Sugar n Spice

Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of. When you walk into a place called Sugar n Spice, you can't help but recite the nursery rhyme. But don't try to get life partners and owners Jean Doherty and Vero Leroux to tell you who's sugar and who's spice. Their personalities merge in the cheerful Fort Lauderdale restaurant and wine bar, former home of Herban Kitchen on Oakland Park Boulevard.

Sugar n Spice can't help but brighten your mood, what with its hot pink walls, red checkerboard floors, faux leopard cushions and colorful chairs and tables. But Sugar n Spice offers more than a vibrant palette. Doherty and Leroux want to please your palate as well.

Their mostly French menu ventures into Provence with dishes like salad Nicoise, chicken au poivre, ratatouille -- more ambitious fare than you'd expect in a casual setting. The 52-seat restaurant is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday (expect longer hours during the season). Stop by during August, and entrees include soup or salad and dessert.

Sugar n Spice is a homey destination for good food, good times; the kind of place where you can spend hours sharing secrets with your bff and no one will rush you out -- certainly not Doherty, who is greeter, server, prep chef, you name it.

Originally from Dublin, Doherty met Leroux in France. The pair became the unlikely owners of a Tex Mex restaurant-bar in the small town of Vienne -- and later opened an Irish pub. They decided to leave the south of France for South Florida after falling in love with Fort Lauderdale on a vacation.

They took over Herban Kitchen in December and reinvented the place, doing all the painting, upholstering and decorating themselves -- Leroux even built the wine bar. They are still building their small but thoughtful wine list, dominated by selections from California and France, with fine options like our $33 bottle of fruity Chteau d'Aquéria rosé, refreshing on a summer night.

Salads are a good place to start and large enough to share. Warm roasted goat cheese is spread on thick toasty croutons, a nice contrast atop cool mixed greens tossed with string beans and bell peppers. The crowning touch is a piquant vinaigrette spiked with Dijon mustard.

French onion soup is a tasty rendition of the classic, flavored with white wine instead of beef broth. It's finished off with thick baguette croutons and a topping of melted Gruyère cheese.

Fried calamari is lightly breaded, with tender rings, served with tartar sauce -- good but just a bit oily.

The kitchen does right by the tilapia, sautéed in butter with a squeeze of fresh lemons and roasted sliced almonds. Chicken au poivre adds a splash of whiskey to its assertive creamy pepper sauce.

The New York strip steak comes with a choice of three sauces: blue cheese, peppercorn or Nicoise -- with crushed tomatoes, garlic and Provenc¸al herbs. While my pick of blue cheese sauce was good, I'd get it on the side next time; there was a little too much of it for my taste and the juicy, well-seasoned steak didn't need the embellishment.

The generous sides, served family style, are reason alone to visit. We devoured the mac-and-cheese, with a crisp bubbly crust, bechamel sauce and Swiss cheese -- a Paul Bocuse recipe.

Tomatoes à la Provenc¸ale are delicious. Three thick tomato halves are dusted with French herbs and bread crumbs, simply cooked with extra virgin olive oil. The Gratin Dauphinois is another hit, a rich dish of thinly sliced Idaho potatoes with a hint of nutmeg, baked in cream and browned to a slight crisp; there's no cheese -- gratin refers to the baking technique. The ratatouille is a taste of the Mediterranean, with crushed tomatoes; red, green and yellow peppers; onions; zucchini and garlic.

Desserts include poached pears served warm with roasted almonds and ice cream, or an ultra rich chocolate mousse served in a champagne flute. Like Sugar n Spice, they're a treat.