With Eclipse Now Over, Pagani’s Grill Menu Comes to Light

After months of construction that took apart the former Eclipse and put the structure at Melrose and Robertson back together again in a totally different configuration, Pagani is finally open. Just across the street from Mortons and a couple of doors from Yujean Kang’s West Hollywood outpost, Pagani is the namesake of George Pagani, the genial Argentina-born manager-maitre d’ who was a fixture at the Dining Room at the Regent Beverly-Wilshire Hotel before moving to Coco Pazzo in the Mondrian Hotel.

He’s very much a presence here, ushering guests to their tables and showing off the sleek, contemporary design of the 160-seat restaurant. The room feels much more spacious than it did as Eclipse, and the patio is no longer Siberia, but an attractive outdoor room open to the sky. Framed by towering ficus trees and slender palms, it has comfortable cast-aluminum garden chairs and high-backed cushioned divans and enough spare waiters, who assiduously top up your water and wine, to staff a second restaurant.

Pagani’s chef is Frank Cramme, another refugee from the hotel world, in this case, the Beverly Hills Hotel. And like most hotel chefs, he puts much of his attention into the presentation. A blue crab salad garnished with ruffled purple basil and papaya is prettier than it is tasty. Orecchiette, the ear-shaped pasta from southern Italy, is sauced with a bland bouillabaisse. Caesar salad with polenta croutons pulls its punches. There is, however, a nice first course of soft polenta topped with crisp, caramelized sweetbreads.

But the main focus here is the mesquite grill: New York steaks, co^te deboeuf, veal chop, center-cut ahi tuna. Spring chicken, lightly scented with star anise, is served “on the bone,” which I guess is exotic enough these days that guests need to be specifically forewarned. The lamb chops (also on the bone) are very good, nicely aged and tasting of lamb.

The handful of more adventurous house specialties includes a sumptuous truffled veal sausage with oxtail. And as if duck confit isn’t rich enough on its own, Cramme has paired it with seared foie gras and an Asian “fondue.”

Consider this, though: You can stop into the elegant bar for some oysters, an iced seafood platter or a grilled minute steak with Cafe de Paris butter until 12:30 a.m.

BE THERE

Pagani Restaurant & Lounge, 8800 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; (310) 858-5801. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Valet parking. Dinner appetizers, $7.50-$75; main courses, $22-$33; lunch appetizers, $7-$22.50; main courses, $14-$22.