Ammo
1915 Ponce de Leon, Coral Gables 305/444-3357
Argentina and Cuba join forces as Leo Scotto and Joel Lopez use to great advantage the skills of chef Alexis Pimentel, who helped bring such distinction to the Gables' superlative Giacosa and who merges masterfully the cuisines of the continents, from an incomparable octopus salad to one of the best veal chops to be found for miles around, thanks to pre-slow rotisserie grilling marinade spiked with a bit of cinnamon and rosemary. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, and dinner, with entrees $18 to $28, is served nightly.
Bascom's Chop House
3665 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater 727/573-3363
Fred Bascom Bullard obviously believed that Bern's, Palm and Ruth's Chris could use some competition when he converted the longstanding Pepe's to another All-American place for steaks, along with a corps of chops and a harvest from the deep -- lobster, grouper, scallops, snapper and tuna. Dinner, with entrees $15 to $27, is served nightly.
Bellarte
12600 Roosevelt Blvd., St. Petersburg 727/561-7332
Conveniently located next door to the new Radisson Suite and Conference Center, this stunner lives up to its beautiful art name, and executive chef Ralph Sitero meets the challenge with equally artistic presentations of Italian-accented chicken, beef and seafood, as in a salmon saltimbocca and tiramisu made with lobster and shrimp. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with entrees $10 to $30.
Chandler's
717 Howard Ave., Tampa 813/250-1661
Dwight and Lauren Otis use to full advantage the lessons learned at Next City Grille, producing outstanding creations with made-from-scratch freshness and a fair amount of imagination as in their eggplant pasta and seasonal game. Not to miss are Lauren's chocolate desserts. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, and dinner, with entrees $10 to $23, is served nightly.
Henry's
16850 Jog Road, Delray Beach 561/638-1949
A blue-and-white country cottage with a wealth of windows, a mural of Henry, a Prince Charles spaniel, a display kitchen and a friendly staff delivering all kinds of great stuff from superior soups and chicken casseroles to hot fudge sundaes and perfect pies. At the helm is veteran restaurateur Burt Rapoport, former overachieving partner of Dennis Max before his empire began to crumble. His partner is superchef Grant Johnson from Burt and Max's Prezzo chainlet, and together they're opening a newcomer, Perry's in Aventura. Lunch is served Monday through Saturday, and dinner, with entrees $13 to $26, is served nightly.
Jiko
Animal Kingdom Lodge
2901 Osceola Parkway, Lake Buena Vista 407/939-3463
With a decor developed from The Lion King and views overlooking a trio of savannahs with 30,000 trees shading wandering giraffes and zebras, ankole longhorn cattle, antelopes and wildebeest, this is Disney at its most ambitious, capturing with art and artifacts the culture and cuisine of a continent. There's no loin of lion on the menu, but Disney chefs toured Africa to absorb the culinary heritage and collect the wines -- the finest cellar of South African wines in the U.S. -- to accompany the European-African fusion fare, treating the ubiquitous Chilean sea bass to a steam bath in banana leaf with an asparagus puree, grilling a peanut-coated rack of lamb. Dinner, with entrees ranging from $16 to $27, is served nightly.
Romeo's Cafe
2257 Coral Way, Miami 305/859-2228
Romeo Majano is a man of many talents and much experience, from key positions in the Caribbean and south Florida, where he was a masterful maitre d' at the wonderful Casa Rolandi for many years. Here he's wearing many hats, from manager to top toque, and he has as magical a way with his menu as he does with the happy patrons out front. That menu depends on the vagaries of the marketplace, and it's all made to order by Romeo, who advises what to order for all six courses at a set price of $65. Lunch is served Tuesday through Friday, and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday.
The Silver Cricket
1923 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota 941/955-9179
A sensational slice of sophistication brilliantly inspired by owner Tsinting Chang, who makes sure his chef, Eddie Ismail, executes a menu that fuses Asia and Europe as happily as the interior design team. From the splash of coconut milk in the risotto and wasabi wash on grilled fish to the omnipresence of ginger, the Asian accents are everywhere, even on the pizza, where slices of smoked duck tangle with fontina on onion-sprinkled whole wheat crust. Lunch is served Monday through Friday. Dinner entrees range from $19 to $33 for various paired selections matching meat and seafood.
Sushisamba Dromo
600 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach 305/673-5337
Super fusion fare from south of the border and far, far east, with a menu that's never boring. Start with some squash-stone crab-pumpkin seed soup, some six seaweed salad or one made with fluke, tuna and yellowtail or seared beef tataki with carrot, cucumber, habanero-tobiko and ponzu. Then a bit of tempura, a churraasco burger with chipotle ketchup, something from the raw bar, sushi and sashimi, steamed halibut with enoki, watermelon gazpacho, cilantro salad and crispy seaweed, or chicken teriyaki or Kobe beef. Lunch and dinner, with entrees $14 to $39, are served daily.
Thirsty Marlin Grill & Bar
1023 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor 727/784-3469
Ole-timey Florida at its finest with a non-stop menu featuring mounds of comfort food and everything from farinaceous fare to spare ribs, grouper to prime rib, fajitas to tuna and all the sandwiches imaginable, and you can wash it all down with Hemingway Mohitos or one of the state-of-the-art Marlintinis. Lunch and dinner, with entrees $8 to $18, are served daily.
Restuarants Around the State
SOUTHEAST: Boca Raton
Kathy's Gazebo Cafe
4199 N. Federal Highway 561/395-6033
Kathy is gone, but the same competent continental staff keeps all flags flying with fine wines and made-from-scratch freshness, which can be observed up close at the counter. Lunch, $10 to $19, and dinner, $20 to $36.
SOUTHWEST/TAMPA BAY: Naples
Campiello
1177 Third St. S. 941/435-1166
A special little find in your favorite Italian city, a complete escape as you twirl your pasta, marvel at the pizzas from the wood-burning oven, all the while sipping apertivos or one of the Italian wines. Lunch, $9 to $20, and dinner, $14 to $29.
CENTRAL: Orlando
Johnny Rivers' Smokehouse & BBQ Co.
5370 W. Colonial Drive 407/293-5803
Read the walls in this eponymous enclave and learn why Disney veteran Johnny Rivers has such a passion for down-home happiness and then dig into a mass of smoked, pulled pork corralled by roasted corn hoe cakes slathered with maple syrup. Lunch, $6 to $8, and dinner, $9 to $18.
NORTHEAST: Ponte Vedra Beach
The Augustine Grille -- Marriott at Sawgrass
1000 PGA Tour Blvd. 904/285-7777
Super-luxe resort with golf memorabilia galore and talented kitchen providing top-quality fare on regularly changing menu, but you'll hit a hole in one with the likes of lobster, pasta mingled with shrimp and Chilean sea bass. Dinner, $20 to $28 (entrees only).
NORTHWEST: Havana
Nicholson Farmhouse Restaurant
200 Coca-Cola Ave. 850/539-5931
An authentically old-timey hideaway that chargrills its steaks with great care, offering seafood and chicken as alternatives for the fans who appreciate the down-home basics. Dinner, $11 to $32.