Adding Some Meat to Rebirth of Downtown

A Steak in Downtown: Joachim and Christine Splichal’s Patina Group is opening another restaurant, but it won’t be in West Hollywood or Orange County, much less Napa. “We believe in downtown,” says Christine Splichal, who can point to recent successes such as their Cafe Pinot at the Central Library--as well as Patinette at MOCA, Pentimento at LACMA and the Curator’s Cafe at the Museum of Natural History. They’re so confident of a downtown renaissance that they’ve signed a 15-year lease for their new restaurant, which will be a steakhouse combining modern design and clubby atmosphere. A cool feature: two meat-aging lockers, where you’ll be able to watch the butchers at work and even choose your own piece of meat. Unnamed so far, the Splichal steakhouse will be located in the Wells Fargo Center, 330 S. Hope St., where the restaurant Stepps recently shut its doors. Look for the steakhouse to open some time in the fall.

A Golden Catch: A restaurant named the Golden Frog opened in Long Beach not too long ago. Now, it’s a soul food place, and you might think the name is misleading until you see fried frogs’ legs on the menu alongside fried chicken, barbecued ribs, collard greens, catfish, red beans and rice and macaroni and cheese. Owner William Booker has also installed a full bar.

* The Golden Frog, 740 E. Broadway, Long Beach; (562) 590-8419.

News Niblets: The Corner Bakeries are breeding like rabbits. The first West Coast location of the chain of bakery-slash-restaurants surfaced in South Coast Plaza in Orange County back in November. Since then, five more have sprung up around the Southland, the latest opening at 13786-D Jamboree Road in Irvine last week. The Irvine location’s phone number is (714) 734-8270. . . . Jack Sprat’s Grille, the healthy eatery at 10668 W. Pico Blvd. in Rancho Park, has added weekend breakfast, brunch and lunch to its repertoire. In other words, you can get morning-type food there every Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. until at least 3 p.m. Call (310) 837-6662 for more information.

Need Easter Options?: The newly opened Cienega is serving a three-course brunch this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with 22 choices in all. Appetizers include carrot-ginger soup, artichoke strudel and rock shrimp ravioli. Eggs Benedict, steak and eggs and pan-seared striped bass are some of the entrees. And desserts run from tropical upside-down cake to a chocolate Easter bunny with raspberry coulis. It’s $36, tax and tip not included. Cienega will also be open for dinner, serving its regular menu from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Cienega, 730 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood; (310) 358-8585.

Mimosa on Beverly Boulevard is celebrating French Easter with a three-course meal, served from 5 to 10 p.m. For appetizers, there are vichyssoise soup and a Burgundy ham terrine. Entrees include veal daube Provencale and baked Alaskan halibut. Dessert offers, among other things, a brioche pudding with caramel and Easter chocolate eggs. The tab is $32 (children under 12 have their own abbreviated menu for $12). Beverages, tax and tip are extra. Mimosa, 8009 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 655-8895.

Chef Jean Pierre Lemanissier has just landed at the Ritz in Newport Beach as chef de cuisine, joining executive chef Lupe Camarena. Lemanissier trained in Lyon, France, and has cooked in Los Angeles at Ma Maison and, most recently, Le Chardonnay. You can taste his cooking on Sunday at brunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) or dinner (4:30 to 10 p.m.). Both meals are three-course prix-fixe numbers; it’s $35 for brunch and $39 for dinner, tax and tip not included. The Ritz Restaurant, 880 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach; (949) 720-1800.

71 Palm Restaurant in Ventura is serving Easter brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It begins with a glass of Champagne and a glass of orange juice (or mix the two and have a Mimosa) and includes a salad, a choice of entree and, for dessert, ice cream with profiteroles or sorbet. It runs $24.95 ($9.95 for children under 12). 71 Palm Restaurant, 71 N. Palm St., Ventura; (805) 653-7222.

Locanda del Lago on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica will be open for brunch (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and dinner (2 to 9 p.m.) on Sunday, serving its regular menus along with Easter specials like cream of chicken soup with asparagus and black truffle and filet of trout on Gorgonzola risotto. For dessert you can have columba pasquale, a traditional Italian Easter cake studded with fruits and nuts. Locanda del Lago, 231 Arizona Ave., Santa Monica; (310) 451-3525.