15 South attracts a regular clientele that lives on St. Armands, Lido Shores and Longboat; it also pulls in international tourists looking for authentic Italian food. That's just what they get. Expect hearty, comforting portions of well-prepared standards, such as fried eggplant layered with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce or breaded veal chop, or cheese ravioli, or seafood risotto. Entrées average around $21.

My fatty-juicy little rack of veal encircled a white mound of dense scalloped cheese potatoes and was garnished with roasted red pepper strips and bits of carrot. A confetti of fresh parsley added extra color. Every bit of it was flavorful, and altogether it was more than I could polish off. A companion tackled the seafood risotto and found the rice a bit more gummy than creamy but flavorful. The portion of mixed fruits from the sea was more than generous and cooked just right.

A nice surprise is the octopus and white bean salad spiked with ribbons of red onion peeking out of mixed field greens. ($8.95). Want to split an appetizer or salad? No problem. There's a small fee but the presentation is well worth it. Other salads and starters include crab cakes, oysters Rockefeller, calamari, Caesar salad, and salad Leopardi, which combines arugula, artichokes, prosciutto and Parmesan cheese for $10. This would be a nice lunch.

The fluffy, light focaccia is baked not in the small 15 South kitchen but at its sister eatery Cuoco Matto on North Tamiami Trail. (Owner Casadio is also the proprietor of Osteria, which has been a fixture on the circle for 16 years.)

In addition to the items on the printed menu, your server will describe nightly specials in delectable detail without ever revealing the price. This is not playing fair. If prices are printed on the page, they ought to be included in the servers' pitch. Why the secrecy, and why are so many otherwise accommodating restaurants (such as Michael's On East) guilty of this?

I'm glad to report that the well-informed servers are not interested in pushing bottled water on barely seated guests. They're much more focused on helping you select a wine. With a retail wine shop in the front of this restaurant, offerings are extensive: The handwritten wine list includes about 100 wines, and "by the glass" listings are also impressive. Although all major wine categories are respectably represented, the emphasis is on Italian wines. For example, five chiantis and two sangioveses are offered by the glass. Our choice was a '98 Cambria Julia's Vineyard pinot noir, priced at $38.

Whether you're in the mood for wine and some antipasti or a full meal of Italian favorites, 15 South will give you as many choices as the number of its address. So eat!

15 South Ristorante Enoteca

15 S. Boulevard of the Presidents, St. Armands Circle, Sarasota

388-1555

Open daily for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. and midnight on weekends

Major credit cards

Reservations accepted

SPIRITS

Bar bills are a pleasant surprise at the new Ritz-Carlton.

Here's some spirited economic news. You can enjoy fine wines and cocktails in one of the prettiest bars (Ca d'Zan) and one of the most lavish dining rooms (Vernona) in town and pay less than you would in many ordinary area restaurants of lesser élan. The new Ritz-Carlton has structured its wine and liquor prices to be-well, downright friendly.

The traditional martini-your choice of premier gin or vodka-is a reasonable $7, and you get to enjoy it in plush armchairs with live music in the background. You can even light up a cigar and kick back on one of the cushy sofas if you want to move into the cigar bar. The ashtrays are elegant, and deep-blue matchboxes bear the golden Ritz-Carlton logo.

If you order the Ritz-Carlton signature martini, add another $3.50, but for garnish you'll get a fat olive stuffed with blue cheese. And the salmon martini is certainly more than just a drink. It's food. A martini glass is lined with thin shards of smoked salmon. Add Fris vodka and top with caviar. The price is $12.50. The bar menu also includes a dozen or more single malt scotches, rums, beers, grappas, cognacs, and specialty coffees. Most hover at just under or over $10. a glass. But if you are truly intent on being a big spender, you can spring for a shot of Remy Martin, Louis XIII for $190. The most popular drink? Martinis, the before-dinner ones and the dessert ones, such as chocolate, banana, key lime or crème brulée.