Restaurant review: Andre Guerrero’s Maximiliano is simply good

Andre Guerrero is one hardworking chef with half a dozen restaurants to his credit, most successes. Though he came up in fine dining, the times are changing, and he’s gradually moved to the casual, inexpensive side of the spectrum.

When his most ambitious project, Max Restaurant, foundered, he turned it into Marché LA, serving small plates. Smart move, even if he was a bit too early an adopter: The idea didn’t go over big in Sherman Oaks. But Señor Fred, his Mexican restaurant there, is still turning out big plates of enchiladas and potent margaritas. And Oinkster, his porky “slow fast food” concept, has become a beloved fixture in Eagle Rock.

Now the forward-thinking Guerrero has opened Maximiliano in Highland Park. He certainly knows the ‘hood. He grew up in nearby Glassell Park (where he’s about to open Butter Tart Bakery) and his tribute to “kinda old school” Italian-American cooking seems perfectly pitched for the area. Set in a loft-like space on the corner of York Boulevard and Aldama Street, the newcomer brings some big-city zing to Highland Park without being over-the-top trendy, or, as the Italians would say, “trendissimo.”

Maximiliano has a warm, friendly vibe and cheerful decor, not to mention an accessible menu (with prices to match) and a good little wine and beer list. The L-shaped communal table and long stainless-steel bar welcome anybody who wants to drop in without a reservation — and they’re usually full up. The restaurant keeps hipster hours, open till 11 most nights, till midnight on Friday and Saturday, when many of the cozy little Mexican restaurants in the neighborhood have shut for the night.

The restaurant is just what it’s supposed to be: a good place to eat. Guerrero doesn’t seem to run on ego. He’s more interested in making food that people enjoy than in showing off. And though his Italian food is updated with svelte contemporary touches (his pork chop, for example, is cooked sous-vide, the spumoni made with a PacoJet), Maximiliano isn’t really the kind of place you’d drive across town to visit. I have friends in Highland Park who’ve been regulars since Maximiliano opened in October, thrilled to find pizza cooked in a wood-burning oven, spaghetti with meatballs or pan-roasted chicken with Marsala on the menu. All homey dishes from their suburban childhood but better than remembered, updated with deft touches and certainly made with better ingredients.

I’ve spotted Guerrero in the kitchen on a couple of occasions, training the staff, watching each dish as it heads out to the crowded dining room. He’s been smart about the menu, making it straightforward enough that cooks with skill and patience can execute the dishes well, even on a busy night. And the food does seem pretty consistent, which is no small thing and all, basically, that most customers in a neighborhood place like this want.

He’s been just as smart with the design from L.A.’s FreelandBuck (the York, Cafe de Leche) — bare rafters overhead, one long wall with red panels incised with looping spaghetti strands and a couple of high windows that frame trees outside. Green cutouts like fins form an eye-catching soffit above the kitchen, and peeking out from behind the bar is a double-decker pizza oven tiled in red.

And that’s where you should start, with pizza, preferably one to share, maybe a classic Margherita made with fresh mozzarella or the hearty fennel sausage and mushroom variety. The crust is medium-thin, billowy at the edges, and crisp, not the most flavorful in town but good. So far, I’ve liked the pie topped with eggplant, roasted peppers, burrata and a smear of dark olive tapenade best. And another, made with fingerling potatoes, roasted garlic, three cheeses (mozzarella, ricotta and Parmigiano) with fresh spinach, shines. The balance of toppings to crusts seems just right — not exactly sparse but not overladen with gooey cheese either.

Accompany that pizza with a peppery wild baby arugula salad drenched in lemon and topped with shavings of pecorino. Calamari salad is really just sautéed squid in a warm marinara sauce turned out onto a green salad, an odd enough idea, but just plain dull. You’re better off ordering the four meatballs in tomato sauce or the brandade, a mix of salt cod and mashed potatoes. Risotto served up in a small portion (but priced appropriately, just $7 or $8) is respectable, either with saffron and tender braised veal or with leeks, porcini and fontina.

Pasta leans toward the hearty and familiar. There’s a fine tagliatelle Bolognese and spaghetti aglio olio (with garlic and oil), but I vote for the cavatelli with squid, pancetta, tomato and the crunch of bread crumbs. Waiters have their opinions on what’s good but aren’t pushy about it. They’re terrific, really, and the place seems well-run.

Reserve a table, and, unlike a number of restaurants I could name, it’s generally ready when you arrive. The bare tabletops and hard surfaces mean the noise level can be high yet not so punishing that you can’t visit with friends.

A handful of main courses (all less than $20) round out the menu. There’s a fine pork chop cooked sous-vide, very moist, and served with Tuscan kale, sweet potatoes and a red wine jus sweetened with figs. Pan-roasted chicken in Marsala is bite-by-bite delicious, with sauteed garlic spinach and fingerling potatoes. And salmon piccata makes even this overused fish something special.

You can order extra sides too, like the wonderful roasted heirloom Italian squashes with honey, five-spice and Sicilian sea salt, or a classic baked eggplant with mozzarella, ricotta and tomato. Baked fennel with bacon and Gruyère, though, is the kind of thing you’d expect at a ski resort in the Alps — too heavy for winter in L.A.

Maximiliano has a sweet little wine list, mostly Italian, with a nice choice of wines by the glass or quartino. And if you like to try different wines, the quartino is the way to go. You could start with a Giacosa Arneis from Piedmont for $10 or Ca’ Donini’s Pinot Grigio from the Veneto, then move on to red, such as Planeta’s La Segreto from Sicily at $11 or Villa Cafaggio’s Chianti Classico Riserva for $12. The bar also has several beers from Pasadena’s Craftsman Brewing Co. on tap for $6.

And for dessert? Pastry chef Jan Purdy makes her own spumoni in a cardboard cylinder and cuts it in half to serve, redefining the tricolor ice cream for the PacoJet Age. She makes olive oil ice cream too, fruit or citrus sorbets ($3 a scoop!) and a dense ricotta cheesecake.

Small wonder why the hipster couple at the end of the bar have been here all night, flirting and trying wines. Or why the silver-haired foursome has lingered over cheesecake and coffee. Guerrero has hit the sweet spot with Maximiliano’s familiar Italian-American menu, appealing setting and accessible prices. Soon to become a fixture on York Boulevard.

irene.virbila@latimes.com

Rating: one-and-a-half stars

Rating is based on food, service and ambience, with price taken into account in relation to quality.

****: Outstanding on every level.

***: Excellent.

**: Very good.

*: Good.

No star: Poor to satisfactory.

Location: 5930 York Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 739-6125, https://www.maximilianohp.com.

Price: Starters, $4 to $9; vegetables, $6 to $7; pizza, $11 to $16; pasta, $11 to $15; plates, $16 to $18. Corkage fee, $15 per bottle.

Details: Open 5 to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday.