In August, Tap 42 Craft Kitchen & Bar opened in the Mercato space formerly occupied by AZN Azian Cuizine. The Naples location of Florida-based Tapco Restaurant Group’s popular eatery is the company’s eleventh restaurant and its first on the state’s west coast.
Alex Rudolph, managing partner and executive vice president of Tap 42, says, “Naples has always been a market we’ve targeted, [specifically, Mercato]. We felt that it was the premier dining and drinking destination on the Southwest Florida coast.”
The place started as a beer joint and, true to its roots, still has a craft beer director. The beer list features 42 Hazy Daze, created by Florida brewery Funky Buddha especially for the restaurant group.
“We take our bar program seriously, but [it’s a dining bar],” Rudolph says. “It’s more about the food.”
Rudolph describes the menu as “New American contemporary cuisine, with something for everybody.” It covers a lot of ground but isn’t so large as to make choosing burdensome. Each item has something that makes it special. For example, the spicy tuna tartare boasts ahi with avocado, cucumber, cilantro, spicy mayo, and a side of malanga chips, while the Drunken Goat is a lamb and beef burger topped with whipped goat cheese, arugula, tomato, onion, dijonnaise, and Purple Haze raspberry jam.
Tap 42 is open daily for brunch, lunch, and dinner. There’s a well-chosen wine list, cocktails, and, of course, beer.
Facebook Comments