The Augustine Grille, Tom Siegel of the Times-Union wrote, is "a first-class act." And no wonder. At this relaxed, light-filled Florida restaurant, Anthony Pels, Jr.-veteran of top kitchens in New York and California and protégé of Michel Richard-is turning out the kind of mouth-watering fare that serious foodies can't resist.

Pels, who was born in San Francisco, launched his professional career in earnest at 19, when he made a pilgrimage to Holland, his family's home country. There, he cooked at the Michelin two-star De Hoefslag and the respected Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam. Back in California, he worked the line for Wolfgang Puck at SpagoB> and Chinois on Main. A stint in New York as saucier at the China Grill followed. At the age of 25, Pels headed back west, where he met Richard. He moved from Citrus in Los Angeles to open Citronelle in Santa Barbara as executive chef, and then launched Citronelle in Baltimore and Michel's Bistro in Philadelphia. In 1995, Pels was recruited by the Augustine Grille, and he took over the star-studded restaurant after a face-lifting renovation, quickly winning critical kudos for his California-flavored French fare.