Al Amir Will Close Its Kitchen

Good Night, Sweet Prince: Al Amir (a.k.a. the Prince), the venerable upscale Lebanese restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard, has lost its lease and closes after dinner Nov. 21. When asked if he will reopen in a new location, owner John Sabga said, “At this time we don’t know.”

* Al Amir, 5750 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; (213) 931-8740.

And Farewell to the Chef: Sandy Gendel is leaving Dominick’s on Beverly Boulevard Sunday to open a modest trattoria in Laurel Canyon, possibly by mid-December.

R.I.P.: Amadeus Restaurant and Mozart Bar on La Cienega Boulevard has closed its doors, but keep your eyes peeled for a joint project from manager Chris Schaeffer and chef Kazuto Matsusaka. . . . Melrose Place Restaurant, also on La Cienega, just closed shop too. (Was it because they removed that giant macaroni sculpture on the roof?)

Chefs Go a-Visiting: Joe Miller is throwing a chef’s fall dinner at Joe’s on Monday. He’s invited Celestino Drago of Drago, Jennifer Naylor of Granita and Nancy Silverton of Campanile to cook a course or two with him; eight courses in all, $70 a head.

* Joe’s, 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice; (310) 399-5811.

Mainland Luau: Chef Alan Wong (of Alan Wong’s in Honolulu) is cooking a five-course dinner at the House of Blues on Monday; $85 for James Beard Foundation members, $100 otherwise. Reception begins at 7 p.m. in the Foundation Room. Call (323) 650-0242 for reservations.

* The House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; (323) 848-5100.

Beaujolais, Beaujolais!: The 1998 Beaujolais Nouveau arrives from France a week from today. Here’s a list of celebrating restaurants and one grand fe^te.

71 Palm Restaurant, 71 N. Palm St., Ventura, has a $28 four-course menu; a glass of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau comes with the apple tart. Call (805) 653-7222. . . . Cafe Pierre, 317 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, will have several Beaujolais by the glass or bottle and an a la carte menu of nine appetizers and 12 main courses to complement them. Call (310) 545-5252. . . . Lunaria, 10351 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City, is pouring unlimited glasses of at least four Beaujolais from 7 p.m. with a three-course menu ($30, including wine). Call (310) 282-8870. . . . 72 Market Street Oyster Bar & Grill, Venice, is showcasing Bouchard Beaujolais with special dishes ($35 for three courses, $45 for four). Wine sold separately by the glass or bottle. Call (310) 392-8720. . . . McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, 633 W. 5th St., L.A., is throwing a casino-style gambling party at 5 p.m. Nov. 19. The wine will go for $5 a glass and all the money you lose gambling will go to the Blind Children’s Center and LAPD Centurions. Call (213) 629-1929. . . . Pinot Bistro, 12969 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, celebrates the release a few days late on Nov. 23 (because that’s how they’ve always done it). Four-course dinner, strolling musicians and all the Georges Duboeuf you can drink: $42. Call (818) 990-0500. . . . The Regal Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., L.A., hosts a black-tie Beaujolais Nouveau reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by a five-course dinner by chefs from the Club Culinaire Francais de Californie, led by La Cachette’s Jean-Francois Meteigner. Tickets ($500) benefit the Cancer Center of the California Hospital Medical Center. Call (213) 742-5869 for more information.

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