Cocomo's is part of the Landers family of restaurants. The Landers family has owned and operated different restaurants for 20 years on Marco, and Cocomo's is the eighth in the series. Landers used to be an owner of Bimini's and Big Al's Deli, among others.

Like Bimini's, Cocomo's is decorated on a theme. If Bimini's is the Caribbean, Cocomo's is a tropical jungle a la Fiji in the South Pacific. There's plenty of thatched roofs and verandas to sooth the eye and put you in that islander mood. The greatest thing about Cocomo's is the food diversity and quality with the atmosphere of a tame night club.

Cocomo's is not just a well-decorated place to party. The food choices are astounding. Cocomo's offers some very different dishes, some you may never have experienced. Executive Chef Scott Arends' incredibly diverse globally-influenced cuisine captures the main idea of Cocomo's: an easygoing tropical island full of sensory delights.

The appetizers portion is full of pleasant surprises. When was the last time you feasted on falafel and hummus or sank your teeth into a freshly baked naan? Never you say? Then it's time to take a taste trip around the world to the Middle East, where falafel, or ground chickpeas, onions, garlic and spices, are molded into rounded nuggets and fried. No falafel plate would be complete without a good bit of hummus, or chickpea puree flavored with sesame paste, garlic, lemon and cumin. Round that out with a piece of naan, or yeast dough cooked under an open flame. No greasy, status quo potato skins appetizers here.

Next to chicken lettuce wraps and fried calamari, the tuna tartar with diced sashimi tuna tossed with soy rice wine vinaigrette is a taste adventure all its own.

Ready for some more globe trotting appetizers? Then take a trip to Mexico and China simultaneously with the Carnitas Egg Rolls, or ground pork loin with garlic, cumin, oregano and cilantro rolled in eggroll skins, fried, and served with salsa verde.

The Vietnamese Salad Rolls resemble spring rolls but stand apart with a nice mix of lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, scallion and mint rolled in a rice paper wrap with shrimp, pork and rice vermicelli and a side of soy bean peanut dipping sauce. That's just the appetizer menu. On to the entrees.

If you're into grouper, Cocomo's offers it grilled, fried, Jamaican, blackened, broiled or pan-seared with key lime buerre blanc. Or you could get it fancied up as Grouper Francaise, which is dipped in seasoned flour and eggwash and sauteed with white wine, lemon, capers and butter.

Meat lovers will get their fix, whether it's the sirloin marinated in lime, garlic and herbs and served with a red wine demi-glace, or the teriyaki pork chops marinated in ginger, soy, garlic and brown sugar, which is grilled and finished with a teriyaki glaze and roasted peanuts. The pork chops are complemented by a pineapple jalapeno chutney.

Cocomo's takes things into a decidedly Central Asian direction with the Mongolian Beef, or thin slices of sirloin wok-seared with whole dried red chilies, green onions and honey, glistening in a delicious sauce of ginger, soy and honey. Faced with a choice of sides, the sweet potato fries are an excellent complement to the sweet and spicy sauce.

Menu staples like chicken are given the royal treatment with the baked chicken stuffed with prosciutto, mozzarella, Italian herbs and roasted red pepper. The Cheese Torteloni al Pesto raises pasta to a higher plane with Asiago cheese-stuffed pasta tossed with cream and pesto.

There's a "Shortboarders" menu for 12 and under with chicken tenders, a burger, a grilled chicken breast or fettucine alfredo. Cocomo's also has a game room ready for kids of all ages, providing video games and pinball. Kids ages 2 to 12 can also revel in Cocomo's Royal Birthday Club party where the birthday boy or girl can sit on a throne, enjoy free tokens for the game room, choose their own lunch menu and feast on a cake.

Cocomo's Grill is located at 945 N. Collier Blvd. They are open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and from 5 p.m. to midnight for dinner. Cocomo's has a full bar and live music nightly. Dress is casual.

Fitting a world of great things into small, flavorful packages is what Cocomo's does best. Come down and find a spot in the balmy shade under a banana leaf and let Cocomo's take care of the rest.

Steve Pritchett, a native of Florida, has dined all over the state including Central, West Central, North Central, and now Southwest Florida. Post your comments and questions to Steve below.