M Waterfront Grille worthy successor to Maxwell's on the Bay

The name is a puzzlement. M Waterfront Grille. What's that M stand for?

Neither of the owners (Peter and Christopher Sereno) has one in his name. Perhaps it's a remnant of the restaurant's previous life as Maxwell's on the Bay, a popular Naples dining establishment for 20 years until it closed last spring for a facelift. It reopened Oct. 14 with its new name.

After a recent visit, I have some theories about that mysterious letter.

Perhaps the M is for magnificent, reflecting the rich earth tones and lush woods that now surround diners. Or maybe it's for marvelous, for the spectacular view of Naples Bay through its expanse of picture windows. Or it might be short for "Mmmmm," an expression I heard — and uttered myself — with regularity during dinner.

The renovation is masterful, giving the restaurant a smart, sophisticated ambience that pairs well with the new menu Executive Chef Brian Roland calls "cutting-edge continental cuisine."

That alliterative but somewhat vague description comes into focus with a look at the menu, which features a wealth of organic vegetables, house-made pasta and other premium ingredients combined in imaginative and appealing ways. It's clear that Mr. Roland and his staff understand that a dish is only as good as what goes into it. What was contained in those we tried was top-notch from start to finish.

M Che f Bria n Rolan d wa s th e executiv e che f a t Cru in Fort Myers earlier this year. The wine list offers a wide range of varieties and price ranges, with some extraordinary boutique wines. We managed to snag the last bottle of Turley Zinfandel 2006 Mead Ranch Atlas Peak, a velvety smooth and fruity wine with just a hint of pepper and spice.

It was a worthy partner to the food that followed.

We began with escargots, heirloom beets with goat cheese and a wedge salad. The escargots were joined on the plate by wild mushrooms, wilted spinach and Boursin cream on French bread that had been lightly brushed with garlic butter. It was a delicious montage of textures, flavors and colors, far more elegant than simply dousing the little darlings in garlic butter.

In yet another creative combination, orange-miso glazed sea bass pairs with little goat cheese dumplings, bathed in a Florida orange broth. The heirloom beets came cut into pieces and formed into an artful tower accompanied by creamy fried goat cheese, a light pistachio vinaigrette, frisee, bits of blood lemon and just a touch of créme fraiche.

Even the M Wedge was exceptionally good, consisting of iceberg and Bibb lettuce, grape tomatoes, bits of red onion, bacon and scallions in a buttermilk-blue cheese dressing.

"I know this sounds strange, but this is an exceptional wedge salad," one of my amazed dining companions said. Our entrees were equally impressive.

The Waterside herbpanko crusted walleyed pike was flaky and full of flavor, made all the more wonderful by roasted fennel and a mellow caramelized onion risotto with lemon caper sauce. What a wondrous blending of ingredients.

Another standout was the orange-miso glazed sea bass with goat cheese dumplings that were crisp on the outside and meltingly creamy within. These were served with a delicate Florida orange broth studded with bits of bacon and a side of tender-crisp broccolini.

The only dish that didn't quite live up to expectations was the braised boneless beef short rib with horseradish mashed potatoes and smoked tomato molasses. Short ribs are fatty, but braising generally melts away a lot of that. While tender, this one retained much of that fat, making it exceedingly rich. Given how popular Kobe beef is, I know there are those who feel differently and so may find this dish immensely satisfying. I'd have liked a bit more kick from the horseradish in the potatoes as well.

That was the only minor disappointment in an exceptional meal that concluded with desserts of milk chocolate lava cake accompanied by a pistachio tuile, bits of strawberry and dark and white chocolate ganache. Although the chocolate flavor resonated, it was a reasonably light dessert. A vanilla berry shortbread was moist and delicious, with Sauternes-macerated berries, mint paint and a dollop of whipped cream. Despite the generous meal we'd had, we left not a bite of dessert behind.

As you might expect, service was top flight as well. Our young server was a little difficult to hear at times, but he knew the menu well, supplied silverware and replenished wine before we realized we needed them, made sure everything was to our liking at each course and even crumbed the table. The manager stopped by each table as well.

It was a stellar experience on every level. Given that, perhaps that M stands for memorable meal. If it doesn't, it should.