PAST REPASTS

Crave, Bridge Plaza, 12901 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers; 466-4663.

What a great name for this unobstrusive little gem tucked into the Bridge Plaza not far from Nomiki's Plaka, Cabo and Café Cibo. Try it once and chances are you'll return. With just 10 tables and three booths, a large chalkboard for daily specials and a minimalist décor, it's the food that shines here, just as chef/owner Sean Gavin intended. For breakfast, there are classic biscuits and gravy as well as shrimp and grits or corned beef hash. BLTs, burgers and the Wicked Fluffa Nutta (a triple-decker Marshmallow Fluff and peanut butter sandwich) are lunch fare; and dinner includes standards such as mac and cheese, roasted chicken and meatloaf. I liked the Crave dip, with shrimp, crab, spinach, mushrooms and cheese, as well as the goat cheese mac and cheese. The three-way duck is a tasty and imaginative entrée and the salmon was delicious with a raspberry vodka martini sauce. Don't skip dessert: the trio of cupcakes (red velvet, chocolate with raspberry sauce and vanilla with chocolate sauce) was a standout. Breakfast and lunch served Tuesday through Saturday, breakfast and lunch on Sunday, lunch and dinner Mondays. Beer and wine.

Morgan House, 2207 First St., Fort Myers; 337-3377.

The downtown building may be a century old, but the menu's gotten a definite update since the Price family took it over last summer. Patrons can still find conch chowder, downtown tortellini, steaks and Caloosahatchee mud pie, but these old-timers are joined by more adventurous selections such as blackened scallops and cioppino. Oysters Rockefeller were traditional and well done, the blackened scallops were large, tender and very spicy, cooled by a soothing mango pineapple jicama slaw. The Caesar salad was another faithful and solid rendition. Entrees of Floribbean cioppino and The Surf Ate My Turf (crab-stuff shrimp in thinly sliced filet and bacon) were beautifully presented, nicely seasoned and satisfying. A house-made mangoguava cheesecake was creamy, with vivid fruit flavors. Morgan House has a little something for adventurous palates, seafood lovers and confirmed meat-and-potatoes types, all at prices that won't spoil your appetite.

The Sandy Butler, The Sandy Butler, 17650 San Carlos Blvd., Fort Myers Beach; 482-6765.

It's a restaurant. It's a bar. It's a produce market, deli and bakery. The Sandy Butler is also a welcome addition to the Fort Myers Beach dining scene. An appetizer of blackened sea scallops over a ginger caramel sauce proved delicious, the large scallops cooked just enough and balanced out by a sauce that tasted of both ginger and caramel without overwhelming the delicate shellfish and its savory seasoning. A crab cake billed as sweet and spicy was also quite large, laden with big chunks of crab. I suppose that was the sweet part because the pink-hued sauce was fiery hot. The rack of lamb crusted with hazelnuts and Dijon mustard consisted of five chops, delicately seasoned and cooked just to a blushing medium. Grouper topped with a sweet red pepper and balsamic sauce was good, although the wild mushrooms beneath were a bit chewy. From the hostess to the server to the manager, everyone was warm and hospitable.

Siam Hut, 4521 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral; 945-4247.

Siam Hut, After enjoying countless meals here over more than two decades, I can heartily recommend the consistently wonderful Siam Hut to veteran Thaifood lovers as well as newcomers to this vibrant, fresh cuisine. There are lots of options for vegetarians and the helpful staff will make sure dishes are prepared extra mild, medium or fiery hot, depending on the customer's preference. A few of my favorites include: curry puffs, tom kha gai (a coconut-milk-based sweet and sour soup), Chinese sausage salad, pad Thai (the national noodle dish), all of the curried entrees, tofu with green beans and hot and spicy chili paste and sweet and sour chicken (really - the sauce is tangy and light, not sweet and heavy as it is in so many places). But don't take my word for it - try virtually anything on the menu. It's hard to go wrong here. Open for lunch on weekdays and dinner Monday through Saturday. Beer and basic wine served.

Crave's three-way duck C'h dk Sandy Butler's filet