PAST REPASTS

KAREN FELDMAN / FLORIDA WEEKLY Paella Valenciana is a traditional Spanish dish that contains a montage of seafood and chicken in fragrant saffron rice at Azucar

Azucar, 3326 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral; 549-02833.

In Spanish, Azucar means sweet and that's just what a meal at this lovely little family owned restaurant is. Hearty fare, sinfully rich desserts and soulful Cuban coffee are served up by a friendly staff. An appetizer sampler platter came laden with fried shrimp, tamales, yucca, roasted pork, chicken wings along with three sauces - mango-mustard, Creole and pineapple coconut. The paella Valenciana was a faithful version of the classic, with lots of chicken, shrimp, mussels, fish and a lobster tail, all perfectly cooked in rice made fragrant with saffron and white wine. Another entrée of roasted pork chunks with cumin-laced black beans and yellow rice was also tasty and large. Dessert is a must here. Both the flan and a chocolate cake with a crunchy topping and a hint of anisette were superb, although it was hard to pick just two from the dazzling array in the bakery. Beer and wine served. Ratings:

JIM MCCRACKEN / FLORIDA WEEKLY Pan-seared Chilean sea bass with pepper sauce and pineapple rice gets elegant treatment in origami's kitchen.

Food: 4 stars Service: 3½ stars

Atmosphere: 4 stars

French Connection, 2288 First St., Fort Myers; 332-4443

This downtown survivor has been serving quiche, crepes and sandwiches for more than two decades. The menu expanded when the restaurant shut down for several months a couple of years ago and reopened with a much improved dining room and a larger kitchen. Large windows framed with tiny white lights and two colorful giant frogs on the walls lend a festive air to the stylish décor and roomy bar. The spinach and artichoke dip appetizer is a great starter that's big enough for two or three to share. A grilled rib eye was properly grilled, moist and tender while the grilled mahi mahi was a little overdone and needed sauce. The chocolate crepe - a long-time specialty of the house - ended dinner on a sweet note. Full bar.

Food: 3 stars Service: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Mille Sapore, 15880 Summerlin Road, Fort Myers; 437-5040

Whether it's a comforting calzone or a hearty Mediterranean feast of tabbouleh salad and lamb with pomegranate sauce, Mille Sapore (Italian for "a thousand flavors") does it and does it well.

There are 30 variations of pizza on the menu as well as an edible tour of the Mediterranean in the form of baba ghanoush, paella Valenciana, red snapper cooked in parchment and tiramisu. The lamb (on this visit I tried it with a delicate ginger-soy and shallot glaze) and the red snapper were perfectly seasoned and cooked and an Italian lemon cake made an elegant finish to the meal. Service is gracious, and the dining room is nicely appointed, but still suitable for those who don't want to dress up. The bar is also inviting, a place where no one is a stranger for long. Full bar.

Food: 3½ stars Service: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3½ stars

Origami, Cypress Trace Shopping Center, 13300-41 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers; 482-2126. Origami's Korean and Japanese fare remains as good as ever. Sushi and sashimi share space with cooked Japanese standards and Korean classics. A hot mango roll - spicy tuna with sliced yellowtail and mango on the outside, served with mango and eel sauces - was refreshing with its blend of fish and mango, sweet notes from the sauces and a fiery finish from the spicy concoction tucked inside with the tuna. Pan-seared Chilean sea bass with roasted sweet pepper sauce and pineapple rice was expertly prepared and the jop chae, a Korean version of lo mein, was hearty and well seasoned. All the little side dishes - miso soup, seaweed and kimchee, among them - were tasty, too. Banana spring rolls with coconut ice cream and chocolate sauce finished the meal nicely. Service was friendly, if a little inconsistent.

Food: 4 stars Service: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3½ stars

Ted's Montana Grill, Coconut Point, 8017 Plaza Del Lago, Estero; 947-9318

Media mogul/environmental advocate Ted Turner has created an interesting casual restaurant concept in Ted's Montana Grill. It combines classic comfort fare with a concerted environmental bent and adds in a hearty helping of bison for those who want a lean and healthy alternative to beef. Prices are moderate, choices are legion and the service was friendly, if a little slipshod. The dining room's Arts & Crafts style, with lots of mahogany paneling, tiled floors and pressed tin ceilings, gives it a cool and refreshing ambience. I particularly liked the salt and pepper onion rings (plan to share them), the St. Phillip's Island crab cake, the cedar-plank salmon and Aunt Fannie's squash casserole. Full bar.

Food: 3 stars Service: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 4 stars