A bonus of southwest Florida’s unprecedented growth—to a

devotee of good grub, anyway—is the dazzling variety of restaurants that now

flourish here. Casting a wide net from North Fort Myers south to Goodland and

east to LaBelle, these restaurants offer everything from chichi sushi to

down-home fried mullet. Not all of this fare is first-rate—in truth, some of it

can be dismal. But business professionals in search of a decent lunch can, with

a little imagination and attention, experience pretty much everything culinary

the world has to offer.

This was brought home on a recent afternoon when my

companion and I returned to a small French eatery in Cape Coral called Provence

Restaurant. It has to be sought out, but the effort is more than worthwhile.

The establishment is located on the west side of a mall called Cay West

Pavilion. After heading west on Cape Coral Parkway and crossing Chiquita

Boulevard, start looking to the left for the Cay West entrance. The restaurant

is located around to the right.

A quick once-over of the dining room is reassuring. To the

right and left are upholstered booths lit with Tiffany-style lamps and divided

by ivy-laced white latticework. Fanning out directly ahead are tables set with

gleaming flatware, sparkling glasses and slender vases, each holding a single,

fresh rose. The ambience, accented by the music of Edith Piaf, France’s Little

Sparrow, is welcoming, light and airy.

The establishment’s name is a dead giveaway as to table

fare. It’s billed as “cuisine of the sun,” which, loosely interpreted, means

basics such as tomatoes, olive oil and garlic as opposed to the usual staples

of French cuisine, butter and cream.

The full bar includes an authentic Provencal pastis, an anise-flavored

liqueur mixed with water and served over ice in a tall glass.

Rather than offer a lengthy luncheon menu that in sheer

number tends to preclude careful preparation,

Provence offers a limited selection, allowing the preparer to give each

item full attention.

Entrees, which range from $7-$9, include a salad Niçoise

(potatoes, green beans, eggs, olives and tuna); a tomato, spinach and goat

cheese omelet; mussels in a broth of wine, shallots and garlic; broiled salmon

with tomatoes, artichoke hearts, spinach and mushrooms; shrimp with tomatoes,

roasted garlic and wine over angel-hair pasta; and a mesclun saladstyle="mso-spacerun: yes"> (mixed greens, goat cheese and lemon

dressing). Appetizers include the soup of the day, escargot and oysters.

On our first visit to Provence Restaurant, I ordered the

spinach omelet, and my companion the mesclun salad. The omelet, blended

throughout with whole leaves of fresh spinach, gave added credence to the

versatility of eggs. The combination of the salad’s greens, lemon dressing and

goat cheese proved delicious. The two of us walked out wearing self-satisfied

smirks appropriate to the discovery of a culinary gem.

On our second visit we were both considerably hungrier.

After ordering iced tea for myself and a glass of pinot grigio (which, alas, at

$5 arrived in a not- overly-generous

serving) for my companion, I specified the salmon, the lady the shrimp. The

fish, perfectly broiled (done, yet moist throughout), was served atop a mélange

of spinach, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and tomatoes. It was a rewarding dish,

not only delicious but just ample enough for a midday meal.

My companion’s shrimp dish also proved astyle="mso-spacerun: yes"> winner—several sautéed shrimp

combined with diced fresh tomatoes, cloves of roasted garlic (which don’t leave

you with breath that could fell a moose) and a touch of olive oil served over a

generous portion of pasta. A most satisfying dish.

Dessert buffs will wallow in choices, among them a creme

brûlée, of course, but also warm banana bread pudding with caramel sauce, an

apple tart with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, and a spectacular creation

billed as a “warm flyer chocolate cake.” I opted for the chocolate cake.

Luscious doesn’t begin to describe it, especially if you’re a chocolate freak.

Served hot in a round, individual portion-sized ramekin with a soupçon of

raspberry coulis, the soft, fudgy, not-too-sweet center managed to hit just

about every button on this chocoholic’s range of sinful pleasure.

Service throughout was prompt and efficient. It would be

difficult to find a more attractive and genial atmosphere in which to enjoy a

midday meal.

Provence Restaurant

Location: Cay West Pavilion, 1708 Cape Coral Parkway

Phone number: 239-542-7889

Hours: Lunch, Wednesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30

p.m. Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30-10 p.m. Sunday brunch,

noon-5 p.m.

Reservations: Taken for lunch and dinner.