Sydney's Pub - Taste of Tiburón

Update 6-12-19

Hey guys! Remember when I blogged about the Tiburón Golf Club and Sydney's Pub back in 2017? I thought I would update this post and let you know that you can now get Captain Brien's Spirits at Tiburón. He just announced it! What a great addition to their current selection of premium drinks.

If you remember back in December, I was on Brien's podcast in Naples chatting about my cookbook, Meals From the Mitten. I was able to snag some premium vodka from Brien after the podcast. I've made several cocktails using this vodka and it's really smooth.

I am looking forward to heading back to Sydney's Pub soon for some of those premium spirits and, of course, some Tiburón Red. It's one of my favorite beers!

Original Post 3-27-17

I was recently invited for a special lunch at Sydney's Pub, inside the Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples. It was called TASTE OF TIBURÓN FOR TWO. My husband, Ted, and I had just flown back from spending the week in beautiful Turks and Caicos. While it was hard to leave T&C, this was the view as we drove up for lunch at Sydney's Pub. These beautiful palm trees line the driveway leading up to the golf club and resort. Absolutely beautiful! Sometimes I wonder why we even leave the states to vacation when we have so many hidden treasures right here in the U.S.

Tiburón Golf Club At The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples

They offer complimentary valet parking.

What a beautiful day for golf! There was a golf tournament heading out on the greens as we arrived. It was bustling, but their staff was super attentive even as busy as it was. Tiburón has 36 holes of championship golf, designed by Greg Norman, that is beautiful and challenging. Did I mention that Tiburón and Sydney's Pub is open to the public? Sydney's is a true hidden gem in Naples. The food is SOOO good.

As you enter the Tiburón Golf Club, they have a grand and exquisite social room that they use for events and other activities.

Make sure you start with their Barrel-Aged Community Cup Cocktail, it's a Classic Manhattan, and it's smooth!

After our cocktail, we started with a Lemon-Garlic Grilled Wings appetizer. The wings were so juicy and perfectly seasoned. The English cucumber added a great freshness to the dish, and the feta cheese and kalamata olives added the perfect amount of saltiness.

If you know me, you know I LOVE dill pickles. So, of course, I was smitten with their Fried Dill Pickles served with a Chipotle-Lime Ranch. The breading for the pickles was light and airy, yet still had a great crunch. The chipotle-lime ranch dipping sauce had just enough heat, with a fabulous hint of fresh limes. (I plan on making this sauce into an aioli for a new burger this summer. I might even put some fried dill pickles on the burger and name it after this dish. Stay tuned to Nom News for that epic burger this summer.)

Sydney's Pub features their very own private label beer, Tiburón Red. It is an Irish, red ale featuring a medium-light bodied beer. It is super smooth with a subtle, clean finish. I would purchase this if it were available to the public. For now, I will head out to Tiburón when I'm in the mood for one.

When they brought out the Creminelli Cured Meats & Artisan Cheese Platter, I just had to dig in! I love to make charcuterie platters. They are always a crowd pleaser. This one did not disappoint! It featured Finocchiona Salami, Wild Boar Sausage, and Sopressa. The Beemster XO, Manchego ,and Humboldt Fog cheeses were delicious. My favorite was the Humboldt Fog. These were served with grilled sourdough, whole grain mustard, and some fruit marmalade.

Next, we had a Slow Roasted Bosc Pear Salad. It featured some baby arugula, Humboldt Fog, sweet & spicy pecans and finished with a blood orange-sherry vinaigrette. This salad is something I could eat once a week for life; it's that good. The sweetness from the pears, along with the salty and creamy cheese paired so well with the peppery arugula. I appreciated the nice crunch from the pecans for added texture.

We sampled three wines during the Taste of Tiburón, and my favorite was the Kim Crawford, Marlborough - Sauvignon Blanc. The crisp white wine paired perfectly with the salad.

Kim Crawford, Marlborough - Sauvingon Blanc

Up next, a Cubano Pressed Sandwich. Mojo pork, Nueske's ham, Manchego cheese, dijonaise and house-made pickles. This sandwich comes with some tasty house cut french fries, made fresh daily. The meats were entirely on point, tasty and delicious. I prefer my pickles a little more sour, than sweet, but the dijonaise has just enough bite to make up the difference.

The Florida Grouper was spectacular. My husband always orders the grouper when it's on a menu. I can either take it or leave it. But this grouper, I couldn't stop eating. The flaky, mild flavor and that beer batter, oh my! The house-made tartar sauce was a great addition to the grouper, sweet yet tangy. I am a coleslaw snob, I'll admit it. It's hard to find a place that can get the ratio of sweetness to sour correct. And Sydney's Pub receives an A for getting it right! Coleslaw seems like the easiest thing in the world to make, but so many restaurants can't get it right. Thanks, Brent Moore, the chef at Sydney's Pub, and Jacob Parrish, the sous chef. Your food is delicious!

We finished our lunch with a Lemon Panna Cotta topped with Strawberries for dessert. It was a cool and refreshing end to the meal.

Don't forget to check out their Golf Shop before you leave. I was very impressed by their vast assortment of golf accessories, lifestyle products, and apparel.