TWO MEATBALLS IN THE KITCHEN
By Duncan
Who, What, When, Where, Why?
Wayne Entsminger - Franco Russo - “Two Meatballs”
The WHO would be about Wayne Entsminger and Franco Russo. WHAT? “Let’s have dinner out.” WHEN? “Tonight.” WHERE? “In Cape Coral, Florida, at an Italian restaurant called “Two Meatballs In The Kitchen. WHY? I’m leaving tomorrow, and Jim wanted me to experience something special before I leave.
The sign will go up in 2020.
The two pictures above surprised me, too. I guess I thought Jim was fooling around when he said he wanted to go to a restaurant called “Two Meatballs in the Kitchen.” The picture of the crew putting the name on the building was June 2020, and the night I was there was early February 2024.
Now, I want to discover what the hand with the fingers in the air means. Don’t get offended; it isn’t what you think. The Italians talk-a-lot-with-a-dar-hands.” The simple language of da-hands in-da air means delicious and magnificent! So, in lay language, it means the food is-a-good!!
Jim Tsareff - Inside Two Meatballs In The Kitchen.
Jim Tsareff was waiting for a table.
I bought one bottle of Banfi Chianti. What did the menu charge for this $12.00 bottle of Chianti? The menu said $30.00. So, I thought, I won’t worry about the cost. “Bring it on!!!” I’m living high on the hog tonight.
Then the waitress suggested I try the best experience in the house: Pork Osso Buco. The picture above shows this pork will feed a family. I didn't know it was this much food.
Duncan - Veal Osso Buso. Doesn’t look that big in this picture.
By the way, I was unfamiliar with the term “Osso Buco.” Ossobuco or Osso Buco is Italian for “bone in the hole.” It refers to the marrow hole at the center of the cross-cut of the shank. It’s cooked slowly in wine and vegetables and served on a bed of mashed potatoes. As you can see, they leave the “Bone” in the veal (da-meat) at Two Meatballs In The Kitchen, Cape Coral, Florida.
Okay, let’s turn our attention to the people who own and run his place. Wayne Entsminger has been in and around the food industry his whole life. He started working for Sysco in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After three years, they moved him to Miami as a regional sales manager for Sysco. Wayne's successful leadership of a 450-person sales team drove corporate sales from $190M to over $650M in just ten years! He’s a selling machine.
By the way, Sysco sells food and restaurant supplies to restaurants, healthcare facilities, and educational facilities. In other words, Sysco is the grocery store for restaurants. Wayne purchased a couple of Pizza places for a couple of years. It’s unclear to me if he still operates them. Then, Wayne became President of PFG Empire-Miami. Wayne was working with Twin Rivers, selling chicken to his base of customers. Then Wayne started Entsminger Enterprises. The working address looks to be his home in South Fort Myers.
Wayne Entsminger
It appears Wayne then tested his selling skills in commercial real estate. Wayne became a “Business Development Director” in 2018 with Land Quest. I think Wayne decided to become a corporate suit, wearing a button-down blue oxford cloth dress shirt and sporting a more professional haircut. Wayne is now giving "Commercial Real Estate Sales” a shot! Land Quest online used 500 words of corporate speak to say, “I’ll rent you this commercial building.”
Franco Russo
Now, we need to talk about Franco Russo. Franco Russo is a young man working in the entertainment industry on the left coast (for those of you in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Russa, the Left Coast means California). Franco is rubbing shoulders with Justin Bieber and Nick Jonas and having the time of his life.
In May of 2016, Franco received news of his father, Alfredo Russo. Franco is told his father has suffered a ruptured aorta in his chest and is in Health Park Medical Center, Fort Myers, undergoing surgery.
Franco Russo leaves California and flies in to be by his father's side as quickly as possible. The operation fails. His father's surgery is unsuccessful, and Alfredo passes at the age of 60 years of age. Joe Orlandini, his business partner, said,
“It was too late to save him. It’s like he was the president here on the island; if there was such a thing, he has died. Alfredo was an icon and had friends all over. This sad news will reach far and wide.”
Franco has some major life-altering decisions to make. His father owned several restaurants. Alfredo Russo, owned and operated Junkanoo on the Beach, the Fresh Catch Bistro, and the Sunset Beach Tropical Grill, is no longer alive. The son, Franco, has to decide what he will do next.
I have no idea where Franco’s head is at that moment. I can only assume Dad Alfredo left him his assets. Was Franco now in charge of three restaurants? If so, did Franco have the right to sell the properties? Does he keep them going to protect the restaurant employees?
Based on what I know, Franco sold the beach restaurants to Joe Orlandini, Alfredo’s former business partner. A lot of money changed hands when that happened. (Millions) Franco decided to return to Fort Myers, start over, and do what his dad loved doing.
He took the money from the beach restaurants' sales and bought his first “Two Meatballs In the Kitchen” in south Fort Myers. Then, at the right time or worst, Franco decided to buy a building in Cape Coral for $550,000. He then remodeled the building, investing another million dollars or more. Again, I’m not sure what he spent, but Franco did say he invested at least an additional million dollars in remodeling.
Then, the Pandemic came along and inflicted much pain. Once Franco Russo was back on his feet, Hurricane Ian blew into town. I can only imagine what must have been going on in Franco Russo’s mind.
“What was I thinking?”
DUNCAN
