Mim's

It was at the newly revamped Mim's in Syosset that I entered that rarified "zone" via executive chef-owner Richard Cutler's sushi rice-crusted salmon. The fish -- rare, as ordered -- was nestled beneath a warm, pliant rice pillow, drizzled with an orange ginger glaze light in texture, spicy and studded with peanuts. Amazing.

Mim's, always a likeable, if noisy, neighborhood bistro, has, of late, risen to a new level. Redesigned to muffle sound, it's now quieter, its once-frenetic waitstaff a lot more calm and efficient. And then, there's the food, which, in the main, has gone from very good to simply grand.

For there is a kind of grandeur in simplicity. Take, for instance, the cracker-crisp-crusted Margherita pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, basil and plum tomatoes. Not at all fancy but right on target. A bamboo basket of steamed shrimp shumai featured the lightest of dumplings stuffed with a lively mixture of shellfish and Asian vegetables. Only the fresh mozzarella tower -- made with grilled vegetables and tomatoes in a balsamic dressing -- got knocked off its pedestal by icy-cold sub-par tomatoes.

In marked contrast was the mellifluous harvest salad, mesclun greens topped with merlot-poached pears, maple roasted walnuts, Gorgonzola and dried cranberries. You get a choice of a small Caesar or house salad, gratis, with most entrees. Opt for the crisp, lush Caesar.

For those who prefer lighter dining, there's a menu of grilled low-carb items. My husband reveled in his South Beach-friendly choice, a juicy blackened double pork chop, enjoyed with baby bok choy and roasted cauliflower. I felt equally indulged by my rare, spicy sliced Sichuan barbecued hanger steak served with sumptuous lobster chive whipped potatoes. A special of pistachio-crusted tilapia was a delicate standout. What surprised me was that the fussy-sounding grilled salmon napoleon (layered with grilled Portobello mushrooms, goat cheese, almonds and baby spinach with a raspberry balsamic thyme glaze) actually worked.

At lunch, my lobster roll was mostly roll, not enough lobster. But a blackened hanger steak salad with oven-roasted tomatoes and filigree-battered onion rings over baby spinach dressed in a stone mustard vinaigrette represented true wish fulfillment. If you like your brisket tinged with sweetness, you'll go for the open-faced brisket sandwich. Just skip the limp sweet potato fries.

A perfectly respectable seven-layer chocolate cake was eclipsed by the knockout warm white chocolate brioche bread pudding. Luxuriant and soothing, it just may be everything you crave.  --Joan Reminick (2/18/05)