Bastide: After closing for repurposing and rethinking, what many once regarded as LA's finest French restaurant (under chef Alain Giraud) is due to reopen on April 15th with Walter Manzke (ex Patina) helming the kitchen; word is it will head in a more casual direction.
Bin 8945: Norman's is gone, but its chef, Michael Bryant, has moved on to this wine-intensive Eclectic where he's cooking a more Gallic menu featuring the likes of venison consommé with lobster, and duck "ham" with hazelnut-flavored spaetzle.
The Grill on the Alley: Sunday night is Prime Rib Night at this Beverly Hills watering hole for local power brokers, who can indulge in 28 ounces of meat, with a baked potato, a side of creamed spinach and Yorkshire pudding for $39.75 per person.
Opus: Tuesday night is "Bäco Night" under new chef Josef Centeno, who offers a constantly changing selection of bäcos (flatbread tacos) for $8 each, with toppings like pork belly and short rib carnitas, tofu with garlic-chive dressing, skate wing with sweetbread nuggets and whatever else Centeno can think up.
Table 8: Govind Armstrong's cutting-edge Californian has reopened after several months of redesign by Thomas Schoos, who expanded the already sizable lounge area – complete with mohair walls and a jet-black lacquer bar with an antique mirror finish – while the dining room is now dominated by a white marble communal table. Armstrong's food remains as eclectic as ever, pushed in new directions since he opened a sibling in South Beach, Miami – how else to explain his watermelon-jalapeño mojito?
Williams-Sonoma: The Arcadia branch is offering a slew of cooking classes this month: "Easy Asian Fare" with chef Gilbert Boyd on March 12th; "Come for Sunday Dinner" with chef Diana Garratt on March 14th; "Food Made Fast: Pasta" with Boyd on March 19th; "A Tour of Provence" with Garratt on March 21st; "Dinner Parties" with Boyd on March 26th; and "The Flavors of Asia" with Boyd on March 28th (6–8:30 PM; $45 per person per class; Westfield Shoppingtown Mall, 400 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia; 626-294-9401).