PAST REPASTS

PHOTO KAREN FELDMAN Azucar's Paella Valenciana is a traditional Spanish dish that contains a montage of seafood and chicken in fragrant saffron rice.

Char Grillhouse, 2431 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers; 337-2427. With its unusual name, unlikely location and unconventional menu, Char Grillhouse offers an interesting departure from the customary downtown dining scene. Just a mile or so south of the so-called River District, it's off U.S. 41 in front of the remodeled Holiday Inn, which also provides free parking. The interior has a stark, modern look and feel, with lots of red lights that give it a flame-like glow. Choose from an eclectic menu that allows customers to construct a dish with a variety of proteins, including venison, quail, lamb, shrimp and such with which are offered a couple dozen dipping sauces. There are also tapas, such as hummus and shrimp fritters, as well as burgers and vegetarian pasta. Service is generally efficient, there's plenty of seating and a full bar.

Food: 3 ½ stars

Service: 3 ½ stars

PHOTO KAREN FELDMAN Chile Ranchero serves a richly decadent flan that's worth the calories. Atmosphere: 3 ½ stars

Azucar Restaurant & Bakery, 3326 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral; 549-2833. The name means "sugar" in Spanish and sweet is what a meal at this charming Cuban restaurant is. Owners Adolfo Cartaya, his wife, Maritsa, and their cousin, Juan Jose Molina, serve breakfast, lunch and dinner every day in a relaxed, inviting storefront, one side of which is a dining room, the other a well-lit bakery filled with freshbaked pastries and superb Cuban coffee. (I can highly recommend the flan and the guava and mango pastries and the price: $3 each). On Friday and Saturday nights, there's live guitar music that adds a dash of romance. Although prices are moderate, portions are ample so order with caution. A sampler platter with fried shrimp, tamales, roasted chicken, yucca and roasted pork could serve three generously as an appetizer or be a complete meal for one. All the items and the three sauces that came with them were delicious. So was a large and lovely saffron-scented paella Valenciana and a platter of roasted pork chunks, accompanied by black beans and fried ripe plantains. Service is somewhat leisurely but it's not likely customers will be in a hurry to leave once they sample Azucar's food and hospitality.

Food: 4 stars

Service: 3 ½ stars

Atmosphere: 4 stars

Rivals Sports Kitchen, Miromar Outlets, Corkscrew Road and Ben Hill Griffin Parkway, San Carlos Park; 495-4655. Rivals is a sports bar with a difference: the kitchen knows that sports devotees want something beyond wings, burgers, nachos and fries. The wide-ranging menu offers choices such as lettuce wraps, vegetarian chili, sweet potato fries and house made potato chips with balsamic glaze and blue cheese. Dine inside and watch all manner of sporting events on dozens of strategically placed TVs, or choose a table outside along the walkway leading into Miromar Outlets. The cumin-scented chili had great flavor without being fiery hot. Chicken wings could have been crisper. I liked the fresh ingredients in the Thai bowl (chicken, pea pods, water chestnuts, red bell pepper and noodles), although the peanut sauce could have used more zip. The grilled portobella with herbed goat cheese and roasted red peppers on focaccia bread was sturdy and delicious, and the aforementioned chips were great. For dessert, consider the deep-fried Oreo cookies, which were tasty little cookies covered in funnel cake dough then fried, and accompanied by chocolate sauce. Service is the one part of the action that needed toning up, but that may be due to Rivals' rookie status, having just opened this fall.

Food: 3 ½ stars

Service: 2 ½ stars

Atmosphere: 4 stars

Chile Ranchero Restaurante y Taqueria, 11751 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers; 275-0505. Anyone who claims not to like Mexican food ought to try Chile Ranchero. Those who do like the authentic article likely already have found this little gem of a restaurant that sits unassumingly behind Kinko's just off U.S. 41. The menu is wide-ranging, with quite a few dishes that may be new to non- Mexicans. But there's also some familiar territory - tacos, quesadillas and fajitas - although these, too, may be a variation from the U.S. usual. Tacos, for example, come with soft fragrant corn tortillas, not the ubiquitous brittle u-shaped shells. Filling options include higado (liver), lengua (tongue), pescado (fish), or adobada (marinated then steamed steak) as well as the usual suspects. A vegetable quesadilla with broccoli, red bell pepper, onions and cheese was excellent, as was the ceviche nachos, a feast of citrus-marinated fish and shrimp, avocado and diced tomatoes. The camarones al mojo de ajo (shrimp in butter, garlic and beer) was simple and delicious, while the parrillada ranchero, a sampler platter of grilled chicken, steak and chorizo sausage with roasted tomato sauce, was gargantuan and equally well executed, although the sausage was a bit crumbly. Don't miss the sensuously rich flan with real whipped cream for dessert.

Food: 4 stars

Service: 3 stars