A Familiar Face in the Campanile Kitchen

Peel Back: Mark Peel is back in his kitchen at Campanile after a leave of absence. Reason: Chef Suzanne Goin is leaving at the end of April to open her own place. In the meantime, Peel is hosting two chefs from the River Cafe in London, Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers. They will be at Campanile May 7 to autograph copies of their second cookbook (“The Cafe Cook Book”) and to help Peel prepare an a la carte menu using recipes from the book. Campanile will be open that night from 6 to 10; call for reservations. Campanile, 624 S. La Brea Ave., L.A.; (213) 938-1447.

The Last of Adriano’s: Bel-Air fixture Adriano’s Ristorante will be no more after Friday; new owner Rocco Somazzi plans to change it into a continental restaurant (with Asian touches) featuring live entertainment. Chef Hiro Bairin will remain when the place reopens as Rocco’s, but that won’t be until sometime in June. Meanwhile, you have a chance to say goodbye to Adriano’s, which has been on Beverly Glen Circle for 22 years. For its last night, Adriano’s will serve an eight-course goodbye dinner prepared by current chef Hiro Bairin together with original chef Hulie Huegli. Cocktails begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, dinner is at 8. The tab is $90 per person, wine included. Adriano’s Ristorante, 2930 Beverly Glen Circle, Bel-Air; (310) 475-9807.

Keeping It in the Family: Joe Miller, owner of Joe’s in Venice, has sold JoeJoe’s in Sherman Oaks to three former employees: JoeJoe’s current chef Thomas Munoz, current maitre d’ James Dresser and Jacob La Tray, a former chef at Joe’s. The two chefs will be in the kitchen, keeping the food mostly the same, while Dresser works the front of the house. Says Miller of the sale, “I felt I needed to concentrate more on Joe’s and give them the opportunity to own their own business.” The name of the restaurant will stay the same.

Meanwhile, Paul Lloyd, another former Joe’s employee (he managed JoeJoe’s, as well as other restaurants around town such as Rockenwagner and Cafe Bizou), is opening his own place, also in Sherman Oaks. Partner Darin Eckermann, another Joe’s alumnus who’s worked at Woodside in Brentwood as well, will cook French/California cuisine. Lloyd’s plan is to serve the food at reasonable prices and charge a low $2 corkage fee “in the tradition of Cafe Bizou.” Lloyd’s place, which will be ready in the beginning of June, will be called Paul’s Cafe.

Updates: Beverly Hills’ L’Ermitage Hotel--with its elegant first-floor dining room, the Restaurant at L’Ermitage; its casual rooftop counterpart, the Pool Terrace; and the Living Room next to the library, which will serve afternoon tea--will be open around the first week of May. Serge Falesitch is the chef; Angela Hunter is the pastry chef. . . . Cesare Vietina’s new place at 369 N. Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills is called Principe. It opened Wednesday with Dad Bruno Vietina at the stove. . . . George Pagani’s place, to be called Pagani, has been delayed by licensing and investor snafus but is now slated to open in June. It will serve chef Frank Cramme’s modern American cuisine.

Mother’s Day Destinations: Nick Coe, chef at a new South Pasadena spot named Nick’s, has wielded his wooden spoon in the kitchens of Shutters on the Beach, Spago, Parkway Grill and the notorious Mezzaluna in Brentwood. Coe credits his most recent experience working for hotel executives with driving him to open his own place. Nick’s will be serving its regular menu of Italian/French cuisine along with Mother’s Day specials from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on May 10. Mom will have to like the outdoors, because seating is either in a garden or on the sidewalk under an awning. Nick’s features a wine list that is entirely available by the glass, allowing you to sample wines from smaller, less well-known wineries. Entrees run $13 to $17. Nick’s, 1009 El Centro St., South Pasadena; (626) 441-7910. . . . Citrus is featuring a prix-fixe Mother’s Day brunch of an appetizer, main course, dessert and a glass of champagne for moms; $40. Children can check out the special children’s menu at $20. The brunch runs from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Citrus is also serving white asparagus menu specials at lunch and dinner while the vegetable is still in season, which should be for the next two months. You can get cold white asparagus soup and grilled white asparagus with truffle and foie gras vinaigrette, among other things. Citrus, 6703 Melrose Ave., L.A.; (213) 857-0034.

Mondavi Match: From now until next Thursday, the New Otani Hotel & Garden downtown is featuring the wines of the Robert Mondavi Family of Wineries along with the cooking of the Mondavi’s official chef, Paul Squicciarini, in the Azalea Restaurant. At lunch, the menu is a la carte, but the chef recommends wines for each dish. At night, Squicciarini prepares a gala five-course prix-fixe menu and suggests a Mondavi wine for each course. Cost: $34.95, excluding wine, tax and tip. New Otani Hotel & Garden, 120 S. Los Angeles St., downtown; (213) 253-9235.