Swan River offers fresh, simple seafood in North Naples
I assume if they’d had any idea how popular their tenants would become the Parkshore Center owners would have doubled the size of their parking lot. This otherwise non-descript strip mall in North Naples houses three of the most popular spots outside of downtown Naples — USS Nemo, which may be the most popular restaurant in the city; Norman Love Confections, our local chocolatier’s southern outpost; and Swan River, a very popular seafood restaurant and raw bar with a market alongside.
Swan River is the opposite in food style to its next-door neighbor, the sophisticated fusion restaurant USS Nemo. Swan River is all about seafood, simple and delicious. Everything is as fresh and sustainable as possible, and walking through the market to the dining room you can see a lot of that fresh seafood on display. The market also features lots of partly prepared items, including their house-made crab cakes, and a range of seafood salads — from lobster to shrimp to tuna. And those guys behind the counter in the market are the owners of this wonderful place and they’re always very helpful when you’ve got questions about their seafood.
What I really started enjoying this winter was Swan River’s party platters. Large enough to feed eight to 10 people, these platters of seared ahi tuna, for example, or poached salmon, are perfect for a Southwest Florida gathering. They also make vegetable or beef tenderloin platters to round out an easy dinner for a crowd. They need about 24 hours notice, but then you’ve got the food taken care of and all you need to do is enjoy the party! I’d been to a few house parties this winter with these platters and was really impressed by the ability of the hosts until they confessed they’d gotten everything from Swan River! The platters were beautiful and extremely fresh and absolutely delicious.
About two years ago Swan River underwent a major renovation and transformed what was a bland dining room into a show-stopper. The main dining room is now dominated by a raw bar that looks like a lobster boat. Really. The bar is literally a fishing boat that has sailed into the dining room and the bar stools sit around the edge.
Sharon Kenny is the author of “Where Should We Eat? A Foodlover’s Recommended Places to Eat and Drink in the Naples Area.” Visit www.whereshouldweeatnaples.com
If you go
Swan River Seafood Restaurant and Raw Bar
3741 Tamiami Trail N
(239) 403-7000