Scandinavian nights in Venice

The L.A. restaurant scene is awash in Italian trattorie and ristoranti, French bistros and brasseries. We now can boast a couple of Spanish places -- Bar Pintxo and the Bazaar by Jose Andres -- and some contemporary Moroccan restaurants (Chameau and Tagine). But Scandinavian? Not one serious contender since Gustaf Anders in Orange County closed some years ago.

But Conny Andersson, former executive chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills (and also in Egypt and the Caribbean), has just opened AK Restaurant + Bar, next-door to Wabi Sabi on Abbot Kinney, bringing a Scandinavian accent to the Westside.

The place is strictly contemporary, with a walled patio hidden behind bamboo in front that features a gas-fired fireplace for those chilly Venice nights -- brrrr -- plus a couple of tall communal tables in the bar, and a cozy upstairs dining room with chairs so comfortable no one is going to get antsy any time soon. Some work is needed to mitigate the noise level, though.

Andersson’s menu includes a handful of Scandinavian dishes. He cures his own subtly delicious gravlax in aquavit and puts together a lovely sampler plate of herring prepared three ways. And as a main course, he’s got a plate of Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and gravy served with tart lingonberry preserves that work just like the cranberry sauce does with the turkey.

The rest of the menu delves into the Mediterranean and California too, with house-made charcuterie, steamed blue mussels with duck sausage and piquillo peppers, or a lovely gem lettuce salad with avocado and satsuma orange vinaigrette.

Seafood pot-au-feu beats out most bouillabaisses around town, and wild striped bass comes with a luscious green tomato jam. And the bar menu offers plenty of interesting tidbits.

Vegetable fanciers can have a feast with the sides, nine of them altogether. Brussels sprouts with shallots and apple-wood-smoked bacon gets my vote. Ditto for the skinny green beans with toasted pine nuts and black olive salt. Sweet potato gnocchi with chestnuts and sage brown butter? Nix.

Remember, this is a chef who could turn out a meal for 200 with one hand tied behind his back, so whipping out modern bistro food must seem like a vacation for this seasoned pro. I get the idea, though, that this is exactly what he likes to eat himself. And that makes all the difference.

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virbila@latimes.com

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AK Restaurant + Bar

Where: 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd. (between Venice and Palms boulevards), Venice.

When: Open 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Beer and wine. Valet parking.

Price: Appetizers, $11 to $16; main courses, $22 to $36; sides, $9; desserts, $9.

Contact: (310) 392-6644; www.akinvenice.com