The Perfect Caper in Punta Gorda -- With the Perfect Hamburger and More

It's a shame we often waste our night at the Perfect Caper on a hamburger.. but the problem is the restaurant's hamburger is well just about perfect...one of the best in town and maybe just about anywhere.  Succulent.. seasoned to-- here I go again --perfection and ... usually accompanied by amazing frites, true french fries.  I say usually because this time oops my partner, who ordered the burger,  insisted on mashed, but quite honestly they are as equally good.

If you live in or near the Caper... you just gotta go... especially now.  In addition to a pleasing, stylish atmosphere.. with a magnetic bar that spans an entire side of the restaurant with a generous granite surface allowing for spreading both food and drinks.. there are deals during the summer, very intriguing  deals:   A happy hour that extends well into the night, two for ones (which include the hamburgers) a fixed price menu with appetizer and entree (see Perfect Caper's website for details).*

We like that the Perfect Caper offers specials in the summer... we think all restaurants in town should...but we are especially drawn here for a number of reasons in addition to the hamburgers and deals.   One -- it takes us somewhere else for a few hours.. away from the tropical cliches, away from the heat of the summer to a place more sophisticated with genuinely big-city food.   Two -- perhaps because of  reason one,  we meet interesting people here almost always.  Last night for instance we chatted with a globe-trotting couple who shared many of their funny and unique living-abroad experiences with us.

Duck Salad at the Perfect Caper

Three -- again it's about the food.  Last night I got beyond the burger, and had a salad, a salad dressed impeccably (I avoided saying perfectly) with succulent pieces of duck, toasted pecans, dried cherries, goat cheese and completed with a cherry vinaigrette.  I could have been in New York, it was so good.   We also ordered and shared some calamari after seeing it float by and hearing the raves about it.  I won't say it, but it was.  Crunchy, enabled with a savory chili sauce, toasted nuts, & green onion,  it screamed in my mouth -- yummm.  Four -- I love owner-chefs and I love that owners orbit their restaurants making sure their guests are smiling.. James is omnipresent at the Caper.  Five -- the art, the choices blend with the colors and tone of the restaurant adding to the overall ambiance.

Calamari at Perfect Caper

We're so privileged to live in a place that now has so many restaurant choices... and where when the summer comes we can actually get in easily and find that place at the bar. Don't miss the opportunity to  visit them especially with the welcoming offers they are providing ... our local eateries deserve it. And the Perfect Caper should be top on your summer dining list... often. Next time I go I am going for ... pan crusted sea scallops in brown butter pan sauce, whipped golden potatoes, and sautéed spinach or maybe the grilled Angus New York Strip, with wild mushrooms, white truffle oil, and house- made pomme frites.  I just have to keep getting beyond the burger that incredible and perfect burger.



*Note that deals can't be combined..