Tucked away in the northern most point of Old Marco is Café de Marco,
the island's favorite restaurant for the most diverse selection of fresh seafood
available. What has become an islanders tradition for over 27 years, has now
proudly served a generation of visitors from all over. Established in 1983 by
owner / operator Sandy Scheeler-Franchino, this award winning bistro is well
noted for its vast array of fresh seafood, prepared daily with her chef’s
original recipes and sauces.
Café de Marco is a seven time winner of the
Platinum Plate Awards for best seafood and appetizers on Marco Island.
The emphasis has always been on "consistency", keeping with the
Café's
high standards for using only the freshest and superior quality of ingredients.
There is a non seafood selection available for our "land lovers", as well as
individual requests for those needing certain diet restrictions fulfilled.
The house trademark since our inception is the Jumbo Prawns. These huge
shrimp are seasoned with fresh herbs
and spices, broiled
in garlic sauce and served over saffron rice. Another shrimp staple to the menu
is the Shrimp Lenny (named after Sandy's father). This creation has been copied
by many, but never successfully. It combines large shrimp with crabmeat and
bacon, broiled to perfection and draped with our hollandaise sauce. Among other
popular seafood recipes are our Chilean Sea Bass, local Black Grouper De
Marco, Assorted Captain's Platter, Snapper Almondine, and our Jumbo Lump Blue
Point Crab Cakes. Our land lovers may select from a variety as well. Such items
include; a l2oz. New York Strip Steak, Filet Mignon, Rack of Lamb or Chicken
entrees.
All entrees are complete with
vegetable, pasta or potato, garden salad, rolls and butter. The
award winning appetizer of Oysters Rockefeller is not to be missed, along
with the Seafood Sampler. This dish comes complete with shrimp cocktail, stuffed
mushrooms, clams casino, oysters Oscar and Rockefeller.
Desserts are also given special
attention at our Café. As Sandy's favorite course of the meal she has created '
The Café Puff" which has mouths drooling from first to last bite (if you can
finish one!). Other homemade desserts include Italian Ricotta Cheese Cake, Chocolate
Molten Lava Cake, Cannoli and Florida's own Key Lime Pie. With an
original menu of this caliber, it's no surprise that folks have been returning
to our Café year after year for 27 years!
To parallel our vast menu, our Wine List
is equally outstanding. Our manager and wine consultant, Mr. Scott Terres, takes great pride in continually updating and revising our wine
list to include Wine Spectator's top choices for a complete listing to
satisfy the most discriminating of palates. He also shops that
small vineyard's prize creation to allow guests the enjoyment of a product not easily found.
He is available to happily
educate and guide any guest requesting info on any wine to help compliment
their fine meal selection. Our experienced wait staff is also well trained
and constantly schooled to all updates on food and wine specials. Many of
our servers have been with us for 13 to 19 years!
Part of the charm of our intimate bistro, includes an outdoor courtyard
dining area, perfect for typical Florida evenings! Equally unique to Café de
Marco is the family spirit found here from our staff right on through to
Sandy's own family which flanks the restaurant on any given night. It is
sometimes hard to distinguish between staff members and family members. All
who arrive here are treated as family and before leaving feel right at home,
having made a lasting memory while dining on Marco. Café de Marco may be a
bit hard to find, but oh what a discovery!