Eating on the Island
You probably will not want to eat every meal out. Many guests will bring groceries with them, some will utilize the various shopping services that will shop and deliver groceries and some do both. Planning ahead is certainly worth the effort. If you are on the island for only a few days, you very well be fine eating out every meal, however if you are planning on staying for more than a couple of days, you will likely want to have some groceries, whether you bring them or have them delivered. If you decide to do the shopping yourself before coming to the island, there are a couple of choices that are close to the Pineland Marina where Island girl ferry departs. There is a Publix on Pine Island (5100 Pine Island Road NW Bokeelia, FL 33992, (239) 558-6088 and Winn Dixie located at Pine Island Center, 9864 Stringfellow Rd, St James City, FL 33956 . Remember you are on a barrier island. No Ubers or Publix! So if you forgot something it will be incredibly inconvenient and pricey to try and get most items, particularly if it is not a very common (like bottled water). If you have previously visited NCI, you appreciate the importance of planning. If you plan to bring groceries with you, it is important that you plan your menus in advance. Some of the items we bring include sandwich meats and cheeses, prepackaged salads, peanut butter, bread, crackers, nuts, bagels, milk, cereal and various frozen snacks that are easy to prepare such as frozen pizza, chicken tenders, pizza bites, cheese sticks, and french fries. For items that are not frozen, we try and get items that are vacuum packed such as meats, cheeses, etc.
Many guests pack their groceries in storage containers/tubs and/or large duffel bags. We use both.
Even if you decide to stock up and bring everything you thought you would need, you might forget something and Mangos has many of the most forgotten items (e.g., eggs, bread, and milk).