Lobster Lady Seafood Market & Bistro’s lobster lady sushi roll. -LAURA TICHY / FLORIDA WEEKLY

The Dish: Late-night seafood bistro

The Place: Lobster Lady Seafood Market & Bistro, 1715 Cape Coral Pkwy. W. Units 2 and 3, Cape Coral; 239-471-0136; www.lobsterladyseafood.com

The Details:

Lobster Lady Seafood Market & Bistro’s sautéed calamari appetizer. -LAURA TICHY / FLORIDA WEEKLY

As much as we love the slower pace of life that Southwest Florida gives us, the flip side is that there are far fewer options for dining late than are found in larger metropolitan areas. Where can you dine after nine when you’ve gotten out of a concert or play, or you have a guest arriving on a later-evening flight, that doesn’t have a fast food or sports bar menu and atmosphere? The Lobster Lady Seafood Market & Bistro in Cape Coral offers its full dining menu in its comfortable bistro atmosphere until midnight every day of the week. In fact, dining later can be a good option for getting a table quickly because this is a highly popular restaurant that only takes reservations for parties of five or larger. The highly varied menu offers something for everyone from seafood fans to landlubbers, with offerings for appetites seeking light appetizers, soups and salads to those hungering for sandwich platters and full dinners.

For a starter, try the sauteed calamari ($18). Lighter than the fried version every other restaurant serves, these rings and tentacles are presented in a creamy, tangy white wine and butter sauce, topped with diced scallions, sesame seeds and micro greens and served with sides of Thai chili sauce and two crostini. The preparation results in the meat being tender, and you’ll want to save some of the rolls from the bread basket to sop up the sauce (or order extra of the parmesan-crusted crostini).

One of the Lobster Lady’s seafood specialties is sushi, including cooked sushi. Remember, sushi refers to a style of food preparation featuring rice and not specifically to any of the ingredients being raw. One of the restaurant’s signature showpieces is the lobster lady sushi roll ($29). The kitchen rolls a quarter-pound of cooked lobster meat with cucumber and avocado inside of sushi rice and tops it with seaweed salad, tempura flakes, spicy mayo, eel sauce and three types of fish roe (fish eggs). Then the roll is presented as if it were the lobster’s body with the head and tail as garnish at either end. A generous portion of the traditional sushi condiments of pickled ginger and wasabi radish paste, plus an edible flower garnish, round out the platter. This unusual and impressive sushi is a showstopper and as much delightful art as it is tasty food, with the green, red and orange fish roe forming an iridescent decorative pattern along the roll’s spine. This sushi roll could serve as an appetizer for a table’s worth of diners or as one diner’s entrée.

Lobster Lady Seafood Market & Bistro’s side Cesar salad. -LAURA TICHY / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Lobster Lady Seafood Market & Bistro’s New England sampler platter with potato salad side. -LAURA TICHY / FLORIDA WEEKLY

For diners seeking a more traditional entrée, consider a dinner from the favorites section of the menu, such as the New England sampler platter ($52). The platter features a five- to six-ounce lobster tail, a half-dozen scallops and a six-ounce piece of cod, with the scallops and cod cooked your way (grilled, fried, blackened, etc.) and accompanied with your choice of two sides. The blackened preparation provides a well-seasoned kick to the mild fish and scallops. Of the sides, the Cesar salad comes with plenty of shaved parmesan, and the potato salad features a nice seasoning of crumbled bacon to add a bit of salty smokiness to the creamy salad.

Lobster Lady Seafood Market & Bistro’s lobster lady sushi roll. -LAURA TICHY / FLORIDA WEEKLY