The Isles of Collier Preserve celebrates grand opening of Overlook Bar & Grill

NAPLES, FL (Jan. 31, 2019) — Waterfront restaurant completes community's resort-level amenities

Minto Communities announces the grand opening of the highly anticipated Overlook Bar & Grill at The Isles of Collier Preserve residential community in Naples. More than 600 community residents attended a two-day preview event on January 24 and 25. The Old Florida-style private restaurant serves as a charming waterfront dining and gathering place for residents of The Isles and their guests.

According to Minto President Mike Belmont, "The eco-friendly, close-to-nature design of The Isles of Collier Preserve and the many resort-level amenities offered are of great appeal to our home buyers. The opening of the Overlook Bar & Grill completes the community's amenities, and provides our residents with something that very few gated communities offer — a free-standing waterfront restaurant of their very own."

The rustic Overlook Bar & Grill overlooks the picturesque Cypress Waterway at The Isles of Collier Preserve, and includes indoor and outdoor dining for up to 125 diners. A large screened deck for outdoor dining provides spectacular views of the Cypress Waterway.

Every aspect of The Isles of Collier Preserve is inspired by nature and the history and coastal charm of Old Naples. The Overlook Bar & Grill continues this tribute to history with a distinctive design that conveys the look and feel of an Old Florida waterside bar. Diners step back in time as they view historic photos depicting Southwest Florida's early fishing history, and menu items reflect local history with names like Collier's Wings and 5th Avenue Turkey Cobb. A large u-shaped bar promises to be a popular neighborhood social spot where — as the saying goes — everybody knows your name.

Overlook Bar & Grill Chef Sally Yu notes that she has designed a menu that is curated specifically to offer something different as well as resident favorites. "We want to make our residents and their guests feel at home here," says Chef Yu. "We are focused on making our food from scratch. We will feature locally sourced ingredients and seafood, grill specialties and also will have gluten free and Keto-friendly (Ketogenic diet) options and weekly specials. I love to bake, so fresh bakery items will be offered, and one of my popular specialties — truffles. We also have Overlook Bar & Grill-branded salad dressing, coffee and craft beer, and will offer handcrafted cocktails and a full wine list."

Chef Yu comes to The Isles of Collier Preserve from San Diego where she grew up in a family of restaurateurs. She was 21 when she opened her first restaurant and has worked with celebrity chefs such as Food Network's Susan Fenigar, Bravo's Top Chef Brian Malarkey, noted French Chef Hubert Keller and others. She also served as one of a four chef culinary team that traveled the world with Cirque du Soleil's touring show, Totem, and later, Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna Tour.

Chef Yu's restaurant management team includes Food & Beverage Manager Valeri Acierno who has worked in all aspects of restaurant operations. She most recently served as general manager of 7th Avenue Social, a downtown Naples restaurant known for South Florida comfort cooking and craft beer.

Development of the final phase of amenities at The Isles of Collier Preserve began in January 2018 upon the sale of the community's 500th home as planned. In addition to the Overlook Bar & Grill, other final phase amenities that have opened include bocce ball courts, three additional tennis courts, four additional pickleball courts and the Canine Cove dog park.

In addition to the recently opened amenities, the community's resort-level amenities include The Isles Club, inspired by the original Naples Beach Hotel, circa 1888. With its stylized cupola and welcoming front porch, The Isles Club includes a state-of-the-art fitness center, social room, resort style swimming pool, lap pool, sandy beach area, cabanas, kayak launch, tennis and pickleball courts and event courtyard. The Isles of Collier Preserve residents also have the opportunity to become members of neighboring Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club with its full-service marina, waterfront dining and 160 acres of natural wetlands on the edge of Rookery Bay Reserve.

A recognized leader in green construction, Minto offers a selection of 43 innovative, energy-efficient home designs at The Isles of Collier Preserve. Selections include coach homes, villas, and single-family homes ranging from the high $300s to over $1.5 million. Sixteen fully furnished models are open for viewing, and include three coach homes, four one-story villas and nine single-family homes.

In addition to Minto's many home selections at The Isles of Collier Preserve, Stock Signature Homes has introduced its new Cottonwood Collection of luxurious classic coastal living homes. Base home pricing starts from the mid-$600s, and home, including lot base pricing, starts from the $780s. Four new models from this collection, the Burlington, Covington, Livia and Madison II, are scheduled to open fall 2019. The Magnolia Collection by Stock Signature Homes includes the Marigold, Cocoplum, Plumbago, Primrose and Viola II models, starting in the low-$900s. Two new Stock Signature Homes collections, the Mahogany and Sycamore, also are being introduced.

The Isles of Collier Preserve is bordered by the stunning waters and lands of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Naples Botanical Garden and sparkling Dollar Bay. More than 1,300 acres of the community's 2,400 acres are dedicated to natural habitat and nature preserves connected by a network of recreational trails, nature observation stations, bike paths and waterways for kayaking and paddleboarding.

Minto provides bicycles and kayaks to prospective home buyers for exploration of the community, and an eco-friendly electric boat is available for tours of the Cypress Waterway. Boat tours are offered Thursday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Minto developed The Isles of Collier Preserve using its own funding sources, electing not to utilize Community Development District (CDD) funds, and saving homeowners at The Isles of Collier Preserve thousands of dollars in annual assessments.

The Isles of Collier Preserve is located just four miles east of downtown Naples on U.S. 41/Tamiami Trail East. The Discovery Sales Center is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information on The Isles of Collier Preserve call 888-693-4306 or visit MintoUSA.com.