Versailles Sequel a Match for Original

There’s a certain nervousness among the regulars of Versailles, the Cuban restaurant on Venice Boulevard, that is practically a commissary for the production VPs and film crews that work at the studios nearby. The reason for their distress: Versailles II.

Can the sequel be as good as the original?

It’s too soon to tell, but judging by the first week’s business, it will probably be as popular. Expect to wait in line for a dinner table--especially after 7:30.

The new Versailles, 1415 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 289-0392, covers a lot of the same themes as the old Versailles. There’s the same non-decor (red Naugahyde chairs, etc.), a lot of the same wisecracking waiters and, basically, the same menu--including the list of daily specials scrawled on a mirrored board. The dining room is smaller, though, and there seems to be more emphasis on takeout here.

And what about the chicken? (Chicken--roasted, full of garlic and buried under a mass of grilled onions--is the dish that 90% of the Versailles crowd orders.) Early tests have shown it to have just as much garlic power as the original.

Those who’ve never gone beyond the bird might be interested to know that Versailles makes other good dishes: roast pork with the same garlic-onion treatment as the chicken, tender oxtail and good Cuban coffee--some of the cheapest and strongest espresso on the Westside.