Pinned to the corner of a glass case in a small shop in Matlacha are two ribbons: one for first place, and one for third.
Those ribbons were won by fudge from CW Fudge Factory, which entered its mango coconut fudge and mango dark chocolate fudge, which took first and third places, respectively, last year at MangoMania.
Owners William Tidball and Carlos Gomez opened CW Fudge Factory in December 2013, and they have become best known for their turtles and fudge. About 80 percent of what they carry is made at the shop.
"We make all the fudge, all the popcorn, and I make the majority of the chocolates," explained Tidball.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Tidball is a Matlacha transplant.
"My first adult decision out of college to not shovel snow," he joked. "I headed right from graduation to Florida."
Tidball worked as a buyer for Walt Disney World, Universal, Sea World, The Naples Zoo, and a few nonprofits before deciding it was time to leave the corporate world.
"I wanted to live on this beautiful island," he explained. "I couldn't find a job so I made one."
Tidball called in a lot of favors with his vendors from his candy buying days, and they showed him how to make candy. His main teacher, though, was his mother.
"I can't remember a holiday when my candy wasn't homemade," he recalled.
When he opened his shop, his mother gave him all of her candy molds. She also helps him during season in the shop.
There are more than 200 different fudge recipes that are cycled through the store, and Tidball is always creating more. Cabernet dark chocolate fudge is flavorful on its own, but then Tidball layers it with two kinds of fruit fudge and makes Sangria fudge. The creativity extends to popcorn, with sleeves of cherry vanilla, caramel apple, and of course, mango decorating the shelves.
This year, for MangoMania, Tidball will debut a mango cheesecake fudge, which he will also enter into the competition. Other types of fudge that CW Fudge Factory will have for sale at the festival include mango coconut, mango dark chocolate, mango peach, mango cheesecake, mango and mango jalapeno. There will also be a few more flavors, but not the 30 or more flavors that are regularly for sale at the shop.
The mangoes for the fudge are sourced locally.
"We were very blessed last year with people bringing me mangoes from their yard," Tidball explained. "I made the simple syrup with the mangoes then froze it to use in batches for the mango fudge. I actually got to the point where I was turning people away."
Tidball has already received mangoes from Pine Island residents this year.
And while CW's was a little quiet on the sleepy summer day that we visited, Tidball knows it's the calm before the storm. Everything is made fresh, so Tidball and his staff work around the clock starting the week of MangoMania.
"We will be popping Thursday and Friday, then Friday night for Saturday, and Saturday night for Sunday. We don't sleep."
Anytime Tidball and his staff cover a festival, the routine is the same, and it is a lot of work, but it's worth it.
"This is my happy place," Tidball said. "This is my dream come true."
CW Fudge Factory is open daily from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and located at 4548 Pine Island Road in Matlacha. The shop will be open during MangoMania, or you can visit them at a booth at the festival. For more information, call 283-9911.
Bay House adds tasting menu
Get a better taste of how award-winning chef Andrew Hunter's mind works with new Saturday night tasting menus at The Bay House. The menus will include six to eight courses, plus a few of Hunter's surprises, and are limited to 20 reservations each week. Price is $65 per person with a wine pairing available for $35. The Bay House is at 799 Walkerbilt Road, Naples; 591-3837 or bayhousenaples.com for more.
Little Bites (Dining news, in brief)
Nani's held its grand opening on July 6 in Fort Myers. Owners Sherry and Peter Kline serve up traditional American comfort food in their small diner daily from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Nani's is located at 2855 Work Drive, Fort Myers. Call 334-2214 for more information.
Culver's newest location in Cape Coral opened Monday on SW Pine Island Road in the same plaza as Sam's Club.
After a brief break to welcome a new baby girl, Dani's Daytime Diner (3228 Fowler St., Fort Myers) is back open for breakfast and lunch, Monday through Saturday.
Yellow tomatoes help Enzo's win big
Enzo's was recently recognized as the Southeast winner in the SUNSET Produce and Sysco's #YELOisthenewRed recipe competition. More than 200 recipes entered, all showcasing the flavors of yellow tomatoes. Chef Vincenzo Puleio of Enzo's Ristorante Italiano (4351 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs) won with his Y.E.L.O. Gazpacho Antipasto, which features a yelo tomato gazpacho, a yelo tomato gelee, a savory Grana Padana panna cotta, crispy prosciutto, a Grana tulie, a fried basil leaf, and accented with a spicy roasted red pepper coulis. The award-winning dish should be a feature next month. For more information on Enzo's, visit enzosofbonita.com or call 992-5555.
Foodie Find of the Week
What: Seafood Chowder
Where: Perfect Cup, 4548 Pine Island Road, Matlacha; 283-4447
Cost: $8 for a bowl, $6 for a cup
Why: Hunting down mangoes is hungry work, and before you leave the island, stop at Perfect Cup for a cup of its signature seafood chowder. Scallops, clams, crab meat, lobster, shrimp, and fish swim together in a creamy chowder base flecked with smoky bits of bacon.
Great American Chili Cook-Off
Come out and join the fun on Sunday at the Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina on Fort Myers Beach. Sponsored by the Southwest Florida Chapter of the American Culinary Federation, the Great American Chili Cook-Off will benefit the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Thirty teams or individuals will compete for the grand prize. The event is open to the public starting at 3 p.m.; attendees are encouraged to bring a $5 cash donation as well as canned and dry food donations for the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Judging starts at 4 p.m. and the public can vote for two awards: people's choice and most unique.
Win free PDQ for a year
A year's worth of chicken tenders can be yours if you enjoy PDQ on 10 separate days during the month of July. To participate, head to eatPDQ.com and create an account to register for the contest. Guests then use transaction numbers on receipts to track their visits. Those that qualify can be eligible to win gift cards in value ranging from $125 to $500, which can add up to free PDQ for a year. SWFL locations are 12499 Cleveland Ave. and 17470 Ben Hill Griffin Parkway in Fort Myers. For more information visit eatPDQ.com.
Applebee's raising funds to fight Childhood Cancer
For the month of July, Doherty Enterprise Applebee's locations in Florida and Georgia are selling paper lemons to guests for a minimum donation of $1, with 100 percent of the proceeds directly benefiting Alex's Lemonade Stand, a 501C3 charity that has raises funds for pediatric cancer research projects. Applebee's will also donate $.25 from the sale of beverages that feature lemonade, including its Bacardi Summer Squeeze, Strawberry Quencher and flavored and frozen lemonades. Applebee's locations in SWFL participating include those in Naples, Fort Myers, Estero, Cape Coral and Punta Gorda.
2nd Annual Southwest Florida Lionfish Derby Results
Matanzas on the Bay and FGCU Spearfishing hosted the 2015 Southwest Florida Lionfish Derby June 26-28 to promote control of lionfish, an invasive species. There were 462 lionfish caught during the spearfishing tournament amongst four teams, which were then part of a cook-off between four local chefs. First place in the spearfishing tournament went to Zookeeper/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which brought in 218 lionfish. Winner of the lionfish cook-off was Jeff Acol of A Table Apart in Bonita Springs. The lionfish were cooked up and served to the 200-plus people who attended the event.
