French Roast Café serves up big flavors in its little corner of the world

The real estate mantra for success - location, location, location - surely has some validity to it. But French Roast Café is proof that it's anything but an absolute.

In 30 years of living here, I've lost count of the number of restaurants along U.S. 41 that have gone belly up like a hapless armadillo, some in a matter of weeks. But French Roast Café, tucked as it is behind the popular Outback Steakhouse just north of Bell Tower Shops, appears to thrive in its laid-back setting. Never mind that it cannot be seen from the highway. Or that Outback swarms nightly with devoted carnivores willing to wait upwards of an hour for a seat.

Like its extroverted Aussie-themed neighbor, French Roast has its own rules and they obviously appeal to a faithful following. There are two menus: one featuring classic continental cuisine, on which the restaurant was founded; the other Vietnamese, reflecting the roots of chef/ owner Hoang Le. Although they are from distinctly divergent locales, the flavors turn out to be harmonious companions.

Of course, there's no need to mix the two if you have a hankering for either strictly continental or wholly Vietnamese.

PHOTO KAREN FELDMAN The Saigon platter offers tastes of a variety of dishes, including barbecued pork, grilled chicken and rice noodles. We ate a bit from both menus and found them in equally fine form.

From the continental lineup, smoked salmon rosettes and shrimp bisque were lovely and delicious starters. The former consisted of three large, hand-rolled rosettes of delicate smoked salmon surrounded by chopped egg, capers and lettuce along with a dollop of cream cheese and four toast points. The soup was creamy without seeming heavy, with a savory perfectly-seasoned shrimp flavor to the bisque, enhanced by just a splash of sherry and big chunks of shrimp. It's a cream soup that's light enough for the hot summer months.

Salads, which come with all entrees, were rather ordinary compared to everything else we ate, but were fresh and the raspberry vinaigrette was good.

When it came to entrees, it was the Vietnamese menu that spoke to my companion and myself. From a dozen items plus a couple of nightly specials, we tried the Vietnamese sea bass and the Saigon platter. We received a large piece of baked bass dressed with a ginger-sherry-oyster sauce that was surprisingly mild. We'd anticipated a little kick to the seasoning, but this one was treated with a gentle hand, allowing the delicate fish flavor to marry with the seasonings, rather than being overpowered by them. Three large green mussels, a mound of steamed rice and a medley of stir-fried vegetables finished this dish nicely.

PHOTO KAREN FELDMAN Bananas Foster made tableside is a specialty of the house at French Roast Café. The Saigon platter featured crisp spring rolls, grilled chicken, shrimp and barbecued pork over rice noodles. This one possessed more assertive seasonings than the bass. The pork had a slightly sweet glaze while the chicken had a smoky grilled essence. The shrimp were fine, too. To step up the flavor, the dish came with a side of tangy fish sauce for dipping.

And for dessert - it's back to the Continent for Bananas Foster prepared tableside, a rare treat in these parts and one the café handles deftly. From our ringside seats, we watched our server prepare the butter and brown sugar sauce, give the bananas a bit of a bath then toss in the rum and flambé the whole thing before pouring it all over large portions of vanilla ice cream. Now that's dessert!

A splendid dinner was made even better by the warmth and charm of the room. There's a larger dining room that faces the Bell Tower Shops, but this small one on the opposite side holds only a few tables, fewer still with a baby ground piano and a place for a guitar player to set up. Touch of Class Duo, consisting of Peggy and Jim Flannery, were keeping the diners entertained with a pleasant repertoire that included "Bessame Mucho," "Satin Doll" and "Straighten Up and Fly Right." They were joined for a couple of songs by one of the patrons - and presumably an entertainer in his own right - a man who goes by Jaybird and has both a terrific voice and great stage presence.

Other diners seemed to be there because the group was playing for the first time in a while. A few came in after dining in the other room just to listen to a song or two and greet the Flannerys.

All this in an inviting room with dark green walls holding framed prints of colorful flowers. A slate waterfall shush-shushes in the corner and the low lights bathe everything in soft glow. It was a surprisingly romantic dinner during which my husband (of nine months) and I toasted one another with glasses of Whitehaven pinot noir, a New Zealand variety that looked, smelled and tasted of plum and dark cherry with a hint of oak.

Service was attentive and well trained. Our server appeared to have a good grasp of both menus and the wine list (which isn't huge but has a good mix of options).

She made sure our meal moved along at the proper pace, neither rushing us, nor making us sit for long periods over plates we no longer needed.

French Roast Café is a winner that deserves its success, wherever its location. ¦

If you go

French Roast Café
Pinebrook Park Plaza, Fort Myers; 936-2233

Ratings:
Food: 3 ½ stars 
Service: 3 ½ stars
Atmosphere: 3 ½ stars

>>Hours: Breakfast 8-11:30 a.m. Tuesday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Dinner is served from 4:30- 9:30 p.m. every day. >>Reservations: Accepted >>Credit cards: Major cards accepted. >>Price range: Appetizers, $3.50-$8.95; Entrees, $12.95-$24.95 >>Beverages: Beer and wine available. >>Seating: A few roomy, well-upholstered booths, plus conventional tables and chairs.

>>House specialties: Vietnamese spring rolls, shrimp bisque, shaking beef salad, Steak Diane, Bananas Foster >>Volume: Low to moderately high. >>Parking: Free lot adjoins restaurant.