It’s Time for a Pause in Old Town

New Old Stuff in Old Town: What’s all that construction out at the old Jerry’s Deli space in Pasadena about? Pause. Yes, Pause. That’s the name of the new restaurant.

Randy Moore, who has bought the building for Pause, has been putting around a tremendous amount of mahogany on the premises--not to mention glass. There’ll be frosted-glass table tops, blown-glass light fixtures, an iridescent-glass bar and glass mosaics in the floor. Moore and wife Dale Chang will be filling the empty spaces around the tables with pieces of American memorabilia from the last 150 years; think Wurlitzer jukeboxes, Coca-Cola stuff and vintage carousel animals. “I’m here to provide value,” Moore says. When Pause opens in mid-March, he wants you to think that you’re dining in a museum. The only thing not retro about the place will be its food, which will be contemporary American. As for the name, it’s something along the lines of the old Coca-Cola slogan “the pause that refreshes.” We’ll have more details once Pause is closer to opening.

To Chew On: The Library Bar and Living Room at L’Ermitage Beverly Hills have a new posh menu: sevruga, osetra and beluga caviar with toast points and buckwheat blinis for $65 to $110; a platter of chilled lobster, oysters, shrimp and mussels, $115; cheese or chocolate fondue, $18; and a cheese, bread and fruit tray for merely $15. The menu is served from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. L’Ermitage is at 9291 Burton Way, Beverly Hills. The main number for the hotel is (310) 278-3344. . . . Amici Mare, the seaside cousin of the Italian restaurant at the Beverly Terrace Hotel, is making about 40 California and Italian wines available for sampling by the glass, ranging in price from $3.95 to $12.50. Or you can order a set of four wines to taste in 2-ounce portions. The manager can suggest pairings for your meal, or you can strike out on your own. The four-wine tasting option usually costs about $10. Amici Mare is at 2424 Main St., Santa Monica, (310) 314-2119.

More Truffles: Granita joins the truffle game with its fifth annual white truffle dinner Dec. 9. The fragrant fungi will be shaved over pasta dishes and fish as yet to be determined. The price, however, is a known quantity: It’s $98 a head.

* Granita, in the Malibu Colony Plaza, 23725 W. Malibu Road, Malibu; (310) 456-0488.