Maxxels

Maxxels, a storefront tucked in a modest shopping center, is very easy to miss. Don't.

Veteran diners may remember the earlier Maxxels, a respectable spot that specialized in seafood. But the reborn and relocated restaurant, situated near the old site, has turned into a beacon for refined, confident new American cooking, with snappy side trips.

Chef Phil Iannuccilli prepares invigorating fare that suits the colorful surroundings of the popular place. The sunny-hued dining room is decorated not with the usual faux-Impressionism or harmless seascapes, but with witty, provocative oversize photos about food, dining, more.

And Iannuccilli's cooking is even livelier, akin to a first-class, travels-with-Phil itinerary: from homey little meatballs in sweet-sour tomato sauce to sharp, seared tuna with wasabi-ginger oil; from shrimp dumplings in toasted sesame-peanut sauce to oysters finished with sweet corn salsa and a riff on sauce remoulade. Iannuccilli is a busy guy.

The perpetual-motion dining-room staff keeps pace. This easygoing, well-run domain handles crowds warmly and efficiently. Waiters are patient and friendly, especially when under siege, facing the demand of the moment. That happens a lot.

You'll be satisfied immediately with a duet of plump griddled crab cakes, or a crisp, sweet soft-shell crab. A soup of escarole and white beans, floating a few tiny meatballs, is very good; a creamy asparagus soup, finished with toasted pistachios and brioche croutons the size of ice cubes, even better.

There are some less-successful dishes: so-so shrimp dumplings, too-sweet "dragon fried" calamari, over-orchestrated spinach salad, enriched but still tired rigatoni with sausage and broccoli rabe, a pretty mild filet mignon au poivre.

Still, everything gets going again with the refreshing, marinated and charred Indonesian steak and sweet-sour rocket salad; and the pork chop Latino-style, with chipotle-whipped potatoes, sofrito, and roasted tomatillo sauce. And the house's generous sirloin cheeseburger and fries has more than elemental appeal.

Delicate, pan-roasted halibut with asparagus and a crown of frizzled leeks and the aromatic cod-and-shellfish variation on pot-au-feu, sporting fennel, sausage and tomatoes in saffron-shaded broth, are handily recommended.

The fine desserts definitely have presence. Try the elegant dark chocolate marquise, caramel upside-down cheesecake, honey-roasted pear crisp, chocolate-hazelnut tiramisu, or coconut crème brulee.

Maxxels nears three stars, for the ambition and the professionalism, the food and the fun. It would stand out anywhere.

-Reviewed by Peter M. Gianotti, 4/29/07

Maxxels is at 526 Jericho turnpike in Mineola.