More Than Meatballs

RESTAURANT: Two Meatballs in the Kitchen

ADDRESS: 8880 Salrose Lane, Fort Myers

PHONE: 239-489-1111

WEBSITE: www.2meatballs.com

RECOMMENDED BY: Jan-Erik Hustrulid, business development coordinator with Owen-Ames-Kimball Co., and Caitlin Hustrulid, director of member services for the Lee Building Industry Association.

PARKING: Plentiful

RESERVATIONS: The restaurant's 220 seats mean you're not likely to have to wait for a table.

ONE-HOUR LUNCH TEST: Passed. Service was immediate and attentive, though not overbearing. We were served and finished in less than an hour without feeling rushed.

PRIVACY: The tables and booths are far enough apart so that you're unlikely to hear anyone else's conversations. Background music helps drown out nearby diners. However, be aware that the restaurant is a popular destination for construction-industry executives, and you're likely to run into people you know from that business.

LOCATION: A big appeal of this restaurant is that it's located a quarter mile west of Interstate 75 on Daniels Parkway, a major thoroughfare leading into Fort Myers. It's a convenient place to meet a client or associate if you need to get in and out of town quickly, especially during the congested winter season. It's one of the few quality restaurants in an area that's dominated by fast-food franchises.

AMBIANCE: The restaurant's name is playful and an important client may not be impressed by your choice if he's never eaten there. But once inside, the decor is modern and the staff is professional. Ample seating with a large window onto the parking lot in the entrance means you can arrive early and look out for your client or associate while you wait.

FOOD: Come with a hearty appetite for Italian fare. The portions of pasta were so generous that we had to ask for carryout boxes. The menu also includes pizzas, calzones, veal, chicken and seafood prepared in the classic Italian styles. Alternatively, consider the appetizers and salads are meals in themselves. The Insalata Caprese salad of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella was plenty for one person. A basket of steaming hot bread sprinkled with cheese and olive oil starts things off right. Chances are you won't have room for dessert, which includes tiramisu and cannoli. Including tip, our bill totaled $42 for three people.

OWNERSHIP: Salvatore and Rose Basile opened the restaurant in November 2008 in another location nearby, but that building only had room for 60 people. In December, the restaurant moved to its current location, which now has 220 seats. Here's how the restaurant got its name: Rose would scold her son, Alex, and son-in-law, Paul Torocco, when they loitered in her kitchen while she was busy fixing food at home. She called them her “two meatballs in the kitchen.” The name stuck.

Review date: April 2012.