The Shell Factory showcases all types.Special sauce: Bayou battle a big hit.

By Ralph N. Paulk.rpaulk@news-press.com

From one side of The Shell Factory to the other, the smell of gumbo filled the air Sunday afternoon.

The lines at the sixth annual Southwest Florida Gumbo Fest in North Fort Myers were long with hungry and curious gumbo aficionados.

While some simply tasted the varieties of gumbo, others devoured them. At the end, there wasn’t much left even to sample. Gumbo, a dish born in the Louisiana bayou, was a big hit.

For David Rabidoux of Cape Coral, the festival was more than about gumbo. “I think a festival like this gives people a chance to appreciate what a great place The Shell Factory is, too,” he said.

“It’s our first time out, and we’ll be back,” said his wife Angela Rabidoux. Gary and Nancy Hawald, snowbirds from Detroit, made the trip from North Port just to sample the gumbo. But Gary Hawald had more than gumbo on his mind. “I came to look at the motorcycles,” he said as he dug his spoon deep into his bowl.

There was something for everyone at this year’s festival. There was a petting zoo, games, barbecue and music including the funky, Cajun sounds of the Yard Dogs. “We came at the end last year and enjoyed it,” Nancy Hawald said. “So, we put it on our calendar for this year.”

The event has long been on the cook’s calendars. And they didn’t hold back any spices, okra, rice and special ingredients. But even for the chefs, it was more than about the gumbo.

“An event like this enables us to have a day from our normal routine,” said John Venuto, chef and partner at the Parrot Key. “We have a better turnout this year because it’s better weather than last year.” The Parrot Key sold all 40 gallons — three hours before the event ended.

“The key is our fresh ingredients,” Venuto said. “It took us eight hours to make our gumbo, including an hour just to cut up the vegetables. It was a three-day process.”

The gumbo fest is a competitive event, and in previous years, Venuto’s biggest threat was the Jambaliars. While John Finstrom of Fort Myers wanted to extend Jambaliars’ winning streak, he was more interested in selling enough gumbo to donate all the profits to the Nature Park at The Shell Factory.

“It’s important that the kids learn about animals,” Finstrom said. “Our gumbo is the best, but this year it’s all about helping the community and educating the kids.”

Still, the gumbo was worth talking about. His tasty, mouth-watering dish was made of smoked wild pig, fresh quail, sausage, beef, okra and a vitally important secret ingredient. “I can’t tell anyone about that special ingredient,” Finstrom said. “But I would have to sell it for $10 a bowl.”

“We make our gumbo with fun and love,” said Joe D’Alessandro, a former state attorney, who was apart of Finstrom’s gumbo-cooking team.