REST BETS : Something Cozy, Something Wild

In the mood for a cozy snack? Not in the mood to start making reservations? One of the most romantic restaurants in town has just opened the perfect place.

It’s called the Four Oaks Fireside, and it’s the woodsy room downstairs at the elegant Four Oaks restaurant. The menu is small, simple and very sophisticated. There are terrines of foie gras, tartares of tuna or rillettes of smoked salmon and duck. There are wickedly rich soups. There’s a full bar--and there are extravagant desserts such as rum-glazed pineapple with coconut ice cream or profiteroles with honey ice cream and hot chocolate sauce.

The point is to provide a place where you can drop in on the spur of the moment. Unfortunately the idea will probably prove so popular that before long you won’t be able to get in without reservations.

The Four Oaks Fireside, 2181 N. Beverly Glen, Los Angeles. (213) 470-2265. Open daily from 6-10 p.m. Appetizers $6.50-$14; desserts $6-$6.50