By Tobin Bennison

It's hard to decide which we like best about Indialantic's Scott's on Fifth the best: the staff or the food. It's useless wondering anyhow, because if either factor were removed from the equation, Scott's wouldn't be the wonderful place it is. It seems everything about Scott's springs from the symbiotic notion that good food and companionship go hand in hand, a fact that's evident as soon as you stride through the door.

It was while being greeted affably by host and co-owner Bill Heiss that we took in our surroundings. Cozily lit and tastefully arrayed with eclectic decorative flourishes peppered throught the intimate dining room, Scott's on Fifth could have been plucked from some Parisian alley known only to chic locals, its three-star Michelin rating hanging humbly behind a cluster of grocery lists and their first 1000 franc note. Scott's does have the confident air of a big-city restaurant, but none of that attendant stuffiness or sense of self-importance. And while it's clear that the menu was compiled with refined palates in mind, the abiding ethos is one of casual conviviality.

To call longtime employees Liza and Laurel "servers" is a little off the mark, for both breach the stolid waitress/patron barrier with natural ease, and come across more like helpful and informed guides. It was clear that both knew the dishes from firsthand experience and were well-versed in the subtle nuances of each, explaining ingredients and flavors without that tell-tale lilt of soulless memorization. When they described feeling part of a family here and shared a few witty ripostes with Bill behind the snug bar, the effusiveness of the statement was hard to ignore. I could tell when chef Scott Earick joined in the laughter that this was no chirpy platitude. They love being around one other, and their mirth is infectious.
Biting into our Crab Louis cocktail and exploring the levels of flavor flowing through his home-made remoulade, we were surprised to learn that Scott has no formal culinary training. As we polished it off, we knew a course at Cordon Bleu would have been more of a hindrance, for Scott's talents come from far more valuable sources. Before opening the much-loved Giovanna's in Tampa (an homage to his mother and her Italian cooking), Scott waited tables at several high-end restaurants. I can't think of a better education.

That experience stood him in good stead, because Scott's unparalleled food, while elegant, is prepared in the spirit of common generosity and delight in shared discovery. In other hands, our two entrees -- macadamia-encrusted snapper with grilled pineapple salsa, and sesame ginger mahi with roasted red and yellow pepper confetti -- would have merely tasted vaguely pan-Asian, but with loving attention to detail, both to taste and fragrance, they became something entirely unique -- and uniquely Scott's.
Though by his own admission, Scott's on Fifth was inspired by the sights and flavors of the Caribbean, the varied menu owes a lot to Mediterranean, particularly southern Italian cooking. It's a testament to Scott's easeful, unforced style that the dishes come out somewhere in the undiscovered middle, combining the best elements of both and none of their hackneyed trappings.

The menu at Scott's on Fifth changes on a regular basis as Scott uses only the freshest ingredients available. Appetizers range from the afforementioned Crab Louis, jumbo shrimp martini, crab bisque (lauded as one of the best by aficionados), Caprese salad, escargot, spicy Thai shrimp, and a creation of sheer genius, "Lobster on Lobster" -- lobster ravioli topped with lobster parmesan butter.

As we went to print, entrees (which come with a soup du jour or mixed salad) included Chicken Florentine (chicken breast with fresh spinach and provolone, topped with a garlic white wine butter sauce), Salmon Rosemario (pan sautéed with extra virgin olive oil and a citrus rosemary vinaigrette), and filet mignon (peppercorn crusted tenderloin in a cognac cream sauce), all three of which are served with tender potatoes and vegetable du jour. Loyal repeat customers swear by his Lobster Fra Diavolo (Florida lobster tail, jumbo lump crab and a piquant marinara served over linguine or angel hair) and the shrimp artichoke nest (jumbo shrimp -- one of Scott's favorite items to cook -- artichoke hearts, garlic, white wine and lemon butter over angel hair pasta). Specials that evening were covered with Lobster Agnollotti (filled with Maine lobster, ricotta, romano, and topped with a lobster tomato cream sauce), a bona fide Seafood Newburg served over linguine, friutta di mare, and stuffed shrimp with beurre blanc.

An interesting feature of Scott's is its discerning wine list, many bottles of which are served by the glass. In another stroke of generosity, this by-the-glass selection affords you the opportunity to make some wonderful discoveries, as all of Scott's dishes are malleable enough to compliment a host of varietals. Whites include the hard-to-find Grgich Hills chardonnay, Cakebread (chardonnay and sauvignon blanc), Far Niente, and a few Italian styles. The list of reds is is just as well rounded, with the inclusion of Duckhorn, Silver Oak and Stag's Leap cabernets, and a strong showing of obscure Italian reds. Scott's taste for champagne is evinced by some of the finest examples of bubbly.

Desserts include a "slab" of chocolate with Kahlúa creme sauce, crème brûlée, chocolate mousse (topped with fresh raspberries blended with a sublime Chambord sauce), and what has become Earick's signature dessert, "Polynesian Dream," served in a chilled martini glass. Comprised of homemade coconut ice cream drizzled with a Myer's dark rum sauce, sprinkled with roasted pecans, and pierced around the perimeter with crispy cinammon-sugar wonton wedges and a chunk of pineapple, its place in the eternal dessert pantheon is assured.

If the appetizer were the firm handshake, and the entree a shared smile of fraternity, then the dessert was the parting hug; warm and heartfelt and given with the implicit understanding that I'd been welcomed into Scott's fold.

At Scott's on Fifth, seemingly minor components play vital roles in the whole dining experience. It's a place where the staff is as essential to its success as the food itself. In an ideal world, changing the restaurant's name to Bill, Liza, Laurel, and Scott's on Fifth would roll mellifluously off the tongue.

Scott's on Fifth (141 Fifth Ave. in Indialantic) is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Dinner is served Tuesdays through Sundays from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended -- particularly for Valentine's Day; call (321) 729-9779. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted. Ask about $10 Tuesdays, which feature $10 off any full bottles of wine or champagne all day. Scott's also offers a daily 5:30 to 6:30 Happy Hour at their cozy full-liqor bar with $2 off any glass wine prices and $1 off bottled beers. Come celebrate their 2nd Anniversary February 15th. Visit them online at: www.scottsonfifth.com for full menu details and a peek at their enticing lunch menu, which covers a range of inventive salads and selections like the open-faced crab melt, petit filet au poivre, chicken picatta and many more of Scott's standards.