Popular downtown Cape Coral restaurant opens new location in North Fort Myers
Bob Mulroy is a pretty lucky guy.
Take August 2018 for example. That’s when he won $1 million in the lottery. Two months later, he bought a new house — documented in an episode of HGTV’s “My Lottery Dream Home” — along with a downtown Cape Coral restaurant.
He’s still in that dream home and still plays the lottery “every day.”
And the restaurant he purchased?
Well, it was Cork Soakers Deck & Wine Bar and not only is it thriving, it has expanded.
Mulroy and his wife Lina opened a second location off Hancock Bridge Parkway in North Fort Myers on Tuesday, Oct. 3 — which happened to be their 14th wedding anniversary.
“We spent it here,” he said. “We had been looking to do another Cork Soakers off Pine Island Road for the last year or two,” he said. “We came across this spot and it’s not too far off from there.”
That spot was previously occupied by Nestor’s which served breakfast, lunch and dinner for nearly two decades.
“We signed the lease in March and have been working on it for six months,” Mulroy said. “The dining room was a blank canvas for us. From the ceiling to the floor, we did a complete rebuild in the dining room.”
A low, orange wall, which splits the comfortable room in half, is surrounded by booths, half booths and four-top tables. Black, gray and fall colors add to the space’s warmth. Even the restaurant’s exterior was freshened up, going from Nestor’s blue to a subdued orange.
Another big change is the addition of the sleek, stylish walk-in wine cellar which sits behind glass doors to the left of the entryway.
“We are going to be more wine-focused here,” Mulroy said. The artwork and décor reflect just that.
When he took over the downtown Cape spot, Cork Soakers was already established.
“Now I can slowly bring design elements from here to there,” he said while standing in the new dining room.
A little smaller than the original location, Mulroy intends to add outdoor seating at Hancock as time goes by.
The menu, with a signature mix of snacks, salads, sandwiches and classics, is pretty much the same in both locations.
“Since taking over Cork Soakers, I’ve kind of put my stamp on the menu,” Mulroy said.
Restaurant news: 'Kind of breathtaking': Another Doc Ford's location named best in the country
This includes the best-selling corned beef hash and the chicken & dumplings with roasted chicken and vegetable-topped potato gnocchi.
“It was my dad’s favorite,” Mulroy said, referring to the latter. “He’d order it at Cracker Barrel. It’s a tribute to him.”
Some of the longtime favorites can still be found, including the popular seared salmon risotto, bacon & brie sandwich and the ever-evolving eggs diablo.
And if you’re a fan of the Cape location’s popular Sunday brunch, you’ll find it at Hancock too.
“We have it here seven days a week,” Mulroy said. “The last restaurant served breakfast and we want to continue offering it.”
Breakfast items include chicken & donuts, lobster eggs Benedict, quiche du jour and the signature “B”-slap Mary — a spicy bloody Mary with pickle, stuffed olives, bacon-wrapped shrimp and more.
While live music has already begun at the new location, Ladies Night — popular in downtown — will start up at the new place next month.
For now, Mulroy is thrilled with his new location.
“I love it here,” he said. “It has a great ambiance with an upscale element. We’re excited to be in this community. I hear another couple of restaurants will be opening up around here. North Fort Myers could be a new dining frontier.”
Don’t bet against him. Mulroy’s been pretty lucky so far.
Cork Soakers Deck & Wine Bar – Hancock, 4400 Hancock Bridge Parkway, North Fort Myers; open Monday to Saturday at 8 a.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m.; kitchen open until 8:30 p.m. weekdays and 9 p.m. on weekends; (239) 990-6775; original location at 837 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral, (239) 542-6622; corksoakers.net or follow on Facebook
Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cork Soakers brings its brunch, and bloody Marys to a second location
