Chanticleer South, Islamorada

Jean-Charles Berruet spent thirty-five years as the chef at the Chanticleer Inn in Nantucket before deciding to move to the Florida Keys and open Chanticleer South. Step inside his tiny restaurant and it is pure French, with sponge painted salmon walls, deep red tablecloths and colorful dishes.

Berruet's wife, Cecile, runs the front of the house and the night we dined, it was immediately evident that there were service issues. Of the dozen occupied tables, only one had their food. The seemingly inexperienced waitstaff could be seen huddling together, talking in whispers and glancing back to the kitchen with worried looks.

Though we were seated immediately, it was 15 minutes before anyone came to our table to pour water, and another 5 before Cecile arrived to take our drink order. The availability of only a single red and white by the glass indicated the Chef's preference for his guests to order a full bottle, each of which was considerably marked-up. For example, Veuve Clicquot Brut (Yellow Label) was $90, available in most wine shops for $45, and typically sold for between $60 and $70 at most restaurants.

During the evening, I tasted each of the two wines by the glass. The 2004 Chateau la Baronne, a Sauvignon Blanc, tasted surprisingly like a buttery chardonnay. The red, an '04 Château Ollieux Romanis, was full bodied and well balanced. My husband opted for the light and hoppy Hurricane Reef Pilsner, a local Florida beer.

When Cecile was finally available to take our order (the other waitstaff were relegated to filling water glasses, delivering bread and clearing plates - excelling at none of these tasks), we started with appetizers, selecting the Shrimp Bisque with Parmesan Profiteroles, and the Tuna Carpaccio, marinated with truffle oil and served with thin shavings of Parmesan Regiano. The bisque was piping hot, thick, creamy and utterly delectable, more to our liking than the version we had the previous night at Pierre's. The Tuna Carpaccio was a disappointment; the paper-thin tuna did not have much taste on its own, and was completely overpowered when paired with the salty cheese.

A basket of frozen, re-heated Parmesan breadsticks arrived mid-way through our appetizers, along with a half-stick of butter on a silver tray. You know a chef has lost passion for his craft when he serves sticks of butter...

I was tempted by the Chef's signature dish, the scaloppini of grouper, saute, served with a pinot noir, shallots, herbs sauce. Berruet is well known for his use of Pinot Noir sauces in seafood preparation, as opposed to more traditional white wine sauces typically paired with fish. However, after Cecile's warning that I may need to help my husband with his lobster pie, I selected an appetizer-sized portion of the special of the evening, Shrimp Provencial. Gulf Shrimp were sauteed with garlic, parsley, lemon juice and white wine - a simple preparation that allowed the fresh, juicy shrimp to take center stage.

As we had been warned, the Pithivier de Homard (Lobster Pie) was plenty for two to share. A delicate, buttery pastry shell was filled with sauteed Florida lobster, shallots, mushrooms, diced carrots, spinach, cognac, port and cream, and served with a side of decadent lime beurre blanc that seeped into the crevices of the dough, just enough to soften it to a consistency that could be cut with a fork. After devouring my Shrimp Provencial, I could only muster a few bites of this incredibly rich entree.

We were too full, and frankly, too frustrated by the poor service, to entertain the idea of dessert. Dinner, including drinks, was $128 before tip.

Service, atmosphere and cuisine are of equal importance to me when dining, though when one of the three elements suffers, it has an exponential bearing on the overall dining experience. Chanticleer South offers above-average contemporary French cuisine (minus the breadsticks), and a delightfully cheery decor, however, the service was abysmal during the two hours we were guests.

I suspect we caught them on an "off night" considering the accolades this restaurant has received by others, but given my experience I would be reluctant to return. My top picks for dining in Islamorada are Pierre's and Kaiyo.