Aptly named Bacchus serves up sustenance for all the senses

Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and revelry, was said to be twice born. The details have been debated for centuries, but suffice it to say that Jupiter, the head god, had a dalliance with someone, which made his wife, Juno, very angry.

One way or another, Bacchus wound up either being removed from his mortal mother and growing to full term in his daddy's thigh, or being conceived by a demi-goddess and getting implanted in a mortal woman at some point during gestation.

Whichever way it went, the end result was that he was born twice.

And so it is with Bacchus Restaurant, the irrepressible little establishment that began with that moniker (and the current proprietor), then became Bacca, then Toro and then — hooray! — morphed into a hipper and happier Bacchus than when it began.

At the helm remains Shannon Yates, the indefatigable heart and soul of the operation. A number of other faces will be familiar to patrons of his previous undertakings (Bacchus and Cru at Bell Tower and Bacchus downtown). Heading up the kitchen is chef Heath Higginbotham, whose culinary style is characterized by the use of fresh, intensely flavored ingredients combined to create unpretentious but vibrant fare.

Upside down banana cake served with ice cream makes a fine finish to a meal at Bacchus. This time around, Bacchus looks less like a cave and more like a club, with sleek black banquettes along two walls and red teardrop lights suspended from the ceiling. The walls are red but for one that's adorned with giant black and white paisley patterns reminiscent of the psychedelic '60s. A massive screen dominates the room's back wall, playing movies most of the time (sans sound) and musical performances (with sound) on Sunday nights. Chill music grooves away on the sound system.

The original open kitchen remains, with about a dozen chairs situated around it, providing ring-side seating for watching Mr. Higginbotham and his supporting cast whip up dish after aromatic dish.

Now that the weather is getting cooler, the spacious patio with its umbrella-shaded tables is popular as well.

The Bacchus wine list isn't huge but features an eclectic collection, with 22 selections available by the glass and six in half bottles. Despite its less-than-appetizing name, I tried the Plungerhead Old Vine Zinfandel. An inexpensive California wine, it was surprisingly drinkable with vanilla, black cherry and nutmeg notes along with a whisper of cloves and cocoa. My companion's A to Z Pinot Noir, another moderately priced selection, had lots of cherry and raspberry flavors, a lovely ruby color and a smooth finish. Both proved to be good companions to our appetizers and entrees.

KAREN FELDMAN / FLORIDA WEEKLY Smoked king salmon is Sm one of the noteworthy on appetizers served at ap Bacchus. B I started off with a large piece of expertly smoked king salmon served with lightly pickled red onions, toasted slices of bread and a dollop of cream cheese. The fish was so good on its own, tender and moist with a smoky-sweet flavor, that I ate most of it without any accompaniments.

My companion's artisanal cheese plate came with three wedges of cheese — Bucheron goat's milk cheese with a thin, crunchy brulee topping, St. Agur blue cheese and one other that I failed to taste or record — as well as mounds of tangy tapenade and mellow pesto. Toasted bread slices served as excellent vehicles for the cheese and dips.

Shannon Yates has reinvented his first restaurant, Bacchus, at the Bell Tower Shops. Next came entrees of black grouper cioppino, a mélange of mussels, clams and shrimp topped with a piece of black grouper, infused with a smoky tomato broth and finished with parmesan croutons. The large croutons were a bit too numerous for my taste, but the fresh seafood and the smoky broth paired beautifully.

I tried the night's special beef tenderloin served with braised short ribs ravioli and spinach with a red wine reduction. Although that might sound like a heavy dish, it wasn't. The two round ravioli contained tender shreds of delicious short rib meat. In between them was the beef tenderloin, a most appropriate name for this tender grilled cut of meat that was juicy and richly flavored on its own and better still with the wine-based sauce. A bed of spinach beneath the mounded ravioli and beef completed the plate.

While the dish was delicious and nicely constructed, it occupied just a small portion in the center of an otherwise bare plate. I sus pect this was done for dramatic effect, but

would have benefitted

from a smaller plate

and/or some sort of garnish or side vegetable. In tough economic times, too much unoccupied real estate on a plate can be off putting. However, that's not to say that the portion was inadequate. It was, in fact, just right.

We both felt satisfied but found just enough room to share a piece of banana upside down cake with ice cream. The cake was ultra moist, with great banana flavor and a rich creamy texture. Served slightly warm, it worked well with the vanilla ice cream.

Service was as polished as always, despite the fact that Mr. Yates was out of the building until about the time that our dessert arrived. The staff is well schooled in the etiquette of service and well acquainted with the menu and wine list. His presence, however, clearly adds to a meal at Bacchus. As is his custom, he stopped and visited at every table, something most good restaurant owners do. In this case, he appeared to know almost everyone who was there.

This is a tough time to be in the restaurant business, yet establishments such as Bacchus continue to thrive. It's not an accident.

Bacchus is a cozy, sometimes rowdy, but always entertaining dining spot. Its eclectic and well-executed menu and obvious sense of fun has quickly attracted a loyal following.

And so a toast — to Mr. Yates, Chef Higginbotham, their staff and, of course, Bacchus himself.