Broadway in L.A.

In honor of Broadway darling Nathan Lane, appearing at the Hollywood Bowl Friday and Saturday, spend the weekend like a New Yorker--without stepping on a plane.

Friday Night

With its squeaky-clean floors and tanned and buffed crowd, Century City’s Stage Deli may not have the, um, character of its 7th Avenue counterpart, but it does share the same Jewish deli fare. In L.A., the piece de resistance for a celeb is to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but in New York it’s to have a sandwich named after you. And Stage Deli has them all, from the Jim Carrey (triple-decker turkey, tongue, Swiss cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing, $11.95) to the Brandon Tartikoff (turkey, lettuce, mayonnaise, tomato, cranberry sauce and stuffing on toasted rye bread, $11.95). There’s also great chicken soup, $3.50-$6.95, (matzo ball optional) and Brooklyn egg creams, $2.25. Century City Mall, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City, (310) 553-DELI.

Also in the mall is L.A.’s outpost of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Shop, a good place to find art posters, art-inspired jewelry and knickknacks. (310) 552-0905.

Saturday

For smoked fish with a side of shopping, try Barney Greengrass (located in the Beverly Hills Barneys New York store). The restaurant serves genuine H&H; Bagels that are flown in from the Big Apple, and the outdoor patio is fabulous. Only in New York do you find H&H; Bagels, but only in L.A. do you have them flown in. Smoked fish platters for two, $18-$26. Barneys New York, 9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 777-5877.

Spend an evening enjoying the wry New York wit of playwright Neil Simon. His newest play, “Proposals,” a romantic comedy about love and lovers set at a summer cottage in the Poconos, is at the Ahmanson through Aug. 31. Call (213) 628-2772. And the old favorite, “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” Simon’s portrait of a family in 1937 Brooklyn, is at the PCPA Theatrefest in Santa Maria through Aug. 16. Call (805) 922-8313.

Sunday Morning

For an early morning bagel fix that’s easier on the pocket than Barney Greengrass, go straight to Manhattan Bagel, this expatriate New Yorker’s favorite. The bagels are cooked individually instead of on large cookie sheets, and the cream cheese is thick and dense. You won’t find tofu spread here. 8351 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (213) 656-7496, and seven other area locations. Bagel with cream cheese, $1.29.

See miniature versions of your favorite Broadway sets in a special exhibit at the Carole and Barry Kaye Museum of Miniatures. “Tony Walton: Designing for Stage & Screen” features set models from Walton’s Broadway productions of “Guys and Dolls,” “Grand Hotel” and the 1996 revival of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” which starred man of the hour, Nathan Lane. 5900 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 937-6464. $7.50.

There’s no cooking, no hassle--takeout pizza is the ultimate Sunday night treat. At Johnnie’s New York Pizza, 14350 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 905-3360, and four other area locations, the dough is made with water that duplicates New York water’s mineral content through filtration (so L.A.). The cheesy pies are delicious, especially Will’s Favorite (garlic, basil, sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese, 12-inch, $13.95; 16-inch, $17.95), though the pies at Mulberry Street Pizzeria are more authentic. Pizzas, $14.95-$25.90 for a Sicilian. 240 S. Beverly Drive, (310) 247-8100, and two other area locations.