JIMMY'S II, THE REJUVENATION OF A HOLLYWOOD LEGEND.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

It was great a few years ago, being able to eat chef Neal Fraser's food at Boxer, a narrow little storefront restaurant on Beverly Boulevard.

And it didn't cost an arm and a leg.

Now, get ready to lose those limbs, monetarily speaking, when you partake of Fraser's and co-chef Chris Goossen's fare at the ultra-elegant, revived Jimmy's II in Beverly Hills.

This is upscale dining with a capital ``U.'' If ever there was a strictly special-occasion restaurant, this is it.

The original Jimmy's, at the same address for more than 20 years, opened in 1978 when Mr. Congeniality himself, Jimmy Murphy, ex-maitre d' of the Bistro, launched his own place.

And fashionable it was, luring the captains of finance and industry, along with well-known politicos and powerful show-biz luminaries.

Now it's back on the scene with a trio of second-generation Murphys in the forefront (all three worked for their dad's buddy, Wolfgang Puck).

You can't help feeling like you're entering one of L.A.'s elite gastronomic emporiums as you step into the foyer at Jimmy's II.

The always-attractive, tiered bar in the lounge-dining room area remains basically the same as it was at the original Jimmy's, although the overall environment seems richer, lighter and brighter than before.

An alluring inside patio room in the back appears more comfortable for the less-formally attired, perhaps younger diners than the primarily gray-haired suits and sequined customers who inhabit the main room.

And the food is much better than it used to be. But figure about $50 a person minimum for a full dinner experience, which can rise dramatically with wine purchases.

An appropriate starter for this time of year, a tasty pumpkin soup ($11) with the nice addition of sweet shrimp, is slightly overshadowed by this talented kitchen's version of a lovely, lilting and zingy Thai lobster soup ($12).

There's also an impossibly bright-green chilled cucumber soup ($9) with ``macro'' greens and an oversize garnish of sliced tomato. This dish could use more soup, more flavor and less tomato.

But the good stuff easily outweighs the questionable here, especially in beginnings. Be prepared, though, to wait a while for your orders to be delivered.

They can be worth the wait , which provides a chance to nibble crunchy cracker bread and sip an aperitif.

Tops of the appetizers tried so far are an expressive cheese tart ($9) lusciously presented with candied walnuts, endive and distinctive Banyuls (a French dessert wine) flavoring, and a superb serving of grilled quail ($14), the perfect companion to a good red wine.

The quail arrives with smoky bacon, a red wine-soaked rice cake, crunchy pea shoots and tart mustard greens.

The Fraser-Goossen team makes about as good a Caesar salad ($8) as you'll find anywhere. Their sauteed skate ($11) makes a novel beginning, surrounded by slices of squash and fried caper berries. The only problem with this dish can be a salty seasoning residue on the top of the fish.

Fraser is still on his hemp kick (back at Rix, he once put on an all-hemp dinner). This infatuation with hemp flavoring, though, doesn't do anything particularly noteworthy for his few ``hemped'' slices of sashimi-like albacore ($13) leaning on a small clump of greens.

But with fish entrees of Pacific salmon on a white bean puree ($22), John Dory in a golden beet broth with caramelized shallot risotto ($24) and a hearty portion of bacon-wrapped monkfish ($23) sporting a ``tail,'' oceanfare may well be the kitchen's forte. The halibut ($25) with figs, ginger and garlic could come forth a little drier, however.

For meat fanciers, wild boar tenderloin ($27) soothes the savage palate with juicy rosemary-rubbed meat, wild rice flecked with toasted pecans, a cider sauce accented with sage and a sculpted timbale of grilled squash.

Equally engaging for the meat aficionado is the venison loin ($26), which has juniper, apples, chestnuts, armagnac, porcinis and wilted greens to thank for providing such gratifying accompaniments.

As for finishes ($9 each), pastry chef Darcy Tizio seduces chocolate-hungry types with both her intense hot and melty fudge cake and a layered wafer and chocolate custard dessert, which comes naughtily paired with a rich chantilly cream and milk chocolate sauce.

The old Jimmy's possessed a certain flair, but its chefs rarely strayed from the traditional.

Jimmy's II, thank goodness, is that rarity in Hollywood sequels, an improvement over the original.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: Jimmy's II.

Where: 201 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills.

When: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays, for dinner from 5:30 to 11 p.m. nightly except Sunday.

Behind the scenes: Founder Jimmy Murphy is here, but his children run the restaurant. Co-chefs are Neal Fraser and Chris Goossen and pastry chef Darcy Tizio.

Recommended items: Pumpkin soup with shrimp, Thai lobster soup, quail with red wine risotto cake, Caesar salad, cheese tart with Banyuls, John Dory with asparagus, bacon-wrapped monkfish, Pacific salmon on white bean puree, loin of white tail venison, rosemary-rubbed tenderloin of wild boar, hot chocolate fudge cake, chocolate nib stack.

How much: Starters from $8 to $20 (seafood platters from $45 to $125), entrees from $18 to $30, desserts $9 each (assorted plate $12). Full bar. All major credit cards.

Wine list: Impressive 300-label offering looks like a determined effort not to find any good, lower-priced wines. Only two bottlings list at under $30, an Echelon '97 merlot ($29 or $7.25 per glass) and a Burgess '96 zinfandel ($27, or $6.75 per glass). Corkage: $18 per bottle (waived for each bottle purchased).

Reservations: Advised. Call [phone].

Our rating: Three and one half stars for food; Three stars for service; One and one half stars for wine.

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Photo

Photo: Seared New Zealand langoustines are among the Jimmy's II specialties.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer