Carlos and Lanie Farias at their restaurant Maison Carlos in their new Antique Row location. (Damon Higgins / Palm Beach Post)

Ten months ago, Carlos and Lanie Farias, the owners of Maison Carlos, moved their lovely restaurant of white-linen tables, quality Continental dishes and simple, yet polished décor from party-hearty Clematis to a smaller, nondescript spot on South Dixie Highway’s antique row. And a beautiful thing happened: Nothing.

Maison Carlos is still well-frequented, still quality, still simple, still polished. It’s a gem of a spot where the food is solidly good, the service is attentive and the setting is quiet and relaxing.

There’s a light, airy ambiance inside the 11-table eatery of creamy walls and warm wood floors. It’s a neighborhood place, where one can drop in for a weeknight dish of pasta or a rustic asparagus Milanese (tender asparagus drizzled with olive oil and lemon and topped with a creamy, sunny-side-up truffled egg and curl of Parmesan, $12).

It’s also a nice date-night or special-occasion spot, where you can feast on truffled lobster "Mac and Cheese" ($28), nibble on a soufflé de fromage ($14), or share an amaretto-kissed chocolate mousse ($8).

Whatever the occasion, your meal begins the same way, with a complimentary bowl of thin, crispy, seasoned zucchini chips ($4 for an additional bowl). We followed that with an appetizer called "Three Little Pigs" ($11), wild boar sausage baked in puff pastry and served with chilled sauerkraut, a sweet cornichon and a dollop of grain mustard. These are hearty, smoky bites of sausage and crispy pastry that take on wider dimensions once paired with bites of sweet pickle and bold mustard. My only quibble: The sausage could have been juicier and more tender.

Souffle de Fromage prepared at Maison Carlos. (Damon Higgins / Palm Beach Post)

The main course chicken and mushroom risotto ($19), however, scored high marks at my table. Tender bits of organic chicken breast and earthy button mushrooms dotted this creamy risotto, clearly made to order – and made to order just right. It was neither sticky nor cloying, as some versions can be.

The house version of steak frites is also delicious (steak and fries, $28). It’s a marinated hanger steak grilled and served with an espresso bean barbecue sauce. While it didn’t rise to the excellence of other dishes we sampled, the steak was flavorful and well-seasoned. It was delivered at the right temperature – medium-rare, as ordered – but proved to be just a bit chewy. Granted, it’s a tough cut of meat to begin with, but it could have been more tender.

The frites, on the other hand, were some of the best in town. They were not only perfectly crispy, but they offered an ever-so-delicate hint of truffle. These fries are so good, they deserve their own special place on the menu.

The surprises continued when we sampled the tilapia with tarragon sauce ($25), a notably fleshy filet of fish impeccably cooked and served with a tarragon-infused cream and a thick, fluffy wedge of polenta. A couple of things impressed me about this dish: the fish itself, for one. You’ve got to be one confident soul to put tilapia on your menu in a fish-loving town. But this was no waify, bland tilapia. It was beautiful. And the polenta also impressed. So often polenta is served in over-cooked, chewy squares. This one, like the fries, deserves a place of honor.

Desserts ($8 each on the menu) did not disappoint, either. The crème brulée, flavored with Kentucky bourbon-soaked vanilla beans, is simply outstanding. Ditto for the chocolate mousse, a light-textured but deeply flavored froth.

Chef Robert Dedrick, who has commanded the kitchen at Maison Carlos since it opened in December 2002, continues to put out stellar dishes just as the Fariases and their staff continue to run a well-serviced front of the house. This is clear from the shuffle of regulars through the restaurant. Even on a Wednesday night, most of the tables were full.

Clearly the regulars have taken to heart the Italian phrase that artfully lines one of the walls of Maison Carlos. It translates to: "One cannot think well, love well, or sleep well, if one has not dined well."

Indeed. Such an appropriate phrase for a place where one dines delightfully well.

Maison Carlos

FOOD: A-

SERVICE: A-

ADDRESS: 3010 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach

TELEPHONE: (561) 659-6524

PRICE RANGE: Moderate to expensive

HOURS: Open for dinner Monday through Saturday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

CREDIT CARDS: MC, V, AmEx

RESERVATIONS: Suggested. Walk-ins welcome as well, but it’s best to call.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes, including restrooms

WHAT THE GRADES

MEAN:

A – Excellent

B – Good

C – Average

D – Poor

F – Don’t bother