When the Pizza Snob and Mrs. Pie visit friends, they often want to be hospitable and take us to their favorite pizza place. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. One recent such situation was at Capone’s Coal Fired Pizza in beautiful downtown Fort Myers. Being a touristy themed restaurant as such, this had the makings of a pizza disaster. However, I’m quite happy to report that not only was it a fun place to visit, the pizza was actually quite good!
Capone’s has a great corner location and occupies a pretty large space on the main downtown drag, not too far from slice specialists DHOP. And of course, it’s chock full of gangster era mementos in honor of its namesake, 1920’s Chicago gangster Al Capone. The stuff was fun to look at but was no way museum level. Around since 2014, there’s also a Capone’s in Kissimmee, FL, home of Disneyworld.
Even though it was busy for a weeknight, our large group of friends and family was able to quickly get a large table at which we all gathered comfortably. We sat inside although there were some nice spots outside along the sidewalk where you can enjoy the weather and the passersby.
Among the several things our group ordered, I worked in a large coal-fired Margherita (16 inches for $16.95) which would satisfy my desires. While focused pretty much on pizza, the Capone’s menu also had other Italian fare such as salads, sandwiches and pasta. Not wanting to be short on carbs, our group started things off with some Bruschetta which turned out to be a tasty intro to our meal.
When our pies hit the table, I right off noticed an obstacle the Capone’s pie would have to overcome with the Snob. Each of the eight cut slices had a slice or two of cut Roma Tomatoes on top. Although I love tomato sauce more than you can imagine, I have never warmed up to the taste of a cooked tomato. Otherwise, I was quite impressed at how this pie looked. Melted Mozzarella balls covered with basil leaves on top of a light covering of “gravy” surrounded by a nicely charred crust. Yummy!
The pie was rightfully thin and as a result, I knocked off half of its eight slices in record time. (Note that the table had ordered some other topping-laced pies, so I was in no way being the Pizza Hog!) I was having a good time.
Capone’s pie had a satisfying coal taste but maybe was a little too light on cheese. Further on the downside, it was also a little lukewarm and should have been served hotter. The crust was also somewhat dry which a few squirts of olive oil could have helped. While it wasn’t a total flavor extravaganza, for a tourist spot like this, it was darn good and enjoyable.
While Capone’s won’t go down in history as a famous pizza culinary site, it is a fun enjoyable place for a large group and has a decent pizza on its fun and inviting menu.
PS – I did get to wondering what Al Capone has to do with pizza and came across this interesting article about his influence on the dairy business. All this made me think of the great Capone’s Pizza and Subs in Millwood, AL which sadly is no longer in the biz.
PIZZA SNOB RATING ***1/2 Working on a Good Thing
Capone’s Coal Fired Pizza
2225 First Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901
239-337-2625
www.caponescoalfiredpizza.com/fort-myers