Dining, shopping with pooch makes fun experience
_BY _ELLA _NAYOR Florida Weekly Correspondent

COURTESY PHOTO Coconut Point Mall in Estero

After a week of unabated stress and tension I couldn't wait to relax with my pooch.

Argyle and I just needed a break, a sabbatical from the rigors of everyday life.

So, with my trusty 12-year-old Scottie in tow, we hit the highway, unlatched the moon roof and let our hair and fur take to the wind.

After conferring with Argyle - yep the dog wears the collar in this relationship - we decided to check out the Coconut Point mall in Estero on a warm Saturday afternoon.

The mall is the stylish shopping center located near a new upscale community. The backdrop for the immense shopping and dining Mecca is Main Street style and Mediterranean décor.

But even with all of the hot, trendy stores and restaurants there is one thing that lured Argyle and I to this mall over all of the other posh shopping centers. This mall and many of its eateries with outdoor seating accept pets.

Imagine strolling to a yummy bistro and being able to sit down with your beloved, furry best friend. Considering the proven stress relief that pets provide, it just stands to reason that being able to nosh with them by your side would be wonderful.

From the moment when we arrived we were treated like royals. A gracious security guard called Nicole directed us to all of the pet friendly places while she stroked Argyle who was curiously eyeing her golf cart, which to him probably resembled a UFO.

After some friendly banter about Argyle's high cuteness-factor we padded off to the Hurricane Grill and Wings.

It was hard to tell who was enjoying themselves more - the dog or me. My little senior Scottie seemed to have found the Fountain of Youth as he chased flower petals falling from the manicured pots and woofed at strollers and kids scooting by.

The lovely Amber Lawless, an assistant manager at Hurricane's cooed over Argyle and ran inside to fetch him a milk bone. The little Casanova did a jig - knowing he had already won over Amber and a biscuit. Argyle's wagging tail seemed to say it all - this is going to be a great day.

No sooner had we stopped at the restaurant did it start to rain - one of those fierce Southwest Florida downpours. But it didn't bother Argyle at all. It was all part of the pooch day trip.

We hunkered together under the awning watching the skies cry big wet tears. Argyle's nose twitched with interest while I just patted him. Life was great.

In what seemed to be minutes, the storm spit out its last drops and we were ready to chow down.

John, one of the friendly servers, was extremely attentive to my furry companion as I perused the menu. It didn't take me long to order up some kicky wings - all flavored with interesting sauces such as chipotle raspberry and Thai Ginger.

But what appealed to me more than the food was the fine service to Argyle. A fresh bowl of water with ice cubes was gently placed by Argyle while I nibbled. And the staff routinely came out to check on Argyle's comfort as much as mine. Cory Wilson, one of the eatery's weekend musicians, even tossed a grin Argyle's way.

Aside from barking at a woman in a wheelchair and some kids, Argyle behaved like a model dog.

Chris Levy, the owner of the establishment said he likes to show the warmth and hospitality to pets. It comes from his New Orleans background.

In fact, though many of Coconut Point's restaurants accept pets, Hurricane Grill and Wings actually encourages folks to bring their pets along.

And for any of you looking for a place to sip a nice glass of wine with your pooch check out the Grape Café and Wine Bar. The place offers a variety of upscale wines and appetizers.

After our meal and a gracious round of goodbyes, we decided to peruse the area a bit more before heading home.

Throughout the mall are pet level doggie fountains. The fountains should be operational in the next month or so, according to the local restaurant staff. And in case Fido decides to relieve himself during an exuberant jaunt there are cleaning stations throughout the mall.

But Argyle and I had one final stop to make before hitting the road.

Two words: Pet Smart.

It's the Toys R Us for pets. Argyle literally looked like he had visions of rawhide bones and chewy toys rolling across his eyes.

After unsuccessfully trying to find a canine pirate's costume we decided to get a few tennis balls and a camouflage canvas toy shaped like a human. And just like an inpatient child, Argyle, who was sitting in the store cart, barked because the cashier was moving too slow.

On the ride home, I patted my tuckered out best friend and smiled. After all it doesn't get much better than a great day out with your four-legged friend.

If you go

>>What: Coconut Point
>>Where: U.S. 41 between Corkscrew Road and
Coconut Road in Estero
>>Info: (239) 498-1536