Linguine Alfredo--STAT

Let George Clooney and his “ER” gang head to that dingy diner near their hospital. Medical types here have a more upscale option.

The ER Bar & Grill, near the Los Angeles County / USC Medical Center, is nestled on the first floor of a seven-story office building at 1640 Marengo St. at Mission Road. (Look for the electrocardiogram blips in the sign.)

The decor is simple--soft lighting, bare wooden tables, lighted ficus trees--and white coats are the prevailing fashion, for diners and executive chef Wayne Turnipseed. Conversation is peppered with medical jargon. (But you can fake it by stopping first at the cashier, where an emergency room-style scrub top, embossed with the ER Bar & Grill’s purple and green logo, is $24.95.)

And business is brisk--at lunch, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays, and at happy hour, 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.

“We’re seating 300 or 350 for lunch,” Turnipseed says.

But don’t expect a totally fat-free menu. Along with green salads, vegetarian offerings and side dishes such as sliced tomatoes, Turnipseed whips up creamy Alfredo and basil pesto cream sauces for his pastas ($7.50 to 8.25).

And there’s a full bar.

Information: (213) 276-0053.