all the time. Like if you’re not talking and looking at calendars and schedules and who’s available every day, like you might miss something that could have fit perfect for the schedule.
Tim Aten: Right.
Captain Brien: Cause you only have 52 weeks.
Tim Aten: Mm hmm.
Captain Brien: And every weekend, if you don’t have like a winner, then it’s really, then it’s a loss for the business.
Tim Aten: Yep.
Captain Brien: So you gotta try and shoot for wins every week. Like, this week, we have a really big act tonight and tomorrow. The guy’s got like four million followers on social media, Michael Blackson. He’s the guy that has the roast battles with Kevin Hart every day on Twitter and Instagram
Tim Aten: Ah okay.
Captain Brien: And Facebook. They just go back and forth at each other. But he’s doing two shows tonight, two shows tomorrow. And those are packed so that’s great.
Tim Aten: Mm hmm.
Captain Brien: You know like. We just came off Tom Cotter for New Years Eve, which was really good and that was two sold out shows. And then to have Michael Blackson the following week, because this would be a slow weekend for us. It’s hard to do, like coming off New Years, how many people want to go back out and party again?
Tim Aten: Right.
Captain Brien: But the when I find a guy like Michael Blackson, who has a built in audience, like you know he just puts out a tweet and a message on his Instagram that he’s gonna be here and all of a sudden everybody wants to show up. So that’s.
Tim Aten: Well that’s good.
Captain Brien: That’s what like my focus is every day is you have to find those because there’s not, there’s not those guys calling me. Like I still have to go out and say “Hey look, I want you on this weekend” which works out really good.
Tim Aten: That’s good.
Captain Brien: Barbecue, what’s your favorite barbecue?
Tim Aten: Oh there’s some good ones. I mean, I think that I don’t have a personal favorite necessarily but I know that Black Eyed Pig is one of the favorite ones around.
Captain Brien: Oh yeah the Black Eyed pig’s great
Tim Aten: And you know the one thing too that’s, there are at least three barbecue places coming this year.
Captain Brien: I know one that’s coming.
Tim Aten: There’s Nawty Hogg Backyard BBQ, which has a food truck down at Celebration Park. It’s opening up a brick and mortar place.
Captain Brien: Ah okay.
Tim Aten: They’re gonna be at, where the old Joey D’s was at Pine Ridge and Collier Blvd. Back in that.
Tim Aten: Yeah okay. that little shopping center, Brooks Village.
Captain Brien: Yep.
Tim Aten: So they’re gonna be opening up probably around February 1st. And then there’s another one coming called, tentatively called Off The Bone Rib Shack.
Captain Brien: Okay.
Tim Aten: And it’s gonna be in Logans Landing again but they’re building where the new shopping center at Logan and Immokalee, which is.
Captain Brien: Oh I know right where that is
Tim Aten: Yeah yeah in fact Sprouts Farmers Market will be
Captain Brien: That’s gonna be the.
Tim Aten: The first local one will be
Captain Brien: Yep.
Tim Aten: That’s opening February 20th. so everything else will be after that and they’re gonna, I don’t think they get possession for the, for the
Captain Brien: Restaurant.
Tim Aten: The shells to build out until like February 1st
Captain Brien: So then they’re gonna be 8 months
Tim Aten: So things will take 60 to 90 days, it depends on what the place is. Some of them are gonna be longer, yeah. I think the Off The Bone won’t be until next fall.
Captain Brien: Is that a chain or a local guy?
Tim Aten: It’s local.
Captain Brien: Oh cool.
Tim Aten: In fact behind it is Randy Seyler of Pelican Larry’s.
Captain Brien: Yeah, yeah sure I know Randy.
Tim Aten: He’s doing it but then he’s got some, he won’t, he hasn’t given me the name yet, but he’s got some local barbecue guy, I don’t know who it is.
Captain Brien: Very cool.
Tim Aten: It could be a number of people.
Captain Brien: And then there’s a guy at the farmers market. on Vanderbilt.
Tim Aten: Yes.
Captain Brien: The Pit, is it Pitmaster?
Tim Aten: Yes, Pit Commander.
Captain Brien: Pit Commander, I love his barbecue
Tim Aten: Yeah and that’s gonna be a cool place too again down on Bayshore. You’re gonna have a lot of synergy between that and the Celebration Park. But he’s got, yeah he’s central-Texan barbecue.
Captain Brien: Oh my God, his brisket’s out of control.
Tim Aten: Yeah it’s.
Captain Brien: Have you tried that?
Tim Aten: Yeah it’s good. Yeah and he has, he’s there, he just came back I think Saturdays now he’s at Vanderbilt
Captain Brien: Yes.
Tim Aten: Again.
Captain Brien: On Saturday mornings yeah.
Tim Aten: At the farmers market.
Captain Brien: Yeah.
Tim Aten: And so but he’ll be there full time. It’s gonna be cool, like a garden setting out in the and again it’s gonna be a brew house. They’re gonna do their own beer there
Captain Brien: Very cool.
Tim Aten: And then he’ll be the main food down there
Captain Brien: That’s excellent. That’s excellent
Tim Aten: and then he’s also gonna branch off and do, he calls it Texapolitan pizza.
Captain Brien: Oh.
Tim Aten: And I think he’s gonna start that there. It may not be right away, but he’ll be offering that.
Captain Brien: That’ll be interesting.
Tim Aten: Yeah.
Captain Brien: I love pizza. I can eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Tim Aten: Yeah me too.
Captain Brien: Do you eat a lot of pizza?
Tim Aten: I do yeah, probably too much, but yeah I love it. In fact, that’s always a joke at my family cause
Captain Brien: Me too.
Tim Aten: Like it was birthdays, people go to get steak, I would want to go and have pizza.
Captain Brien: When I eat pizza, if it’s not New York pizza, and I eat a different style, that means I can still eat New York pizza for the next meal.
Tim Aten: Because it’s not real pizza
Captain Brien: Right, it doesn’t count right, exactly so I’ll just eat
Tim Aten: That’s funny.
Captain Brien: And I have to watch it because it’s like how many more carbs do I have to eat today?
Tim Aten: You know what I’m looking forward to trying and that I’ve never had before is that new Abruzzo place that’s coming, at shops across from the corner.
Captain Brien: Yeah.
Tim Aten: Where Cafe Alfredo was.
Captain Brien: Right, right, right on Vanderbilt.
Tim Aten: They’re gonna have fried pizza.
Captain Brien: Really?
Tim Aten: Yeah, and I’ve never had that, so I’m kind of interested to see what it’s like.
Captain Brien: I drive my bike by there everyday and I peek in because I go to the gym right there and it looks like they’re kinda getting close.
Tim Aten: Yeah.
Captain Brien: I think they just–
Tim Aten: Yeah, they might be opening this week, actually.
Captain Brien: Right, because I don’t think they did a full remodel.
Tim Aten: No.
Captain Brien: They just cleaned it up.
Tim Aten: No, and they didn’t really need to.
Captain Brien: Correct.
Tim Aten: And they’ve got that really nice pizza oven.
Captain Brien: Yep.
Tim Aten: So, they’re gonna use that. They’re gonna have regular pizzas too, coal fired Neapolitan-style pizzas, but they’re also gonna do this fried pizza, which I’m kinda interested in.
Captain Brien: Really? Now, isn’t that, they have another location?
Tim Aten: Yeah they’re in the Pavilion.
Captain Brien: Right.
Tim Aten: Next to the Paragon Pavilion Theater.
Captain Brien: Right next to the movie theater. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, good.
Tim Aten: Yeah, they been there for years and so this’ll be a second. And they claim they’re gonna keep the first one open. I kind of wonder if that’s just until the lease runs out, ’cause that seems kinda close to have. It’s only two and a half miles apart between the two locations.
Captain Brien: Right.
Tim Aten: So, I wouldn’t think they’re gonna really keep the first one open after too long.
Captain Brien: Oh you don’t think the one at the theater–
Tim Aten: Maybe they won’t. Maybe they won’t because they might be different.
Captain Brien: It’s smaller right? That place is much smaller where they are now.
Tim Aten: Yeah, yeah.
Captain Brien: Yeah.
Tim Aten: Yeah, but that’s one thing. This is two units where they’re going, so it’s a pretty nice place, so.
Captain Brien: I can’t believe ten years, my God. And that plaza has gotten so busy, where the Pavilion is. I mean it’s packed all the time.
Tim Aten: Yeah, you know what? When Publix left there and moved across to The Market Place at Pelican Bay, I thought this shopping center is gonna be dead.
Captain Brien: Dead.
Tim Aten: It’s gonna die, but then LA Fitness went in there, and that actually has been busier than ever.
Captain Brien: It’s way busier than ever.
Tim Aten: I can’t believe it. Yeah, I can’t believe it.
Captain Brien: You can’t even park there half the time. It’s so busy.
Tim Aten: I know, and it’s not even built out. They still have those units to fill on the other side where Key West Bar and Grill used be.
Captain Brien: That’s right.
Tim Aten: And it seems like there’s another one over there. And there’s were TooJay’s was gonna go.
Captain Brien: Oh, okay.
Tim Aten: So, they’re liable to see, you’re probably get somebody there eventually big too.
Captain Brien: I’m surprised that TooJay’s is taking that small unit because they used to be, they’re huge, usually, like big stores. Maybe it’s cause it’s they’re first time on this market, they want to just.
Tim Aten: I don’t know. I didn’t even realize that it was a lot smaller than what they normally choose.
Captain Brien: Yeah they’re foot print is usually really big, like a Jason’s Deli.
Tim Aten: Okay.
Captain Brien: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, that’s something that.
Tim Aten: No, people are excited about it though, because over the years I get asked the most about a New-York-style cuisine. We went up there. Cause New Yorkers, I know you can relate, are always looking for the best pizza, the best pastrami sandwich, the best bagel, and the best Jewish deli.
Captain Brien: And I can’t leave out Pastrami Dan’s, my all time favorite.
Tim Aten: Oh yeah, that’s good.
Captain Brien: I love, love, love. I go in Pastrami Dan’s and get half roast beef with cheddar and gravy, and the other side of the sandwich, pastrami. Yeah, ya gotta go for the combo, ya gotta tell ’em.
Tim Aten: That sounds good, that sounds good.
Captain Brien: And then the other I get pastrami with Swiss, pickles, and mustard. And then I get a super taco. You ever have the super taco there?
Tim Aten: No.
Captain Brien: Oh my God
Tim Aten: No, I wanna go there for that, though.
Captain Brien: You gotta have the super taco. It’s delicious. And they put the cheese on it, like the grilled cheese gets burnt on the edge. Oh, my good. So delicious.
Tim Aten: No, they’ve been around a long time. Probably like 40 years I think.
Captain Brien: Yeah, it’s been amazing. And every time you go in it’s busier and busier. So, he does good. I’m happy for him. They’re always watching. So, hey guys, what’s happening? Anyway, anything else you wanna tell me? I’ve learned a lot of good stuff, but is there anything, you have a diamond in the ruff? Otherwise we’re gonna wrap it up.
Tim Aten: Well, also do my Monday column, which people, I hope they will right in for the Q and A. So, it’s a question answer. People will write in all kinds of things. I like covering the development actually more than the restaurants.
Captain Brien: And you’ll post your contact information in the comments. So, people can write into you. They ask questions, you know Tim from In The Know, always has the best information about the up and coming restaurants. You do other stuff besides restaurants, but that’s your key, right?
Tim Aten: Yeah, that’s the most popular. People just love it. I’d say they eat it up.
Captain Brien: They really do.
Tim Aten: So, and then the Monday, like coming up this Monday I’ve got a thing on Waterside Shops, the Apple Store. People wanna know when it’s gonna reopen, and it’s not gonna be till the fall.
Captain Brien: Wait, I didn’t even know it was closed.
Tim Aten: Oh yeah it’s been closed since September. They’re remodeling. It’s gonna be a huge store.
Captain Brien: Really?
Tim Aten: They took over where the old Talbots was, and they’re expanding. And I’m not sure exactly what they’re doing yet, but I hope to find out by then.
Captain Brien: Well, that’s great. That’s good news. See, I didn’t know that.
Tim Aten: Yeah it’s good. And Starbucks, though, is closing there.
Captain Brien: They are.
Tim Aten: They’re going more towards drive-throughs and that kind of things, which they’ve been opening so, they’re not gonna be in Waterside anymore after January 11th.
Captain Brien: Well, that’s In the Know, guys. See? You got your own little episode today on The Captain’s Log. Thanks Tim, I appreciate you being here.
Tim Aten: Well thank you. It was a pleasure.
Captain Brien: Appreciate you taking a ride with me. It’s interesting and 2019’s gonna be a great year.
Tim Aten: Oh yeah
Captain Brien: And stay in touch. We’ll do it again.
Tim Aten: Alight, thanks.
Captain Brien: Thanks buddy. Hey guys I hope you enjoyed today’s episode of The Captain’s Log. I had a good time with Tim Aten was our guest. And he’s the man from In The Know. I learned a lotta good stuff. What’s coming on the market place here in Naples, Florida. And don’t forget, if you get thirsty, certainly just go and get Captain Brien Vodka or Rum because that’s one of sponsors. And of course I own the company, so, you might like that. Captain Brien. C-A-P-T-A-I-N-B-R-I-E-N.com. Check it out. We got some good gear too, some cool merch, if you wanna buy that. And we’ll back at you tomorrow with The Captain’s Log. Thanks for tuning in, peace.