Dining Out: Encore deserves standing ovation for stellar cuisine

Paul Sturkey's 3-month-old Encore restaurant is a bit tricky to find because there is no signage.

But please don't let that deter you from visiting. Once you get to Naples Walk Plaza at 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road — just a chip shot from the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort at Tiburon — seek out the northeast corner of the shopping complex.

Encore, next door to a business called Massage Envy, looks dark and unoccupied from the parking lot. But don't worry. The restaurant is quite stylish inside, and I'm sure you'll find the search worthwhile.

The restaurant is part of a small chain out of Cincinnati, where local papers gave it rave reviews. However, I was skeptical at first because the menu I Googled seemed too broad.

Experience has taught me that many something-for-everyone eateries spread themselves too thin and end up serving mediocre food.

Encore, however, gets it right. Very right. Diners can feast on multi-course meals with fine wine or drop in for an oversized salad and bottle of beer.

The other evening, my guest and I chose the first scenario and were amazed at the quality of the cuisine. Most everything we sampled was homemade and delicious, particularly the soups, which were outstanding.

We came away with only minor complaints — primarily in the not terribly experienced service department — and plan an encore visit to Encore. Here's why.

For starters, this is a comfortable, casually elegant restaurant. We sat in the attractive dining room, decorated in a muted color palette of dark neutrals, the walls dotted with colorful artwork. The look is a bit masculine (think Stonewood Tavern).

The background soundtrack ranges from Sinatra standards to jazz, blues and Motown. For lighter, brighter surroundings, grab a seat in the connecting cocktail lounge.

Encore offers an extensive lineup of starters, ranging from a handful of seven-inch pizzas to a variety of munchies, soups and salads.

My guest and I each chose a soup: corn chowder and gumbo ($5 for a cup, $7 for a bowl). Both were sensational.

The golden chowder was perfectly seasoned, thick with finely minced veggies and the distinctive flavor of fresh-from-the-cob sweet corn. They should bottle this stuff and sell it by the gallon.

We were equally impressed with the seafood gumbo.

"I'm back in New Orleans," sighed my guest. "This is a real thing, properly spicy with real andouille sausage, savory tasso ham, crawfish tails and shrimp. In a word, wow."

Not a soup lover? Not to worry. That same flavorful andouille is available mixed with smoked chicken in a spring roll creation. Other appetizer picks include rock shrimp ceviche, tuna tartar, a white cheddar cheese dip or tried-and-true favorites like chicken wings (in tequila barbecue sauce) or shrimp cocktail.

After much debate, we finally narrowed down our entrée choices.

The charred skirt steak dinner ($18) proved to be another taste sensation – juicy and properly cooked medium rare as requested. This can be a tough piece of meat, but Encore obviously uses a better grade of beef than most of the competition and cuts it properly across the grain, which makes it tender.

It came with world-class garlic mashed potatoes and a pleasant vegetable medley consisting of al dente corn, yellow squash, green beans, zucchini and red onion and was topped with homemade fried onion rings, similar to Durkee's brand but better. Our only complaint was the overly salty chimichurri sauce.

Many of the same diced vegetables topped my large, pan-fried grouper fillet ($20), which was finished with a delicious Key lime-butter blend and dusting of Parmesan cheese. The fish came perched on a bed of fluffy white rice.

On a future visit, I'd love to try the ginger fried lobster tail, rum glazed tuna or perhaps the apple cider pork loin.

So what else is good?

Dessert lovers, get ready to swoon. From a short but sweet list, my guest and I decided to share one of the most elaborate concoctions ever seen on a local menu.

Called the Mango Eruption ($7), it consisted of chunks of juicy mango, moist vanilla cake cubes and rivers of raspberry sauce suspended in a mango mousse. This creamy Mount Everest of a dessert was peaked with white chocolate curls, toasted almonds and coconut flakes, topped with mango and raspberry sauces and served with mango sorbet, decorated with a fat strawberries and mini fresh raspberries and blueberries.

Drinks are good, too. We especially recommend the restaurant's version of a mojito, made with Bacardi Limon Rum and sugar with more than a hint of mint. Usually, the mint is merely bruised but at Encore, the bartender finely shreds the mint, which gives the drink a powerful islandy punch.

Welcome to our world, Encore. And to founders Paul and Pam Stuckey, our congratulations for enhancing the local dining scene.