A Menu Worth Sharing

Did you ever walk into a restaurant, take a look at the menu and instantly wish you had more people in your party? That’s what happened to me at Tumbleweed, 130 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (213) 274-5844. Everything sounded fabulous--so I was thrilled to see two more friends stroll into the room. “Come join us,” I cried, “we’ll be able to taste more.”

Listen to some of the dishes: warm oyster shooters with chipotle salsa; apple-smoked Norwegian salmon; jicama, tangerine and pomegranate salad; fresh crab and black bean cakes with sweet pepper vinaigrette; roasted tomato broth with bass, mussels and clams; soft tacos of spiny lobster; homemade hot links; whole grilled striped bass; lamb riblettes with black bean cakes, roast tomatoes and homemade corn tortillas; hickory-smoked baby back ribs. Even the small wine list, which includes Tempier’s wonderful Bandol rose, is impressive.

Elka Gilmore, the young chef who was behind the creative food at Camelions, is the owner of Tumbleweed. And I can see only one problem with her cheerfully simple, bright yellow restaurant: It seats only 48, and it’s going to be awfully hard to fit all the people who want to eat there into that tiny room.