July/August 2000 Issue

The Nighttime is the Right Time
Going out at night on the islands can be a diverse, interesting experience. You can feel, between venues, any of the following: sophisticated and mellow; as if you’re on a TV game show; and like dancing the night away.
    As with everything in life, it’s all about choice. So settle into your mood for the evening and make your selection. We’re highlighting four of our favorite nighttime haunts to help you decide.
    When planning your night out, keep in mind that these islands are inhabited mostly by quiet retirees, so don’t be thinking South Beach or Manhattan standards; this place shuts down by 1 a.m.
    Of course, as with any night on Sanibel or Captiva, you have to start with sunset on the beach to celebrate being on an island. From there, your best option for a cinematic sort of evening would be to go to Dolce Vita, the newest, most extravagant place on Sanibel. Easily accessible on Periwinkle Way near Donax Road, Dolce Vita offers a unique experience on the islands. Upon walking through the heavy double doors of dark, carved wood, you feel as if you’ve landed in the eternal city of Rome in a Federico Fellini film.
    Feel free to get jazzed up for a night out at Dolce Vita—scarves and sunglasses, high heels and jackets are en vogue there. Owned by Andrea Mucciga, a native of Sardinia, Dolce Vita serves a fabulous menu of exciting international cuisine.
    Between the open, amber-lit dining area and the comfortable bar that adjoins it are dueling baby grands and an inviting wooden dance floor.
    The entertainment is classic. Exceptional pianists, sax players or other musicians offer luscious tunes from jazz to riveting renditions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s works.
Every night offers a scene to remember. Open until about 12:30 a.m., it’s the place to go for a dose of upscale without having to leave our casual island abode.
    For a totally different night out, to feel you’ve entered the TV game show realm, you’ve got to check out the Crow’s Nest bar at ’Tween Waters Inn on Captiva on a Monday night. It’s simply amazing that NBC hasn’t yet put cameras on the NASCRAB races, where you can bet a few bucks on cute little hermit crabs. (The so-called “gambling,” by the way, benefits the United Way).
    Host Tim Jardas, who brings everyone into the show, has been verbally jousting the audiences there for some 16 years. Be prepared to participate and plan ahead to name your crab.
While Jardas does a very lively and exciting show for families every Monday at 6:30 p.m., it’s the 9 p.m. show that gets out of control. This is when tourists, often pumped up by a few drinks, christen the farm-raised, striped-shell crabs with names like The Intimidator, Pussy Galore, and Come Hither.
    Jardas has no fear of his crowd. He even fires a squirt gun as the crabs are released by the cutest—or craziest—single girl he can find in the bar. By this point in the evening, he knows his crowd, which he has cajoled for over an hour, and calls people by name—insulting them as best he can.
    Audience members, who often number 50 in the spacious lounge, stand on chairs or on the ledge of the fireplace to see their crabs on the round “crabs” table.
    Jardas also passes out goggles to anyone wearing contacts at the table as well as shower caps for the women who look like they might be upset at being squirted. (Jardas uses the squirt gun to get the crabs to crawl toward the outer edge of the table).
    If you’re more in the mood to dance under vibrant lights—with vague flashes of Studio 51 for the imaginative—then head to the tip of Captiva Island. At Chadwick’s, the bar at the entrance to the private and posh South Seas Resort, you’ll find great, danceable tunes any night of the week.
The lounge made a major change in entertainment offerings recently when long-time island troubadour Danny Morgan stepped down as the house band. (Everyone was sad to see Danny go, but you can take the sunset ride on Captiva Cruises and see him any time.) Since his departure, a whole new era of music has entered the picture. Every week, three different bands take the classy stage at the swank club. And, every night, you’ll find both tourists and locals cutting loose on the light-infused dance floor.
    Another great option for the late-night dance mode is the sunken dance floor at The Jacaranda on Sanibel, just across the street from the Dolce Vita.
    “The Jac,” as locals call it, is not only a Cheers-like neighborhood pub for locals, but it’s also always brimming with tourists looking for some fun.
Every night, The Jac has upbeat and lively music—from a classic acoustic guitar on Sundays to very danceable reggae every Friday and Saturday night. Top 40 duos take the stage every other night of the week, so if you’re out to boogie, it’s a winning choice any time. The Jac is also a great place to go for some late-night munchies on the screened-in patio where hanging plants thrive and a raw bar awaits.
    Whatever your mood, rest assured that you’ll be able to find a very entertaining situation at any one of these establishments, where you’re also sure to meet some members of the colorful cast of locals.
    Chances are, you’ll run into writer Barbara Linstrom at one of the island bars, so be sure to buy her a drink.