Go for the Gusto

You don't need to speak much Italian to know that con brio translates to "with gusto." And Il Bellagio approaches dining in exactly that spirit. This big, comfortable palace of an Italian restaurant is perfect for long nights of exuberant fun with friends or relatives. This is definitely a white-cloth, fine-dining experience with an expert serving staff, a robust wine list (with some bottles at $400) and a shrewd menu that appeals to wide-ranging tastes.

A party room with seating for 364 (including outside), Il Bellagio is located at Bayfront Place, one of the newer Naples complexes on the water that combines retail and residential activity in a setting that replicates a sophisticated little Italian village around a town square complete with fountain. On the walls, prints of 16th- and 17th-century genre scenes are rendered in sepia tones; most are food-related, and all are fascinating. The ceilings are high, the light fixtures impressive. At the dramatic bar, embedded fiber-optic lights put on a show of shifting rainbows.

In the kitchen, chef Leo Rubio adheres to a northern-Italian menu modernized with diversions and fancy riffs. On a bed of capellini, shrimp and radicchio dressed in a light vinaigrette, you'll discover a half Maine lobster. My classic veal scaloppini had the modern twist of a champagne cream sauce and shitake mushrooms, giving the presentation a sophisticated turn without sacrificing one bit of the flavor of the fork-tender veal.

The entrée side of the menu is divided into meats, poultry and fish, with an average price of about $16. Look for grilled tuna, homemade Italian sausage (served with rapini), veal chop, snapper in lemon sauce and the familiar veal picatta or Milanese. The three steak preparations ($20) include one with a brandy cream sauce. Additionally, one could choose from about 15 different pasta dishes, four risotto varieties and half a dozen pizzas. The one with smoked salmon and goat cheese ($11.50) makes an excellent appetizer to share among four people.

For appetizers, soups and salads ($5 to $8), steamed mussels, sautéed artichokes and white bean soup are among the offerings. Desserts are rich and often dripping with chocolate and stuffed with rich cream. The kitchen is especially proud of its tiramisu, which I found refreshingly unsweet.

Il Bellagio has other restaurants in Palm Beach, Coconut Grove and Bal Harbour, so technically I suppose it could be called a chain, but certainly in the same upmarket category as Roy's or Fleming's. One of the little extras I like about Il Bellagio is the signature matchbook. Restaurants have all but abandoned this form of advertising, but I like taking a couple matchbooks home and months later reaching for matches to light dinner table candles. It's a pleasant reminder of an evening of fine dining and good company.

Il Bellagio 492 Bayfront Place, Naples. (239) 430-7020. Dinner: nightly, 4:30-10 p.m. Credit cards. Valet parking. Wheelchair accessible.

Despite its silly name-which is an acronym for extra virgin olive oil, the ingredient contemporary American chefs seem to obsess about-Evoo is a jazzy modern bistro with a gourmet market. Eat now, and then take home the ingredients to duplicate the meal in your kitchen on some other day.

Boutique cheeses, appealing wines, bread made from scratch and fully prepared take-out meals are all part of the market service at Evoo. But even if there were no market connected with Evoo, it would still be well worth frequenting. It's a fine pocket restaurant all by itself, the kind of casual neighborhood hangout that makes you glad you live within easy driving distance.

Evoo reminds me of the small cafes sprinkled throughout the Napa and Sonoma valleys in California and along the Wine Road in Washington. The food is fresh, local and imaginatively prepared but served in a no-fuss manner from an open kitchen. The big, colorful paintings on the wall (which are for sale) contribute to the modern aspect of the space, as do the exposed black ceiling, track lighting and touches of smart orange on the sculptural pendant lights.

Brian Martin is the chef and director of operations. And his lunch menu focuses on salads and fuller meals such as ahi tuna with a flatbread salad ($13), a salmon quesadilla or a grilled steak sandwich ($12.50). The fennel salad with house-smoked salmon and lemon crème fraiche is particularly tempting ($10), and the butternut squash soup with nutmeg cream is as satisfying on a hot day as it is on a cool one. Plus, there are usually one or two daily, off-the-menu specials. And the burger is always first-rate.

Dinner appetizers include potato-leek soup, tempura-shrimp lollipops and Ceylon-tea-smoked salmon. Entrées advance to Asian pork tenderloin, crispy diver scallops or Cornish hen served with lentils, fava beans and a light sauce that mingles honey and tarragon. The restaurant offers more than 30 wines by the glass, some for as little as $5, while others zoom up to $16 for a glass. By the bottle, the labels are upmarket with vintages ranging from $39 to $175. Other beverages include a nice assortment of craft beers (about $4.50), fancy waters and both espresso and cappuccino.

Evoo Market and Bistro 13240 Tamiami Trail N., Naples. (239) 444-2020. Lunch: daily, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner: daily, 5-10 p.m. Bar menu available between lunch and dinner only. Credit cards. Parking in mall lot. Wheelchair accessible.

CHEF CENTRAL

Robert M. Frederick's Remoulade

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Robert Frederick was at the Princess Hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz., when the opportunity came to oversee food operations at the Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa, including the new Charley's (named after the hurricane

last year) and a 100-foot luxury yacht. At home, Frederick is a grill man insisting on a charcoal unit. "I invent dry rubs and marinades for chicken and pork," he says. "But my favorite is ribeye steak, corn on the cob and a sweet potato."

He prepares his stone crab recipe at the resort's Tarpon House on Friday nights during stone crab season, from Oct. 15 to May 15. Cracked claws are presented on ice in a bowl lined with shredded lettuce. Garnish with lemon and serve this zesty remoulade.

Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa 17260 Harbour Pointe Drive, Fort Myers. (800) 767-7777.

Remoulade for stone crab

(makes approximately three cups)

1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard

2 tablespoons horseradish

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons catsup

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons capers, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons celery, finely diced

1 tablespoon green onion or chives,

finely chopped

Dash of salt and fresh ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill prior to serving with crab claws. Figure on eight to 10 claws per person.

Nibbles 'n' Sips

Is beer the new wine? Recently I attended a beer dinner hosted by Red Hook brewery in cooperation with a local restaurant. Called a brewmaster dinner, the event featured five thoughtful courses and five accompanying specialty beers. For instance, with the fourth course-hickory-smoked short ribs with roasted apples and red cabbage with caramelized onions-we sipped a rich, assertive porter, while earlier with hors d'oeuvres, we were served a light ale. It was as delightful and instructive as most wine dinners I've attended with one glaring exception: the ugly, oversized glasses. Somebody please design a beer glass that doesn't hold an entire bottle in one pour. That's too much for a long dinner of many courses and many beers. The glass could be similar to a champagne flute or a variation of a white-wine glass.

That's Amore. The husband-and-wife owners of Caffè dell'Amore, Fabio Tripputi and Kelly Lee, now have their beer-and-wine license and have added an early-bird dinner to their breakfast and lunch services. This month, look for new small-plate additions to the menu as well as a schedule of regular wine and cheese tastings. The menu will change every two weeks to take advantage of seasonal bounty, but a few items will always remain. One is probably Kelly's Hungarian torte, a three-layer calorie-

buster with hazelnut meringue and butter-cream filling. Caffè dell'Amore is located at Charleston Square, 1400 Gulf Shore Blvd., Naples. Call (239) 261-1389.

Tipping trend. Celebrity chef Thomas Keller of Per Se and French Laundry has initiated what I believe will become standard practice in upmarket restaurants. Following the European model, he's done away with tipping at his Per Se in New York and instead adds the gratuity to the bill. The acceptance of built-in tipping probably won't significantly affect the total amount of tips in America, which is currently $26 billion a year, according to Steven Shaw's new book, Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out.

ASK MARSHA

Q. I've been invited to a swanky Thanksgiving dinner and I want to bring wine that will complement dessert-chocolate soufflé and traditional pumpkin pie. Any suggestions?

A. No one will dare skip dessert if you bring bottles of vintage port and vin santo, says Susanne Wilson from The Liquor Store at Fiddlesticks. Graham's Vintage Port 1994 ($117) has mocha-dipped berry flavors that will complement the chocolate and cinnamon in the soufflé and pie. You can't go wrong with Castello di Poppiano Vin Santo 1996 (about $25). This traditional dessert wine from Italy opens with rich honeyed toffee and finishes with a roasted nut flavor that contrasts beautifully with either pumpkin or chocolate. The Liquor Store at Fiddlesticks, 13650 Fiddlesticks Blvd., Fort Myers. (239) 337-5711.