'We felt we couldn't have asked for anything more incredibly flavored, delicious or decadent.'

The menu states: "Mais Oui! A truly wonderful meal begins with fresh, crisp, steaming French bread straight from Chef Damon's oven," and so it did.

Ooh La La! sits quietly, almost hidden away in Island Shopping Center in Holmes Beach. The décor is French country. Prints and paintings, all with some relationship to France, are spaced out on the walls. The excellent use of mirrors makes the restaurant look larger than it is. Two separate dining rooms and a large bar completed the setting for our gourmet dining experience.

We ordered a bottle of pinot grigio ($26) as we carefully studied the menu and listened to our server list the daily specials. We found ourselves intrigued by the two special appetizers for that day. We ordered the pate trio ($14) and the lobsterscargot ($14). Two slices each of the pates arrived on top of mixed greens in sherry vinaigrette garnished with cornichons (miniature pickles) and slices of grape. We promptly spread the flavorful pates on the "petits toast" that accompanied them. The black truffle pate was lightly dotted with the truffles that added their earthy taste. The country-style French pate was a gourmet medley of pork, chicken and goose liver and the foie gras was simply wonderful.

The lobsterscargot arrived in the traditional silver escargot server with six individual servings. Each serving consisted of two tender chunks of lobster in a delightful homemade garlic butter, so good that when we finished the lobster, we dipped the remains of our delicious French bread into it, adding still another dimension to "wonderful."

Crab-stuffed grouper ($30) and Veal Normandy ($26) were our choices for the main course. A crisp salad with fresh greens, tomato and cucumber came with the main courses. We had a light vinaigrette dressing on one and a good, creamy blue cheese on the other.

The grouper was stuffed with light, lump crab, then rolled in macadamia nuts, sautéed and topped with a honey-curry glaze. The combination of flavors from the light, mild fish to the nutty taste, topped with the sweet and spicy glaze created a symphony for the palate. Dauphinois potatoes, potato slices baked with garlic, butter, heavy cream and Gruyere cheese, were delightful. Fresh baby asparagus and diagonally sliced fresh carrots sautéed in butter completed the presentation.

Our second choice, Veal Normandy, was flambéed in the kitchen with Calvados, a dry, apple-flavored brandy, mushroom and apples and finished with cream. Two thin, well-pounded, tender-as-butter veal cutlets were presented topped with a generous amount of mushrooms swimming in the brandy with thin slices of cooked apples and cream melding to build the richest of sauces. The same fresh vegetables were served with the veal.

Shortly after we arrived and before we dined we asked our server if she could tell us about the desserts. She said, "Not until you have cleaned your plates." Thinking that nothing ever changes no matter how old you get, we complied and did justice to our wonderful food. At that point, she agreed to show us the dessert tray. We chose crme brulee ($6) and bourbon pecan pie ($6). They were sinfully delicious. The custard was light, sweet, crispy on top (the top carmelized with a torch in the kitchen) and decorated with fresh raspberries. The pie was rich and chocolatey topped with pecans. The Maracaibo chocolate in it comes from beans grown in Venezuela and then transported to Switzerland. It's said to be the best chocolate you can get.

Owner/chef Damon Presswood is delighted to meet your requests and dietary needs. "Please ask," he says. He also said, "A little criticism is a good thing." We couldn't find one thing to criticize. We felt we couldn't have asked for anything more incredibly flavored, delicious or decadent.