Chicanes, a star in a sea of mediocrity, is Sebring’s best choice for dining out if you are hoping for quality, ambiance, professional service and delicious food all creatively presented.

Inn on The Lakes Hotel, situated at U.S. 27 and Golf view Road, is a full-service hotel, including relaxed and elegant dining.
Everything about this restaurant is upscale, from the black porsche hovering in the porte co-chere at the hotel entrance, to the tables draped in fresh white linens with serviettes waiting to be unfolded for the dinner service.

(A note about the name: Chicane is a series of turns, in opposite directions, in an otherwise straight course; apropos in a town known for its raceway.)
The dinner menu from 5:30 p.m. onward should be your choice when above average is your desire. The old saying “you get what you pay for” applies here. Cost wise, the dinner entrees are a little higher for some items, but not out of line. Every presentation has complex flavors carefully executed. This kitchen has a real chef who has a hold on his staff and a sense of what today’s food is all about.

On a recent evening, the foyer was busy with guests waiting for their tables. We had a 6 p.m. reservation, (suggested). Arriving a few minutes early we barely had time to explore the attractive bar surrounded by black and white blow-up wall photos of old raceways and cars before our table was ready.
The restaurant has the soft excitement that creates anticipation for what will follow; seductive lighting, the linens mentioned above, the correct wine glass and good cutlery.

Once seated in a comfortable window banquette over looking Little Lake Jackson, we ordered a Rodney Strong chardonnay for me and a perfect gin martini for my escort giving us time to sit back and savor the menu.

At dinner, superior bread that is both crusty and chewy arrived with a ramekin of flavored butter. Good bread is hard to find and is a passion of mine.
Many entrees sounded interesting, but for this dinner I chose a small Caesar salad to begin, next a cedar planked grilled salmon entree with the aroma of a cedar forest wafting up from the charred shingle with a moist, glazed salmon fillet poised on top.

Last that unctuous, satisfying, crunchy and smooth creme brulee dessert, very seductive when shared by two. My companion had pork schnitzel, pounded and breaded in the German style, pan fried and crowned with lemon butter compote. Crisp and delicious!
On the side, our vegetable dujour haricots verts, (baby green beans), cooked al dente, then shocked in ice water to prevent further cooking, then brushed with a butter glaze. Of course you can order pommes frites, but we both settled for a pure baked potato.

On future visits I tested fabulous fried oysters, then caramelized venison medallions, as well as pork shanks with a complex marsala/mushroom sauce positioned over mashed potatoes and a seasonal vegetable.
The wait staff is professional and attentive, remembering what you ordered and replacing flatware when needed without asking.
A special bistro dinner menu starting a $8.99 and including a glass of house wine or beer, can be ordered from 3-5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. This is a good value, but it is pared down and minus a few extras otherwise added to the regular dinner service.
This is not San Francisco, Chicago or New York, but Chicanes is worth a trip to Sebring.

Chicanes is open every day for all three meal times, and it definitely gets the checkered flag from Ms. Cuisine.
Ms. Cuisine is a former executive chef and has been featured in Bon Apetit magazine. She also is a former cooking school owner and worked as a corporate chef before moving to Sebring. Highlands Today picks up the tab and she reviews local restaurants anonymously so special service is not presented on her arrival.