The restaurant at 1249 Estero Blvd. has long been a place of reinvention. After Hurricane Ian ruined the old building, the owners of The Whale operated for a while under a big tent with a sand floor to keep the restaurant going. Now, a raised, three-story reinforced building has risen on the site from the ruin of Hurricane Ian to house the latest incarnation of The Whale. While it has a much different vibe than The Whale’s former quaint wooden building, the view of the gulf is even more panoramic, given the new height of the rooftop bar.
The menu offers over a dozen appetizers, including some old favorites from the pre-Ian incarnation of The Whale. A new one of note is the sauteed mussels appetizer ($16.95). The kitchen sautés PEI mussels in the shell in a sauce of roasted tomato and cream with basil and red onions. The unusual preparation balances the briny estuarine intensity of the shellfish with the sweetness of…..