Today, Wallace's special something has evolved into a Naples mainstay offering the masses country French food from its same quiet dining room along busy U.S. 41. Wallace thinks the convenient locale, friendly service and reasonable prices account for the many hungry businesspeople the restaurant attracts.

Margaux's was named best place for a business lunch in last year's Gulfshore Business Best in Business poll. We decided to find out why.

What we ate: Americanized country French food. Sure, there is the typical French fare-escargot, veal Toulouse, baguettes-but for diners who hesitate to venture into the foreign unknown, rest assured. Margaux's caters to all tastes.

Not up for the French delicacies, we chose to start with the blue-crab bisque ($4.95) and a house salad ($3.95) followed by the lemon-basil seafood crepe ($7.95) and penne pasta with chicken ($7.95) for entrées. A crusty baguette tied neatly with a cloth napkin sated us while we waited for our appetizers.

Chunks of crabmeat and a hint of cognac accented the large bowl of bisque, which had a bit of a bite. The salad plate was overflowing with many a surprising yet wonderful addition, including julienne squash and zucchini, olives, cucumbers and tomatoes topping a mix of greens flavored with a vinaigrette sauce.

Chef Mathurin Guilloux's lemon-basil seafood crepe came colorfully accompanied by julienne squash, zucchini and carrots as well as a dollop of sweet potato mash. The light griddlecake was stuffed with scallops, shrimp and fresh fish and drizzled with a champagne sauce. For seafood lovers, it was definitely the catch of the day. The bowl of penne pasta with chicken was so much more. Rosemary, artichoke hearts, olives, tomatoes and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese gave this dish its wow factor.

The platters were so filling that we had to pass on dessert. But before we absolutely said no, our server tempted us with a selection of pecan and key lime pie, spice cake and bread pudding and other offerings.

Atmosphere: Sitting alongside U.S. 41 with an endless stream of traffic whizzing past the windows, you would expect a lot of noise, but Margaux's is amazingly quiet. The dining room, which seats 85, is not overwhelming but rather comforting with its low lighting and minimum décor. The light orange and turquoise walls are lined with wine cases, and there's an elegant bar.

Service: Wallace says his servers can either get you in and out quickly or leave you to enjoy a leisurely lunch. I guess we gave off the leisurely vibes because although our server was attentive, he left us to talk awhile before clearing our plates and bringing the check.

Power Quotient: We noticed several casually dressed businesspeople deep in trade talk sprinkled amongst the tourists.

Margaux's

3080 N. Tamiami Trail, Naples. (239) 434-2773. Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday. Dinner: 5-9 p.m. Monday-Sunday. Credit cards.