A Patout to Open Gigi’s on Two Fronts

Chef Gigi Patout left her family’s Louisiana-style restaurant, Patout’s in West Los Angeles, last September because, she says, “it was time to move on.” (Patout’s remains open, with Gigi’s brother Andre in charge.) Her fans will be happy to hear, though, that she has gone into partnership with Mitzi Shore, proprietor of the popular Comedy Store clubs, to develop two new restaurants. The first of these, scheduled to open in April, is the casual, 75-seat Gigi’s Cafe. It will be connected to the Comedy Store Playhouse, now being constructed on the site of the old Hollywood Playhouse on Las Palmas Avenue in Hollywood.

The second is a larger restaurant to be called simply Gigi’s, across the street from the original Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip, in a house once occupied by John Barrymore (and later by Roy’s, among other restaurants).

“We’re completely redoing the place,” Patout says, “and we hope to be open by May. There’ll be a private club on one side of the building with dancing after 11 p.m., a 50-seat bar overlooking the city, and an 85-seat restaurant.” The food will not have a strong Louisiana accent, though: “I don’t want to be classified as just that kind of chef,” she explains. “I want to be versatile and use whatever raw materials are the freshest. I guess you could call the style at both places sort of ‘American Bar & Grill.’ ”

FOOD INDIGO: This might be the beginning of one of L.A.’s first New Wave restaurant dynasties: Karen Salk--daughter of Donald Salk, founding partner of both Spago and the late 385 North--is about to open her own restaurant, Indigo, on 3rd Street in West Hollywood (in a storefront once occupied by the now-defunct Pink Marble Thai restaurant). Her partner is Jay Fagnano, one-time manager of both 385 North and Caiote. (Salk herself has worked as a manager at 385 North and at Chez Melange in Redondo Beach, and in the kitchen at Trumps.)

Indigo will feature what Salk calls an “Art-Deco-meets-the-tropics” interior designed by Barry Noel, and an eclectic, reasonably priced menu created by chef Tony Di Lembo (a veteran of the Beverly Market and, for two years, personal chef to Barbra Streisand). Dishes to be offered will include a series of antipasto platters with varying ethnic accents (Middle Eastern, Southwestern, even Italian) and unusual pizzas (including one with sauteed escarole, Provolone and white raisin). Top main course price will be $13.50.

The restaurant will seat about 50 people, some of them in a small patio. Salk hopes to be open by mid-March.

MOVING MOUNTAINS: It may be the Year of the Snake in Chinese households, but it’s no snake year for Michael McCarty. The Santa Monica-based proprietor of Michael’s, who ventured out of state with restaurants called the Rattlesnake Club in both Denver and Detroit (in partnership with chef Jimmy Schmidt), recently launched a third restaurant in Washington. Originally, the D.C. spot was to be a Rattlesnake too, but shortly before opening, McCarty and Schmidt decided to give it a more East Coast sort of name, Adirondacks. Maybe they were afraid a town full of politicians wouldn’t want to be seen in a place called the Rattlesnake Club. And now, McCarty has announced that as of March 15, the Denver and Detroit Rattlesnakes will be named Adirondacks too. The Rockies have no comment.

EVENTS: Pearls restaurant at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills features the wines of Stonegate at a six-course wine maker’s dinner to be held Tuesday, with the first seating at 7 p.m. and additional seatings to follow at half-hour intervals. The tariff is $47 per person, tax and tip included. . . . The Siamese Princess serves the wines of William Hill at its own first-ever wine maker’s dinner, Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $38.50 a head, tax and tip not included.