"News that chef Angelo Elia was opening a fine-dining outpost at Paradise Island's Atlantis resort made us fret. Would this top toque be leaving us for the Bahamas? Would his superb cuisine suffer from divided attention?

"We're happy to report all is well in Elia's house. The chef is still in the kitchen at Fort Lauderdale's Casa D'Angelo, turning out glorious Tuscan meals matched by a superb wine list and exemplary service, making for one of the best dining experiences in town.

"Elia sent one of his top managers to join the staff of the Atlantis restaurant, which opened in October, and says he has no intention of leaving Lauderdale's Casa D'Angelo. ''It is my life,'' he says.

"He learned many of his dishes in his mother's kitchen in Florence (her many fans will be happy to hear she'll be here this month, making her famous fusilli at the restaurant). He also spent time in Naples, so you will find accents of southern Italy when Elia transforms simple, high-quality ingredients into fine dining."