Liberty - Alternative American Restaurant — Restaurant in Florida

Oh. My. Goodness. Just dined here, and we talked about all of the dishes all the way back to the hotel! I'm sure we'll be talking about the food for days. A favorite? Impossible! It's like picking a favorite child, lol. My son wants to be a chef and works as a line cook, so we are totally about food and cooking and everything that happens in a kitchen. Through some Google searches, I came across Liberty (thank God!) and booked a reservation many weeks before our trip. When I booked, I mentioned about my son. The owner called me a few days before our reservation and said that if we adjusted our reservation time, we could have a front row seat to the kitchen. Of course, done, thank you! It was amazing! We got to talk with Richie and Nick and see everything they were doing. We ordered SO many dishes, but we loved it all and left happy and stuffed. Here's what we had (with photos): Ora King Salmon with pineapple lime reduction and pink peppercorn - I think there's also a basil oil in it and some furikake (which we love). This tasted so fresh with just the loveliest hint of sweetness. They gave us chopsticks if we wanted - which we used. Comes with a (maybe pickled?) cabbage slaw. Divine 50 Layer Potato - French onion style with Gruyére. It's like French onion soup but with layered potatoes and a bit of gravy. The edges are the best, and my kiddo snuck in and ate almost all of them, so grab those first, people! Steak Tartare with egg pâté and bone mayo - and yes, I said that right. Egg pâté. Just this whipped eggy amazingness. Comes with these hot maybe pita triangles. You pile on all the goodness on that hot pita triangle with some mustard of sorts (like honey mustard and pub mustard had a baby) and enjoy the flavor party in your mouth. The bone mayo by itself is also super good - packaged it, sell it, send us some in Ohio, please. Parisian gnocchi maitake with carrot puree and pesto - we learned that Parisian gnocchi isn't made with potatoes. Who knew? We were given a little sample of this and ended up ordering a full dish! The puree is run through a siphon and is light and creamy and not super carroty - just the right amount of carrot flavor. The pesto is made with (I THINK) they said pistachio or something other than pine nuts. It's just the perfect compliment to this dish. I thought it just made the dish - pesto, you complete me. Shrimp toast with new style sweet chili - one word. YUM. More, please. I almost cried because they accidentally took away the sweet chili before I finished my toast. 2 Bite Taco with pineapple mojo pork, pickles and seeds - order two. Just the cutest little taco of deliciousness. Fatty duck breast with maple and gochujang - one of the dishes we fought over. I lost. Came with (I THINK) sweet potato. Honestly, I was focused on the duck, lol. And spell correct, yes, I meant duck this time.... :) Marrow bone with crispy beef and black garlic - so interesting! Came with these little pieces of toast that reminded me of Texas toast, so they were probably "fried" in drippings or fat. I could have just eaten a plate of that toast and had some wine and been in foodie heaven. But then pile on some crispy beef and marrow and yum. For dessert, we had the lemon vanilla tart with fennel fronds and edible flowers. Such a beautiful dish - although, honestly, every dish was so well plated. But then we also had some Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream - please package and sell this, Liberty. I'll take an order of it and some bone mayo. Send to Ohio. And a little cherry and chocolate chunk ice cream.

Needless to say - we rolled ourselves out of there and went back to our hotel some very happy foodie geeks. The couple next to us eats there weekly, and the guys just make them whatever, and they love it. I may just have to move to Fort Myers to get my regular Liberty fix! It's seriously that good. If you haven't been, then you must book your reservation immediately and get ready for a wonderful experience - food, wine, people, service, everything.

There is nothing ordinary about Liberty, from the menu to the vibe and the nondescript location. Richee Boye, Sous Chef to the culinary genius of Chef Bob Boye, together, are creating culinary magic!

First, let me start by saying we are still talking about every bite, reliving every taste. Richee attended to our every desire with each selection. Every dish presenting itself to be more exceptional than the last.

Our visit to Liberty, every last bite, took me back to my days in NYC, hopping from Bouley to LeBernardin and the likes of Il Mulino and Chanterelle!! I was amazed by each one of your dishes, the technique, the presentation, most especially the flavor bursts happening in my mouth. Every bite was truly a gastronomical love fest.

Your take on Foie is the most amazing version I've ever had. So delicately balanced with the accoutrements, especially the amazing bread and sweet, aromatic tomatoes! The Steak Tartare offered layers of rich flavor, complimented by the egg pate, just brilliant! Was that magic mustard? We are still talking about those silky, spicy dots of goodness! The Salmon with a citrus kiss of ponzu, were buttery slices of heaven! The duck was juicy, tender and rendered to perfection! Even the root vegetable with the Duck was divine! Your most non-traditional version of Gnocchi was exceptional, the combination of flavors and texture, seriously, perfection! I could go on for days...

We shared every item on the menu, except the sword fish, including every dessert! By special request, Richee made us a rich, flavorful Ribeye seared in Duck fat. There are no words for this ... Every single bite was phenomenal from start to finish!!

As we walked out we were already planning our next visit. Richee and my nephew Dom go way back, so it was wonderful to see him in action, passionate about his craft and thriving in his element! It certainly translated into every dish!

Liberty's concept is so welcomed! Your edgy combinations of flavor, texture and plating, as well as your amazing team make for a culinary experience like no other in SWFL. We will definitely see you soon! #EatLiberty...

My Son is friends with Chef Richee at Liberty and has been wanting to take us there for a while now, so we decided his birthday was a great reason to finally go. We ordered everything on the menu, except one, and the 3 of us shared the plates. I went all in with an “open mind” because there are certain things I wouldn’t normally try just by the description of the dish. Let me just say … I was blown away!! Liberty is definitely a dining experience!!

Knowing Richee as a young boy and now watching him as a grown man doing his thing in the kitchen was impressive to say the least. As he served us each dish he explained the ingredients with such enthusiasm and pride. Well he should be proud, because every dish was delicious!

OMG I’m still shocked that I ate Steak Tartare, egg pate’ and bone marrow. Something I would never order but so glad I tried it. It was so delicious that we ordered another plate of it.

The Gnocchi were amazing. Usually Gnocchi are very heavy. These were light and fluffy pillows of deliciousness!

The Risotto was creamy and delicious with a touch of pancetta and a splash of pistou that decorated the plate which was finger licking good.

The Short Ribs were so tender and fell apart with a fork served with delicious root vegetables with a hint of cinnamon … so good!

Let’s talk about dessert … Espresso Crème Brûlée, a silky delicious texture was definitely my favorite. The best I’ve ever had. Please do not leave without ordering the “Medium Rare” Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

Sit at the bar for the full experience and watch the Chefs do their magic.

Great place for a Date...