Vacation going friends and I made our way to Jacaranda, also know as The Jac for drinks and live entertainment one evening mid-week. Named for the purple flowered Jacaranda Tree, they boast an extensive drink menu ranging from martinis, to tropical concoctions, to frozen bevs to margaritas. I happily chose a Key Lime Martini ($9) to start.
I loved the vibrant lime green swirls. This martini was at once frothy, sweet, tangy and creamy. 
Apparently I was into creamy drinks tonight as I also enjoyed a Berries-n-Cream: Berry vodka, cream and Amaretto. This large plastic cup of booze is reminiscent of a White Russian - but instead of coffee based liquor think fruit flavored! I absolutely loved it and even remembered the ingredients weeks later, so that's saying a lot. 
These two enjoyed whatever it was they were drinking as well! The Jac boasts a patio lounge / tiki garden of sorts. 
Inside the bar I was into the old school paraphernalia - multiple neon Coors Light advertisements and a cigarette machine.
The Jacaranda is located on none other than 1223 Periwinkle Way. (Gotta love an island with one main road.) Actually, the only spot in Sanibel we ventured to not on the main road was The Sanibel Grill and adjoining neighbor The Timbers owned by the Prawnbroker Restaurant Group. 
The dueling establishments are located at 703 Tarpoon Bay Road. We wandered into a packed Sanibel Grill on the last night of vacation for a night cap and ended up down the hall at The Timbers raw bar shooting oysters and chowing down on Seafood Gumbo. Comes to Florida, gets oysters from home: East Coast Menemesha Pond Oysters from Martha's Vineyard, MA. And then West Coast Sister Point Oyster from Washington State. 
Our friend Tuck's first oyster. Cheers!
The featured oysters were briny and fresh, washed down with a cold glass of House Chardonnay ($5) and followed up with a cup of Steve's Seafood Gumbo ($4). 
It was brewing in the crockpot right in front of us and the weather just so happened to be slightly cooler than normal. Basically, the stars aligned for a rich hearty bowl as just the thing to compliment the evening. 
Plentiful bites of shrimp, hunks of sausage, pulled chicken and tender crab meat were packed into this hearty, spicy N'awlins style gumbo. As I devoured this, I checked out the framed autographed photos that adorn the walls. In every shot owner Matt Asen is posing with with famous celebrities; TV personalities, actors, Major League ball players, NBA and NFL Athletes - apparently he is quite the guy. 
After I read a bio article, also framed on the wall, I was super impressed and decided I had to meet this restaurateur / local celeb by default for myself. Just my luck, he was hanging out on the porch a few tables over from us. I headed over to give a hand shake and introduce myself and before you knew it him and his Golden Doodles were one of the gang.
With an infectious personality, a zest for life, and an evident passion for sports and fishing, it's no wonder he's established the islands most popular seafood restaurant and sports bar respectively, The Timbers and The Sanibel Grill. So glad we paid them a visit!
