North Fort Myers restaurants: Brown Bag Eatery still deliciously comforting
When Brown Bag Sandwich Shop closed its doors in 2019, devotees were devastated. The small restaurant on Old 41 in North Fort Myers had been feeding hungry customers with over-sized sandwiches and house-made comfort food for more than a decade.
But eight months later, the beloved restaurant re-emerged a couple of blocks north in Star Plaza. Now called Brown Bag Eatery, the shop sits sandwiched between a hair salon and Sheas West, a bar with the words “Beer colder than your Ex” painted on its windows.
The new spot has a welcoming, rustic Florida feel. The walls are covered in signs with encouraging and humorous messages such as “Today is a New Day,” “BE NICE, or leave,” and “I speak fluent sarcasm.”
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Jan Kapus opened Brown Bag more than a decade ago, primarily to support her growing catering business, Private Platter, and she still owns it today. It wasn’t just the catering business that grew. The shop’s offerings and regular customers expanded, as well.
While Brown Bag's menu items cover some serious ground, the shop's name offers a huge clue as to its specialties — sandwiches.
“They will fill you up,” Kapus said. “We do not skimp on meat or bread or anything.”
Queen of sandwich making is Randee Miele, Kapus’s daughter.
“She is a great at it. Everyone knows her sandwiches,” the proud mother said.
Miele's Reuben, piled high with corned beef on rye bread, is one of the most popular offerings. The Italian beef on a fresh hoagie roll is also a top seller. Kapus and Miele craft the meats for these sandwiches in house.
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Brown Bag’s Cuban is far from average. Instead of smearing the bread with the traditional mustard before pressing the sandwich, Kapus uses a spiced, roasted red pepper sauce that customers rave about.
That same sauce can also join the fried green tomatoes and chicken tenders, which are cut and breaded in house. The coating for the tomatoes is a special mix of breadcrumbs, Romano cheese and a secret spice blend that Kapus can’t be coaxed to reveal.
On the lighter side, you’ll find chicken and turkey burgers, lettuce wraps, soups and salads. The tuna, a longtime favorite, comes over lettuce, in wraps or on a selection of breads.
Most of Brown Bag's items come with a side that includes standards such as chips or fries. But Kapus suggests trying the signature Italian pasta salad. She mixes in artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, red onion, baby spinach, grape tomatoes, roasted red peppers and feta cheese.
Kapus also makes the coleslaw, with her own twist.
“I put crushed pineapple in there to add some sweetness, and people just love it,” she said.
No visit to Brown Bag is complete without sampling some homemade desserts. The "Sweet Burger" is something of a specialty. It begins with two warm chocolate chip cookies, the so-called buns of the burger. A thick, warm brownie is placed in the middle, posing as the “meat.”
But it doesn’t stop there. The kitchen layers on vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, or a little of both. A drizzle of chocolate sauce completes the decadent dessert.
Kapus said, quite simply, it makes people happy.
Brown Bag doesn’t shut its doors after the lunch rush, but rather stays open for dinner Tuesday through Friday. The same menu is offered, with the addition of several daily specials.
The business is a family affair. Besides Kapus’s daughter overseeing the sandwich making, her husband, Bob, has endeared himself to regulars as both her sous chef and her witty delivery driver.
Brown Bag’s new location is about the same size as the old spot. It’s still small, but there is more seating.
“It’s a homey place,” Kapus said. “People get to know each other, and they like it.”
They also like the hefty portions.
“If someone is going to pay good money, they should get a good sandwich," she said. And at Brown Bag they do.
Gina Birch writes about food, wine and spirits for The News-Press and at thebirchbeat.blogspot.com. Follow her as @ginabirch on Twitter and find her on Facebook.
Brown Bag Eatery
Address: 1232 Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers
Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday to Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday
Phone: 239-995-5800
Web: brownbagnfm.com
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: North Fort Myers restaurants: Brown Bag Eatery still comforts
