Adding a Dash of Equality

Allyson Thurber has made a giant step for female chefs.

The executive chef of Water Grill in downtown Los Angeles just accepted a position at the 130-seat Striped Bass in Philadelphia for a salary of $110,000, among the highest in this country for female executive chefs. Neil Stein, owner of Striped Bass, confirmed the figure.

The 41-year-old native of Sacramento will leave in early May and begin at Striped Bass the first week of June. Her replacement at Water Grill has not yet been named.

When asked for comments, few chefs or restaurateurs raised an eyebrow. A six-figure salary in a high-profile restaurant in a major city goes with the territory.

But when compared to a nationwide survey on chefs’ compensation, it’s big dough. The median salary for an executive chef, minus bonuses, is around $38,000, according to data from the National Restaurant Assn.

No one at Striped Bass quibbled with her asking price, Thurber said: “That’s where I set it. When you factor in the size and location of the restaurant, what the restaurant earns, the cost of living and relocation and that I own a home here, it worked out.”

Her colleagues gave her thumbs up. “There are jobs available at that salary level,” said Mary Sue Milliken, chef-restaurateur of Border Grill. “But women don’t always get them. Allyson is talented. She knows how to keep costs in line. And that kind of an employee can make money for a restaurant.” Other reaction:

Anne Rosenzweig (Arcadia, the Lobster Club in New York): “That’s not enough. She deserves more.”

Susanna Foo (Susanna Foo, Philadelphia): “I’m not surprised. There are a lot of good female chefs, especially on the West Coast. Things are changing for women. The time has come.”

Cindy Pawlcyn (Mustard’s Grill, Yountville, Calif.): “That high salary is not unusual. But every restaurant works salary compensation differently. I’ve always believed women should get the same recognition as men.”

Lidia Bastianich (Felidia Ristorante, New York): “Most executive chef positions [on the East Coast] start around $50,000. So, that’s a nice salary, a salary of recognition for any chef, male or female. She deserves it. And she’ll earn it.”

Bated Breath: The new Spago in Beverly Hills opens to the public Monday. At the helm is executive chef Lee Hefter from Granita. Replacing him in Malibu is Jennifer Naylor, an alumna of Wolfgang Puck’s stable. (She most recently pitched in to open Spago Chicago.)

Meanwhile, the flagship Spago at its Sunset Strip location will close in mid-April for two weeks of renovation, spokesman David Beckwith said. It will reopen with a new trattoria-style dinner menu in May.

Tax Bracket: For those in the flush of income tax hysteria, Twin Palms in Pasadena offers a 2-for-1 lunch special on Wednesday. Buy one entree and get a second of equal or lesser value for free. Also, for parties of 20 or more during the month of April, no sales tax.

Twin Palms, 101 W. Green St., Pasadena. (818) 577-2567.

Culinary Tour: Regional American cuisine gets a special menu every second Monday of the month at Jake & Annie’s in Santa Monica. Restaurateur Gerri Gilliland starts the monthly dinner series on Monday with South Carolina.

Translation: benne crackers with ham paste, black bean soup, roasted chicken with ground nut dressing or stuffed flounder, grape pie and Huguenot torte for $29.95 per person. Future visits: Midwest Heartland, Texas, American Indian (Pueblo and Navajo) and New England. Reservations required.

Jake & Annie’s, 2700 Main St., Santa Monica. (310) 452-1734.

On Schedule: Desi Szonntagh and partner Charles Bruchez (alumni of the now-defunct Tatou in Beverly Hills) are honing the menu for 2087--An American Bistro, which opens mid-May in Thousand Oaks. The farmer-restaurateur relationship started by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in the ‘70s repeats itself here. Underwood Farms in Moorpark is supplying the produce.

Steak a l’Orange: Ruth’s Chris Steak House adds another restaurant to its growing stable. The chain recently added a new 220-seat restaurant in Orange County. The Irvine restaurant is in addition to venues including Beverly Hills, San Francisco, San Diego and Palm Desert.

It’s open seven days a week for dinner only, from 5 to 10 p.m.; until 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 2961 Michelson Drive, Irvine. (714) 252-8848.

Vox Populi: Colleen Dunn Bates looked more like an ink-stained reporter than a guest speaker. When the author of the newly published “The Eclectic Gourmet Guide to Los Angeles” (Menasha Ridge Press, $11.95) spoke about favorite spots at the California Map & Travel Center in Santa Monica, the audience joined in. The session turned into a swap shop of dining tips.

What’s the favorite neighborhood to walk around and eat? Bates, a former editor of the GaultMillau dining guides to California, claims Larchmont. What’s a great value at lunch? The majority agreed with her on Il Moro on West Olympic Boulevard in West L.A. Where’s a good Swiss restaurant? Matterhorn Chef in Van Nuys. Great pizza on the Westside? It’s a tie for Patty’s on Montana in Santa Monica and Abbott’s Pizza Co. in Venice. How about to-die-for Korean? Nam Kang in Koreatown, insists Bates.

Hot spot of the moment? “Pasadena,” answered the L.A. native, who’s now a Pasadena resident. Old Town Bakery & Restaurant can’t be beat for white bean chili and pear sour cream tart.

When a member of the audience asked the fate of Racers Cafe on North La Cienega Boulevard, an all-raw restaurant (circa late ‘80s), the floor fell silent.

OK, readers: The answer is?