A top chef in Fort Myers

Let's be honest: Fort Myers isn't exactly the culinary center of the world.

Lest you think that monstrous portions of bland Midwestern fare have ruined the taste buds of Lee County residents forever, along comes Norman Love Confections.

Credit Norman Love, the former Ritz-Carlton chef, for pulling Fort Myers out of its culinary stupor with heavenly chocolates, desserts, bakery goods and gelato.

Now, one of Love's pastry chefs is earning accolades of his own. Dessert Professional magazine named Nathaniel Reid one of the top 10 pastry chefs in the nation.

Reid, who joined Norman Love Confections in 2010, is a graduate of the famed Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, with a diploma in culinary and pastry arts. He's already been named Pastry Chef of the Year at the U.S. Pastry competition in 2010 in New York City.

Let's hope this is the beginning of an evolutionary shift for Fort Myers from the backwaters of fried fish and grilled steaks.