A Portrait of the Artist

I admit that when I heard about Picasso, the new restaurant near Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, I envisioned Blue Period reproductions and “Guernica” silk-screened tablecloths. Happily, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Picasso, which took over the space formerly occupied by Fama, is a lovely tribute to the artist as conceived by owner Meir Mizrahi. The sign out front is a cutout of Picasso’s “The Dream,” with a row of window boxes at its feet. And inside, gigantic, beautifully executed murals of “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” and other familiar works cover the room, punctuated by whimsical Miro-inspired wall lamps. Upstairs is a mezzanine with its own pair of Picasso-esque scenes of the South of France. The overall effect is so charming, you can almost picture the stocky painter himself in his espadrilles and shorts, daubing on one final brush stroke.

The menu is as Mediterranean as Picasso’s lifestyle, a melange of dishes from France, Italy and Spain. And with her dark hair and sloe eyes, half-Tuscan, half-French executive chef Sylvie Vicat-Amati could have easily stepped from one of the black-and-white photographs of Picasso and his entourage that are framed in the restaurant’s hallway.

Formerly of La Finestra in the San Fernando Valley, Vicat-Amati knows that the light, pretty food of the Mediterranean naturally appeals to Californians. You might want to begin with the pizza in bianco, a small, pale disk garnished with wiry sprigs of rosemary. On a hot night, a bowl of gazpacho, a thick slush of tomato and cucumber fired with red pepper, cools the palate. Calamari are terrific little golden puffs, lightly battered and delicately fried, much better with a squeeze of lemon than the creamy dill sauce that accompanies them.

What could be a more refreshing appetizer than the “net” of hearts of palm, stacked like a log cabin, dressed in a mustardy vinaigrette? It’s perfect in its simplicity. There’s a luxurious frisee salad, too, a fluffy green mound tossed with little nuggets of Roquefort and fresh whole walnuts, a satisfying combination of textures and flavors. I’m less fond of the salad of thinly sliced fresh (and just a bit tough) artichoke buried under stiff shavings of Parmesan. The cheese needs to be finer to almost melt on the tongue.

If I’m rushed to catch a movie, I might order a pasta as my entree, maybe the fine rendition of linguine with roasted garlic and dried hot peppers, which comes to the table piping hot. La battuta, a lightly pounded steak sauteed with garlic, sits on a bed of spinach. The tagliata, a sliced New York steak, is more flavorful, perfumed with olive oil and smothered in aromatic herbs. I also like the chicken breast in a silky Dijon mustard cream sauce, served with mashed potato croquettes and sauteed baby vegetables.

Picasso’s kitchen turns out cooking that aims to please more than to dazzle. You won’t be puzzling over an ingredient or a technique, but who can quibble with food this flavorful and delicious? Staff, dressed all in black, are helpful and enthusiastic. The restaurant is not fussy or pretentious. And (this is a big bonus) it’s quiet enough to talk.

In keeping with the Mediterranean theme, Vicat-Amati has put together a one-page list of wines that encompasses California, France, Italy and Spain. But she could have more and better examples from each of these viticultural areas. It’s a nice touch, though, to see a hall bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne.

For the finale, trust your waitress when she recommends the apple tart rustique: It’s a very French rendition, a square of puff pastry, light on the apples, with a melting ball of vanilla ice cream and painterly squiggles of caramel sauce. This is the one Picasso would like. You might also want to give the tiramisu a chance. It’s more whipped cream than mascarpone, but it’s not too sweet, giving it an advantage over 90% of the versions out there.

Picasso is not so much a destination restaurant as a neighborhood place, where strollers drop in from the beach and families convene for a meal out. It’s that rare combination: a casual restaurant that pleases both the eye and the palate.

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PICASSO

CUISINE: Mediterranean. AMBIENCE: Casual cafe. BEST DISHES: hearts of palm salad, gazpacho, linguine with roasted garlic and hot pepper, sliced New York steak with herbs, apple tart rustique. WINE PICKS: Guigal Cotes du Rhone, 1993; Sanford Pinot Noir, 1994, Santa Barbara. FACTS: 1416 4th St., Santa Monica; (310) 656-7017. Closed Mondays and Saturday and Sunday at lunch. Dinner for two, food only, $35 to $60. Corkage $5.