Zagat Survey Discussions

New Restaurants

New Nightspots

Coming Soon

Comme Ça

Sona chef David Myers is planning this brasserie in the West Hollywood space that was going to house his Japanese small-plate concept, Sokyo (8479 Melrose Ave.). The menu will feature onion tart tatin, steak frites, cassoulet and crispy beef marrow with oxtail jam. A spring debut is expected. (By the way, the Sokyo concept isn't dead; Myers just intends to open it in a less sushi-saturated part of town.)

The Foundry on Melrose

After the closing of Meson G on Melrose, chef Eric Greenspan has migrated about a mile west to open this impressively named New American, scheduled to debut by early March in the space that was formerly home to Cafe Luna (7463 Melrose Ave.).

Fraiche

Now that both La Terza and the nearby BottleRock are off the ground, ubiquitous chef Jason Trevi is readying this new rustic Mediterranean in the heart of bustling Culver City (Culver Blvd. and Main St.) with partner d'Thierry Perez (formerly of Providence); expect an opening by spring.

Huntley

After working on a Pan-Asian concept with chef Rodelio Aglibot (formerly of Yi Cuisine) for several months, the powers-that-be at Santa Monica's Huntley Hotel (1111 Second St.) have opted to shift from the Pacific to the Mediterranean. This latest version will feature cooking by chef E. Michael Reidt (of Sevilla in Santa Barbara) and mojo from high-profile Las Vegas restaurant consultant Elizabeth Blau (who last placed Kerry Simon at the Sofitel).

Larkin's

Due to open in early 2007, this Southerner will serve down-home fried chicken, smothered pork chops and hulking pieces of pie in a sweet cottage a few blocks east of Eagle Rock's burgeoning Restaurant Row (1496 Colorado Blvd.).

Romanov: It's been a long time since there's been a high-end Russian restaurant in LA (remember the Moskva Cliffs and Mischa's?), but restaurateur Mikayel Israyelyan (Republic, Prana Cafe) intends to change that with this newcomer modeled after the Tsar's Winter Palace. Helmed by chef Gabriel Morales (formerly of Boa), the kitchen will turn out classic Russian dishes like quail Kiev and oxtail braised with juniper berries when it debuts in February in Studio City (12229 Ventura Blvd.).

Terroni

An outpost of this casual Toronto-based Italian famous for its pizzas is scheduled to open in March in the former Fairfax digs of the wildly popular Authentic Cafe (7605 Beverly Blvd.).

Good Deals and Other News

The Blvd

In an effort to pretend that it's cold outside (in Beverly Hills, people put on their Uggs when the temp drops below 80), this casual cafe in the Beverly Wilshire is offering a wintertime Hot Chocolate Bar with a menu divided into "Warm & Fuzzy" (cocktails with names like the Melted Snowflake and the Gingerbread Man) and "Sweet, Spicy and Not So Fuzzy" (nonalcoholic drinks like the Cocoa Monkey and the Baby Godiva); there's also a selection of flavored homemade marshmallows.

CUBE

From now until the end of April, this artisanal cafe is serving a three-course "Fun-Do" menu all day every Tuesday at about $30 per person (depending on market prices), consisting of a constantly changing cheese fondue (recently Great Hill Clue with fresh thyme), a salad of whatever's best at the Farmers Market and red and white pears, roasted asparagus spears and herbed cauliflower florets for dipping; a dessert made with seasonal fruits finishes it off.

Cynthia's

A new owner has taken over Cynthia Hirsh's Third Street joint, renaming it restaurant3. Look for more information on the new restaurant in next month's ZagatWire.

Il Grano

On "Bollito Misto Wednesdays," chef Sal Marino offers a four-course prix fixe meal ($49 per person) from 5:30–10:30 PM. It includes tagliata contadino (a wood board with sundry salumi), housemade tortellini in broth, boiled meats (beef, pork, lamb) and vegetables served from a rolling cart with dipping sauces and a dessert of roasted chestnuts and pastries. There's also a 20 percent discount on magnums of wine.

The Little Door

This celeb-heavy Mediterranean has opened The Little Next Door (8142 W. Third St., LA; 323-951-1010), a heavily mirrored Fauchon -like shop with takeout both packaged and freshly prepared – try chef T. Nicolas Peter's salads made with ingredients gathered at the nearby Farmers Market, along with his pâtés, rillettes, confits and "three-bite sandwiches"; the wine list is extensive, the cheese selection impressive and – most importantly – you don't need to be a client of CAA to get in.

Matsuhisa

Nobu Matsuhisa has shelved his much-publicized plan to close his flagship restaurant. It will continue to do business as usual on La Cienega just down the road from its new sibling, Nobu Los Angeles, which is opening early this year in the former L'Orangerie space.

McCormick & Schmick's

The latest branch of this well-respected seafood chain has opened in the midst of the Burbank Media District's Restaurant Row, just down the street from Arnie Morton's and French 75, in The Pinnacle (3500 W. Olive Ave.; 818-260-0505).

Noé

Through the end of January, this Downtown New American is serving tapas three ways – renditions of its Spanish omelet include potato and onion marmalade, chorizo and tomato ceviche, and foie gras and truffles.

The Palm

Sure, it's famous for its steak and lobster, but now this classic American wants to be known as a destination for seafood too, with new menu additions such as pan-seared peppercorn-crusted ahi, blackened Atlantic salmon with mango salsa, wild halibut with citrus butter and broiled jumbo lump crab cakes.

Sona

To celebrate the arrival of winter, chef David Myers has created 13 new cocktails ($14–$16 each), including an Indonesian Vodka Sour (Absolut Vanilla, Indonesian peppercorns, vanilla bean, lemon and lime) and a Bees Knees Martini (Plymouth Gin, honey, lemon and orange); as a twist, each contains a chunk of ice carved into a shape appropriate to the drink.

Tart

Through the end of winter, this casual American in the Farmer's Daughter Hotel is offering a daily all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast for $4.95 per person, served with cinnamon-flavored maple syrup and whipped butter.

Wine Bistro

A year after the closing of the Four Oaks Cafe in Beverly Glen, veteran chef Peter Roelant has resurfaced as the new toque at Jean-Bernard Torchon's Studio City bistro; his new dishes include smoked sturgeon with red beet crème fraîche, and shrimp and crab fritters with pineapple-ginger chutney.

• L'Orangerie
• Malverde
• Market City Caffe (Arcadia branch only)
• Yi Cuisine