June Keith's Key West & The Florida Keys
Chef and owner John Correa is the son of a restaurateur and has worked in the business all of his young life. John has trained in the culinary arts in the Provence, Normandy, and Bordwaux regions of France, as well as in Venice, Italy. Ads for Café Solé describe the experience as "a meal in Provence" and that's a very fair description. Exquisitely fresh ingredients and sumptuous sauces make the food here quite remarkable. Chef John, though interestingly innovative, never wanders too far from tried and true tradition. His Italian and Caribbean-inspired flourishes are right on target.

Fresh fish dominates the menu. Duck, chicken, lamb, pork, beef, are also available most nights. Prices are upscale: Appetizers from $5-$8. Entrees $18-$23, with good selection of wines fitting the same price range.

The food is very special, the atmosphere understandedly elegant, the service is impeccable. But don't take any of it all too seriously. It's a fun place, too. Charming Chef John enjoys journeying out of the kitchen to visit with appreciative guests. There's even a highchair. Dine indoors or in the garden beneath a lush breadfruit tree.

June Keith is a well recognized columnist whose columns have appeared in The Miami Herald, The Key West Citizen among others.

The Key West Citizen - Ilene Goldenberg
At Cafe Sole, you can enjoy your dinner in a garden of tropical plants without having to fear the elements.

A glass roof, tarpaulins and outdoor heaters protect patrons from wind, rain and evening chills as they sit on wooden chairs at tables with linen tablecloths. There is also an indoor, air-conditioned smoking area, where the terra cotta-tiled floor and painted wooden walls add to the Mediterranean flavor, as does the food.

Chef and co-owner John Correa describes the cuisine as having its origin in the south of France, with a taste of Italy and the spices of the islands.

"I'm a French chef," said Correa, 36. "I trained in France, and I spent over four years cooking there. Here, I've adopted the southern French style of cooking to the Cuban and island influences."

There are different specials every night. At least four of them will be fish specials, he said.

He recommended the grouper romesco, which is grouper coated with garlic, red peppers, tomatoes and hazelnuts in a spicy sauce and then roasted in the oven; the lobster thermidor; the filet mignon; the cream of portobello soup and the hog snapper, which is served with roasted red peppers zabayone. Starting tonight, people with local IDs can get the fixed-price menu, which offers a choice of soup or salad, a choice of entree off the regular menu and a choice of dessert for $24.95 for two people, he said. Beverages are not included, and the fixed-price menu cannot be used with any other offer.

Cafe Sole is located at 1029 Southard St. The hours are 6 p.m. until the last customer leaves every night except Wednesdays. If you're going to come after 10 p.m., call ahead and Correa said he'll probably keep the kitchen open for you. ReservationS are recom-mended. John and Judy Correa are the co-owners of the Cafe cuisine with Italian and Caribbean influences.

Elegant Dining At Cafe Sole - By Snow Philip
"John Correa's superb cooking deserves to be lingered over, admired, and discussed even as it is being consumed."

Southern Living - Dana Adkins Campbell
"The other French find, Café Solé is tiny, cramped, hidden, and delightful. There are a few predictable dishes, but the chef surprises with other flavors of the sun, from the Mediterranean to Key West. His rich, brown, intriguing conch chowder begins with caramelized onions and fish stock and ends with butter and cream. Paper-thin slices of conch carpaccio are adorned with olive oil, lime juice, Bermuda onion, red bell pepper, and capers. Here lobster is grilled, chopped, and bathed in jalapeno-Key lime-cilantro mayonnaise for a warm salad.

Local Color, Table Talk - Donna Sweeny
Key West diners in the know have been flocking to Café Solé since it opened its doors three years ago. In a converted conch house at the corner of Southard and Frances Streets, owner Chef John Correa and his wife Judy have created a cozy restaurant where the ambiance is as pleasing to the spirit as the food is to the palate.

Café Solé certainly has charm. Surrounded by a white picket fence, the restaurant has a comfortable, intimate dining room as well as outdoor seating in a lush tropical garden. Waiters are well trained, knowledgeable about the preparation of dishes, and provide unobtrusive but friendly service. Café Solé 's creative cuisine, however, that has set a new standard for upscale Keys dining.

Chef Correa comes from a long line of restaurateurs. He grew up in Boston where his family owned an Italian bistro and gelateria on historic Charles Street. After graduation from Bard College where he studied biochemistry, Correa spent 3 years working in restaurants in Italy. He returned to the U.S. long enough to complete the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Professional Chefs program, and again headed for Europe, this time to receive formal training in Venice, Normandy, and Bordeaux. During the two years he spent in Provence, he learned the southern French style of cooking which has influenced him so much. By the time he was 27, he was working as a professional chef. Soon after his return to Boston, he visited Key West on vacation and decided to make it his home.

Chef Correa possesses creative culinary skills and delights in combining American, European, and Caribbean traditions to create his own unique dishes. He cooks with great gusto and his joie de vivre is contagious. He particularly enjoys preparing fresh fish and in any given week, Café Solé serves about 10different kinds of fish, excluding shellfish. Grouper Romesco is a favorite and happily, Chef Correa was pleased to share that and other recipes [see side bar above for one of them] with us.