Paris With a Patio

Brothers Georges and Robert Lachkar brought the idea behind their popular West Hollywood place, Le Petit Bistro, to the Valley earlier this month.

Le Petit Bistro is in Sherman Oaks, at the site of the erstwhile Jean’s Blue Room on Ventura Boulevard. But in place of Jean’s stark and dark waiting room, the Lachkar brothers, with third owner Albert Emkies, have opened up a sun-filled patio that looks out onto the street.

The new place seats 90 and, like any good bistro in Paris, offers an informal atmosphere--polished red mahogany paneling and flooring, murals of Parisian street scenes and big, globe-like chandeliers.

But you won’t complain about the prices here as you would in virtually any restaurant in Paris.

On the dinner menu, for example, chef Jean Claude Lashkar (same family, different spelling; he’s younger brother to Georges and Robert) offers roasted chicken with herbs de Provence for $8.25. Or you can have a breast of chicken sauteed in a sauce of cracked black pepper, raisins and port wine for $9.50, or duck legs with coco beans and roasted apples for $8.95. If you really want to splurge, try charbroiled lamb chops with a mustard sauce for $12.95.

For lunch you can have a salad Nicoise for $7.95, a grilled eggplant sandwich with roasted peppers and provolone cheese for $6.50, linguine with mussels and shrimp for $8.25, and a spicy Moroccan sausage called merguez--a house specialty--for $10.25. The restaurant also serves soups, omelets and pasta for lunch, all for around $8.

The Lachkar brothers charged the same prices for the same dishes when they opened the first Le Petit Bistro, in West Hollywood, four years ago. They made their first appearance in the Los Angeles restaurant business about 20 years ago, with Entourage on Fairfax Avenue. More recently they operated La Mer on La Cienega Boulevard, right across from the original Le Petit Bistro.

The new Petit Bistro is open for lunch Monday through Friday and for dinner every night. It is at 13360 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. (818) 501-7999.

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Jim Yoppolo, who runs the kitchen in Bloomingdale’s in Sherman Oaks, began offering a “Wednesday Night With Jim” class this week, in which patrons can join in on the fun of cooking good food.

For $9.95 you can join Yoppolo--and, he promises, some surprise guest chefs--in the Bloomingdale’s kitchen from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays to taste wine, cook and eat a good meal elbow to elbow with other folks at a long table.

At the first “Cook With Jim,” which was on Wednesday night, lobster was on the menu. At next Wednesday’s event, Yoppolo will offer some low-fat recipes, and on July 30 he’ll share recipes that feature garlic. Reservations are required. Bloomingdale’s is in the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, 14060 Riverside Drive, (818) 325-2492.

Another opportunity to learn good cooking--Italian style, this time--will come July 28 at Il Teatro Ristorante in Tarzana, where Tony Fasulo and Nicola Rossetto are proprietors.

For $45 each, you can learn to make a Caesar salad--the classic concoction with a dressing made from scratch; plus fresh New Zealand cockles steamed with wine, garlic and fresh herbs, followed by mushrooms sauteed with herbs in a sauce of cream and cognac; last but not least, Norwegian salmon in parchment with a julienne of vegetables.

Reservations for the July 28 fete are a must. Il Teatro is located at 19563 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, (818) 996-8008.

Finally, Alvin Simon and his sister Flame will host a five-course dinner Tuesday at Cinnabar in Glendale featuring the wines of the Alexander Valley Winery. Reservations are a must for this event too. The cost is $60 plus tax and gratuity. Cinnabar is at 933 S. Brand Blvd., (818) 551-1155.

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* Juan Hovey writes about the restaurant scene in the San Fernando Valley and outlying points. Call him at (805) 492-7909; fax (805) 492-5139; or e-mail JHovey@compuserve.com.