PAST REPASTS

KAREN FELDMAN / FLORIDA WEEKLY . Chef Jeff Acol blackens organic salmon, then tops it with citrus salmon ceviche. A Table Apart, 4295 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs; 221-8540

The décor's not fancy but it is warm and inviting with light jazz and soft lights creating an oasis that's well-suited to dining well. The menu showcases chef/owner Jeffrey Acol's imaginative style that features surprising innovations, such as fried calamari coated with nam pla (fermented fish sauce) served with Thai dressing, and fries gussied up with herbs, Parmesan cheese and white truffle oil. The chilled summer soup tasted of the ripe oven-roasted tomatoes from which it was made, enhanced with a bit of wasabi and cucumber ribbons. Organic salmon prepared two ways — lightly blackened and topped with citrus

salmon ceviche — with a yuzu beurre blanc and blazing purple microgreens was downright exciting. Mr. Acol lightens up a ribeye by replacing potatoes with a refreshing Mediterranean cucumber salad. There's no skimping on dessert here. Both the elegant chocolate mousse and fresh brownie with ice cream were worth every calorie. Wine and beer served.

Food: ½ Service:

Atmosphere: ½

Café Cibo, 12901-16/17 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers; 454-3700

There are plenty of Italian restaurants in these parts but what sets Café Cibo apart is chef/owner Marc Marotta's skill at taking classic dishes and making them his own. A fried calamari appetizer comes with baby arugula, black olive vinaigrette and a duo of dipping sauces. A crabmeat-stuffed scallop is encased in golden pastry and accompanied by a delicate lemon-butter chive emulsion. Ravioli gets the royal treatment with mushrooms, grilled chicken, artichokes and pine nuts. The wine list is extensive and well chosen, the décor stylish. Full bar.

Food: Service: ½

Atmosphere:

Chile Ranchero Restaurante y Taqueria, 11751 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers; 275-0505.

A Table Apart, 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 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 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 shells, and may be filled with higado (liver), lengua (tongue), pescado (fish), or adobada (marinated, 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.

Café Cibo, Food: Service:

Atmosphere: ½

Tarpon Lodge, 13771 Waterfront Drive, Pineland; 283-3999

A trip to Tarpon Lodge can seem like a mini-vacation. It can also be more than that since the restaurant is attached to a circa 1926 inn. Either way, a dinner timed to occur during — or just before — sunset is ideal. Within the intimate dining room, servers lavish customers with attention. The menu is ambitious and manages to deliver most of the time. Bronzed gulf shrimp, brushed with Cajun spice and brown sugar, were great starters. Entrees of tuna with a mandarin-ginger-teriyaki sauce and a New York strip steak with a morel and portabello reduction were showy and satisfying. The créme brulee was no slouch, either. Full bar.

Food: ½ Service:

Atmosphere: ½

Chile Ranchero Restaurante y Taqueria, 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 that's most welcome during the subtropical summer. 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.

Food: ½ Service:

Atmosphere: ½

Tarpon Lodge, Ted's Montana Grill,