Where the World Is Your Oyster

Inside the Purple Rose, a large restaurant with a soaring purple ceiling, the open kitchen is run by chef Ken Barnoski and his sous-chef, Theodore Miller. The two have much in common, such as knowing at an early age they wanted to be chefs. Barnoski knew so early that he lied about his age to get a job at Valentino in Santa Monica. He went on to several other restaurants and was recently chef for Michael Bolton on the singer’s last tour. Miller joined the Navy and became the personal chef for the captain of the aircraft carrier Constellation. The biggest influence on Miller’s cooking has been Thomas Keller, under whom he worked at Checkers Hotel downtown. Barnoski credits Michael Roberts of Trumps for boosting his career.

The Purple Rose bills itself as contemporary international, and the list of appetizers backs that up. You can get starters from India ( samosas --filo turnovers filled with spinach and potatoes, $3.95), China ( shiu mai --steamed dumplings filled with turkey, $5.95), Italy ( bonata --pizza dough with olive oil, garlic and oregano, $2.95), Mexico (chicken quesadilla, $5.95) and America (crab cakes, $6.95).

Baked in a wood-fired brick oven, the thin 10” pizzas are good and chewy. The wild mushroom pizza ($9.50) is brushed with thyme and olive oil and liberally strewn with shiitake, oyster and porcini mushrooms, so rich in flavor you might think the chef must have smuggled some beef onto the pie.

The most popular dish is the New Orleans gumbo ($8.95), made with rock shrimp, sausage and chicken on a bed of rice or fettuccine. Another big seller is the thick slab of meatloaf ($7.95) with mashed potatoes.

Breakfast highlights include a spinach omelet with smoked Gouda ($5.95) and scrambled eggs with pesto and grilled Black Forest ham ($6.95). Something, no doubt, Dr. Suess would order.

Purple Rose is at 2701 190th St., Redondo Beach. 370-1097. Open Sunday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to midnight.