Fine California Fare at Angel City Grill

John Kopatsis, the man who opened Primavera, has a lot of experience in the restaurant business, having been both manager and maitre d’ at Morton’s. His counterpart at the Angel City Grill, 7505 Melrose Ave., (213) 655-0955, is equally experienced; Andy Tsuji has worked at Michael’s, Morton’s, Mangia and Ma Maison. But the two restaurants share more than this and a West Hollywood address. Both are attractively decorated, have modern menus--and most of all, each is resolutely reasonable.

Angel City, on the site of the former Starlite Cafe, is done up in a silvery Art Deco style. The walls are covered with mirrors and movie photos from the ‘30s and ‘40s. Out in front there’s a patio overlooking Melrose. The service is friendly and fairly fast.

The menu is fine, straightforward California fare. There are salads (the Caesar is big and good), burgers (ditto) and pizzas. There are eclectic pasta dishes. The grill gets a workout with fish and chicken, and the about-to-be-ubiquitous meatloaf makes an appearance. The food I tried was all good--and the price was certainly right. There are only two dishes as high as $12 on the menu, one of them steak. And the place has valet parking. There have been nights on Melrose when I would have been willing to pay that much for a parking space, let alone a steak.