Pasadena’s Tra Fiore: The More Things Change . . .

In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, upscale Los Angeles restaurants looked mostly to France for inspiration. Even as they experimented with local ingredients and explored other cuisines--especially Asian--chefs here followed the rigorous rules of French cooking and presentation. (No California chef was considered fully trained until he or she had cooked in France for at least a month or two.)

By the late ‘80s, many Los Angeles chefs had switched their alliances to Italy. As it turns out, a lot of people believe Italian cuisine is better suited to Los Angeles’ lifestyle.

Still, the announcement earlier this year that Pasadena’s well-loved Cafe Jacoulet would close for a few months and reopen as Tra Fiore surprised a lot of people. Instead of contemporary California-French food (with a few Asian touches), there would be northern Italian. Instead of beurre blanc , pesto.

But judging by Tra Fiore’s first weeks, Cafe Jacoulet’s former regulars shouldn’t worry. The restaurant may look different (beautiful and expensive-looking dark woods set off the white open spaces of the dining rooms), and the menu may be full of Italian-sounding dishes, but the food at Tra Fiore seems a lot like the food served at Jacoulet, only with the French dish names translated into Italian. Even the chef is the same.

Some of the familiar Jacoulet-inspired dishes: tuna sashimi layered between won-ton skins and avocado with a mustard-sesame dressing; sesame-seed ravioli filled with John Dory mousse. It seems some things don’t change as easily as others.

Tra Fiore, 91 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, (818) 796-2233. Entrees $14.50-$22.50.