BY KATHIE JENKINS
Restaurant Critic - Pioneer Press

The former Daniel's at the Galleria in Edina is open again — this time as Kozy's Steaks & Seafood. Owner Bill Kozlak from Jax Cafe in Northeast Minneapolis has provided a supper club in a mall, an homage to classic American food. The big, dark space is comfortable and the service so smooth that once you eat here, you'll want to come back.

At lunch, the menu offers appetizers like shrimp cocktail, raw oysters and what might possibly be the biggest, crabbiest crab cakes in the Twin Cities. Entrees include ahi tuna, walleye (excellent), chopped steak and a chicken potpie with a lot of juicy meat and a buttery, flaky crust.

For dessert, the exceptional key lime pie comes with a story that differs according to who's doing the telling. Our server, Shana, explains that it's the famous Jax recipe. But I like General Manager Steve Eto's version better. He says former Pickled Parrot chef Aaron Buchholz had been working on the recipe for more than a year, and then "Two weeks ago, he called me at 2:30 a.m. and said, 'Steve, I nailed it, I nailed it.' And I said, 'That's great, now can I go back to sleep?' "

Now, that's a classic!

Small Bites are first glances — not intended as defiinitive reviews — of new or changed restaurants. Pioneer Press restaurant critic Kathie Jenkins can be reached at 651-228-5585 or kjenkins@pioneerpress.com.