Restaurants : ENCHANTMENT SERVED AT LE BRASSERIE

“I leaned across the asparagus and asked her for a date.” That’s how John F. Kennedy described his first meeting with one Jacqueline Bouvier. A man of considerable charm, he did not lean across the sauerkraut, the patty melt or anything Kentucky-fried. We leaned across our own plate of asparagus the other night at Le Brasserie and had an equally enchanting--if less historic--meal.

If this were a movie, we’d go in for the close-up right now and focus on the lawn-green asparagus and the two deep red pools of raspberry vinaigrette. Then we’d pull back so you’d see two people, nestled very close together on one side of a big upholstered booth, sharing the asparagus in a very pretty room. You’d see the fluted torcheres, the flickering candles, the gilt-framed Miro lithographs, the glittering nocturnal view.

If you watched for a while, you’d notice that the meal had a real rhythm, that the waiters were so good at their job that there was never a glitch in the mise en scene. You’d see the couple lingering over a creamy sensuous Caesar salad and observe they weren’t much interested in a plain tomato soup.

If you peeked at the menu you’d see they might have ordered an omelet, a sandwich or a number of entrees under 375 calories. You might be intrigued to observe the waiter serving sorbets between courses in this restaurant where $14 is the top price entree.

You’d have a hard time knowing, just from the visuals, whether the couple’s glee was based on each other--or on the fare. You’d probably want to try that shrimp and scallops with tagliarini in a light lobster sauce. Over the well-tempered classical music you might hear the man, who has ordered the steak au poivre, say that the sauce is too sweet. She’s loving the quick-cooked, skinless sauteed breast of chicken with wild mushrooms (“375 calories or less”) but whispers something about lemon mustard sauce being “overbright.” They agree the sauces try too hard.

Now they’re writing secret messages to each other on one of the hotel note pads placed about the room. Since they don’t seem to be writing about the vegetables, which are wonderfully done, a voice-over tells you that the sophisticated confetti-thin sauerkraut is laced with caraway seeds, the pretty puree tastes like carrots and the fat cake of potatoes lyonnaise is positively grand.

You begin to wonder if this is a remake of “Tom Jones” as the desserts are served. (The doggie bags, in their own Le Brasserie sacks, will make a splendid midnight epilogue.) She’s not eating much of that homemade caramel ice cream: It’s too sweet and rich but he’s doing a great job of polishing off the flourless chocolate cake. Cut to two beaming faces pressed together. Fadeout.

Could a meal be as satisfying at lunch without a certain pair of blue eyes or one of the 14 Champagnes?

I’m happy to report Le Brasserie looks--and tastes--as good in the daylight as it does by night. You might choose to sit out on the terrace or stay in the comfortable peach, rattan and lattice-work main room. Lunching with a child, you might start with the very dense, very sweet cinnamon plum soup.

The food on the hot and cold buffet set near the entrance tastes even better than it looks. We enjoyed potato salad with fresh dill and another of lamb, pine nuts and whole black figs heady with orange perfume. A wild rice and corn salad had an interesting dark note, the fresh salmon salad with red onions and Chinese pea pods was remarkable. There was even a wonderful homemade vegetable soup. The buffet ranges from $7.75 for cold dishes and soup to $8.50 for a complete hot and cold once-over to $12.50 for all that you can eat.

The menu’s essentially the same at lunch and dinner, while breakfast is a large world unto itself. Sunday brunch is a tony, gargantuan repast. My lunch companion liked her roast chicken salad with escarole and crisp skinny French beans so much that she was loath to go on to the next course. But she happily devoured a large almond pound cake fantasie that was festooned with red and yellow raspberries, set on a potent berry coulis, and painted with curlicues of chocolate.

Day or night, next time I lean over asparagus, I hope it’s at Le Brasserie.

Le Brasserie (in the Bel Age Hotel), 1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood. (213) 854-1111. Open daily 7 a.m.-11:30 p.m. All major credit cards. Valet parking. Full bar. Dinner for two (food only): $40-$72.50. Sunday brunch buffet: $24.95 per person.