Reviving LoTo is a canny move. The airy, light-filled space always had pizazz, and it still does, thanks to a once-over by interior designer Billy Beson, who amusingly incorporates a few memorable fixtures plucked from the remnant pile of Fhima's failed Louis XIII. Fhima's menu feels designed to grab the attention of a wide swath of diners who either live in the neighborhood or are looking for a reason to drop into Lowertown.

Residents will appreciate the convenient grab-and-go cheeses, meats, olives and house-baked breads and desserts, as well as the small wine shop. The main menu's format isn't breaking any new ground, but it covers a lot of aim-to-please bases: sandwiches, salads, a few house-made whole-wheat pastas, a half-dozen pizzas, a handful of familiar beef-chicken-fish entrees, plus starters small (olives with baguette) and large (prawns baked in puff pastry). Desserts include a selection of house-made ice creams and sorbets.

The reasonable prices are a draw. With the exception of a filet mignon (from Thousand Hills Cattle Company's grass-fed beef) that clocks in at $29, and a simple pan-seared sea bass ($22), it's tough to find anything over $15, and half the menu items are under $10. Fhima is touting naturally and organically raised ingredients, although it's hard to know how pervasive that commitment is, and the medium-priced wine list places an emphasis on sustainable vineyard practices. Full bar, too.

After being on the receiving end of roughly eight "And how is everything?" queries in a half-hour period, even this attention glutton was ready to call it a night. But the Restaurant Critic Whose Identity Was Known to the Staff wasn't the only one getting the full-court press. Everyone seemed to be getting the same eager-to-please treatment. Nice job, Mr. Fhima.

Three years later, his reprisal has taken the form of FACES mears park in Lowertown St. Paul. Focusing on the same American comfort cuisine as another fallen Fhima restaurant, LoTo, this new venture (at LoTo's former location) is taking aim at becoming a dining destination for all Twin Cites foodies.

The draw? FACES, which opened June 28, claims it isn't "just" a restaurant. In addition to a sit-down bistro, there is a bakery, bar and bottle shop on site, offering take-out options for busy diners. Then there's the use of local, natural ingredients. The bakery, for example, does without refined sweeteners, colorings or additives.

The Lowertown spot has been completely transformed into a stunning modern space, which includes a bistro, bar, bottle shop and bakery. Fhima says it’s like an emporium of food and people. "I firmly believe that if you’re going to come to my restaurant to have a sandwich, I’m not going to go somewhere and buy the bread for it. So we make the bread," he says. "We are doing what we do well and offering it in different formats."

The restaurant concept is familiar American cuisine utilizing sustainable and organic ingredients. Many of those all-natural ingredients are coming from local farms, including grass-fed beef from Wisconsin. Fhima is very much a part of the sustainable-food movement, but believes there is a lot of confusion over what that means. “I don’t believe in health food. I believe in good food,” he says. "I don’t think butter is bad. I don’t think cream is bad. I firmly believe the only bad foods are foods that Mother Nature didn’t create, which are preservatives and additives." Fhima says it’s his job to provide customers with food they can recognize and ingredients they can trust.

His diverse menu includes everything from Monte Cristo and Croque Monsieur sandwiches to organic roast chicken and Asian tuna. The wine shop sells imported fine wines and a notable selection of organic options. The bakery/deli features more than a dozen types of breads and muffins and around 20 different cakes, with some glutenfree options. "We are not going to use fake or processed sugar. It’s either honey or raw sugar. We are going to use real butter," he says. "At the end of the day, it’s going to really satisfy you."

Fhima, who started out as a pastry chef, has developed and tweaked every recipe on the menu. For him, FACES signifies a return to the kitchen and a return to his real passion: cooking. In order to focus on the culinary side of things, Fhima partnered with renowned interior designer Billy Beson to create the aesthetic and Robert Nelson to handle the business. Fhima admits that in the past, he took on too many roles and that got him into trouble. “I got mad at critics who said, ‘David is doing too many things.’ I thought, how dare you?” Fhima says. "You know what? They were right: I am a better chef than a business person."

Even though he has divided responsibilities, don’t expect Fhima to spend all of his time tied up in the kitchen working on the next dinner special. "Are you kidding? The rush is over and I’m out in the dining room mingling with people," Fhima says with an infectious smile. "I’m dealing with two things I can do really well, in my opinion. That is cooking and taking care of people. I am excited to do that and only that — for the first time in my life."

Fhima, who ran LoTo in this space overlooking Mears Park, returns with American comfort food along with a bar, deli, bakery and wine shop — and his hand is in every touch. The room is as good-looking as the servers. And the comfort food comes with a modern twist.

When you sit down, you're immediately presented with a plate of addictive cheese puffs the French call gougeres. For starters, the short ribs braised in red wine, port and Guinness are so good, you'll be tempted to order seconds. The teriyaki-glazed sea bass is perfectly cooked and paired with fluffy mashed potatoes. Or try the organic roast chicken or the seafood linguine. For something simpler and cheaper, there are sandwiches and pizza.

Right now, service is slow, and some dishes need tweaking (the grainy, ugly coconut banana rum tiramisu should be at the top of the list). And while the gougeres are a nice gesture, it would have been nicer if they had been hot. But prices are moderate, the room buzzes and the place radiates that Fhima flair. Another score for Lowertown.