The North Naples space that formerly housed KC American Bistro has undergone a sea change. The popular restaurant that featured chef/owner Keith Casey’s creative interpretations of regional fare has become Amber Cove, a stylish homage to the oceans and their bounty. Casey, who operated KC for more than 15 years, sold it to hospitality professional Tim Herman, who has 40-plus years of experience in Las Vegas and Naples, including managing LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort and The Inn on Fifth.
Herman dipped his toes into retirement after Hurricane Ian damaged LaPlaya, but it didn’t take. “I realized I have too much interest in hospitality to completely leave it,” Herman says. “I’m an engaging person. I need interaction with people. You can’t get that when you’re retired.” KC had “a nice bar, was the right size, and in a good location,” he says. He hired Jehad Alsharabini, known as Chef Je, who had worked at Baleen when Herman ran LaPlaya. “I knew that we could do some great things together,” Herman says. “The cuisine had to be seafood-oriented. That’s what I like most and what I think is most interesting and successful in Naples. We’re on the coast. We should have seafood.”
Menu options include ahi tataki, charred prawns, blue crab and reef fish cake, Faroe Islands salmon, and hazelnut grouper. Also offered are chops, steak, short ribs, salads, and desserts, including a unique cheesecake à la baklava.
Herman describes the restaurant as “a chef-driven concept” and says of Alsharabini, “He’s probably the best chef I’ve ever worked with. His presentations are the most creative; guests are amazed by them, but they are more amazed by the flavor he brings to the plate.”
Herman is expanding the California-focused wine inventory that came with the restaurant, aiming for an international assortment that will complement the food. As for the name, “Amber refers to the sunsets here in paradise,” he says. “And the Cove, it’s our connection to the coast.”
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