Louise’s Looks to Italian Roots in Revamping Menu

If you’ve found yourself asking for extra sauce on the side with your fettuccine al pomodoro e basilico at Louise’s Trattoria lately, you are not alone. Co-owner Bill Chait reports requests for side orders of red sauce have gone up 25% in the past month. Instead of ladling it over the top, the sauce is now tossed with the pasta. Just last week, Chait had five complaints that the clams in the popular tagliolini alle vongole weren’t fresh . They still are. Now the new Italian chef steams the clams open, removes them from the shell and then adds them back to the sauce at the very last moment to avoid overcooking.

Louise’s Trattoria, former home of oversauced pastas, overcheesed pizzas and oversized portions, has undergone a major make-over. Last year, Chait decided to change the chain’s image. He and partner Howard Weinberg had their eyes on some out-of-state locations and felt Louise’s menu could be improved and could certainly be more authentic. They decided to prune the excess and upgrade the quality of their ingredients. To that end, they brought in Mauro Vincenti to work the transformation. The owner of Rex il Ristorante downtown and Alto Palato on La Cienega is notorious for his inability to compromise. First step: Chait and Vincenti went on a shopping binge in Italy, buying up pasta-making machines, extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Parma ham. They even picked up a few chefs along the way.

The new, improved menu was unveiled last month and now the partners are holding their breath to see what the reaction will be.

“The hardest part is dealing with customers who have been ordering the same items over and over for years,” Chait says. “After the complaints about the clams, I suggested throwing the shells back in, but Mauro threatened to shoot me.”

There have been some concessions, though. One of their bestsellers, spaghetti aglio e olio, used to contain mushrooms, olives and Parmesan cheese. Vincenti insisted on the traditional version, which includes only extra virgin olive oil, garlic and maybe a little dried red chili pepper. But now if a customer demands it, they will grate a little Parmigiano-Reggiano over the pasta at the table. And penne rigate with asparagus, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes in pesto sauce--not exactly an Italian classic--is still on the menu. “We couldn’t touch this item,” says Chait. “People would scream.”

*

Palmimony: Cindy Costner may be walking away with $80 mil from her soon-to-be ex-husband, but she and Kevin still haven’t settled who gets custody of their Pasadena restaurant Twin Palms. Maybe they’ll have to split up the trees? “No way,” says chef-partner Michael Roberts. “The impression I got is that they’ll take joint custody. But I don’t ask too many questions.”

*

Stats: According to a press release from Terrazza Toscana, white wine drinkers (and you know who you are) are the least adventurous customers. . . . The latest Zagat survey found 60-year-olds love the Hamburger Hamlet more than any other age group. The survey also noted that L.A. diners are cheap tippers compared to their New York counterparts. In L.A. 59% said they tip 15% or less vs. 39% in New York.

*

Mr. October: Brad Johnson, who owns both the nightclub Roxbury on Sunset Strip and the Melrose Avenue restaurant Georgia, has a good nose for business. But the young entrepreneur has other assets, too. And most of them are visible in a pinup calendar published by Baraka Entertainment. The 1995 calendar, which features 12 African American hunks, including Johnson, heavyweight boxer Lennox Lewis, tennis champ Yannick Noah and actor Wolfgang Bodison (“A Few Good Men”) is available by calling (800) 600-5026.

*

Reinventions: Andre’s of Beverly Hills will become Andre’s Trattoria. The 34-year-old landmark is closed for a face lift and is expected to reopen by the end of the month. “Andre sold us the restaurant,” says Donna Minaise, one of the new co-owners. “But he’s going to stay on for a year. It’s going to be very, very beautiful.” . . . Pane Caldo in West Hollywood is also undergoing a change. Longtime general manager Paul Scalisi, who recently purchased the restaurant, has already reduced dinner prices. In April, he plans to close the Beverly Boulevard bistro for a few weeks and reopen with a new look and a new menu.

*

Closings: La Grange, a homey fixture on Westwood Boulevard for 26 years, will close its doors on Jan. 9. Owners Monique and Rudy Vallee were unsuccessful in negotiating a new lease on their old-fashioned French restaurant. . . . Sabor Restaurant in Silver Lake folded a month ago but the larger, more ambitious spinoff cafe, Sabor Too, is still serving up Cajun and Latin dishes in Santa Monica. Meanwhile, Lo Sabroso has opened in the Sabor Silver Lake space featuring a Mexican-influenced menu.

For more restaurant coverage, please see Sunday’s Los Angeles Times Magazine and the Thursday Food section.