New Chef on Duty at the Standard

Setting a New Standard: Thomas Rivera, the chef getting rave reviews for his international comfort food dished out at the 24-hour, super-modern coffee shop at the Standard Hotel on Sunset, has left his post. Filling his big shoes is Marc Urwand, a New York-born and -bred boy. Urwand has worked as a sous-chef at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant Jean Georges in the Trump International Hotel in New York City for the last three years. The change in the weather wasn’t too hard to get used to, but the change in venues might be. “I’m not quite used to dealing with such low price points as we have here,” he tells us. Nevertheless, he’s added quite a few of his own items to the menu already, such as a butternut squash soup, a slow-baked salmon, and a spicy curry broth full of clams, mussels and udon noodles.

The Standard, the Standard Hotel, 8300 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; (323) 650-9090.

For the Record: Last week when this column reported that Michael Lotterstein had left Terrazza of Bel-Air, we said the restaurant was closed. Actually, it’s still open for lunch and dinner daily. The new guy in whites in the kitchen is Darin Eckermann from Paul’s Cafe in Sherman Oaks, where he was the chef and Paul Lloyd’s partner. Before that, he worked at Joe’s in Venice and Woodside in Brentwood. At Terrazza, Eckermann won’t be changing the menu too soon. “I’m just trying to find out what people like up here,” he told us. Seems Bel-Air has a different clientele than the Valley.

Terrazza of Bel-Air, 2960 Beverly Glen Circle, Bel-Air; (310) 475-7404.

To Get You Through the Millennium Change: The Y2K Zagat Guide is out for Southern California. Here’s the skinny on the ratings: In the top food category, Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills came in first, followed by Sushi Nozawa in Studio City, Chinois on Main in Santa Monica, Patina in L.A. and L’Orangerie in West Hollywood. The most popular restaurants, according to Zagat’s diners, are Patina, Cafe Bizou in Sherman Oaks, Spago Beverly Hills, Bel-Air Hotel in Bel-Air and Campanile in L.A. Last year, Patina ranked No. 1 in food and popularity. Zagat diners still think service is the worst part of the restaurant experience. Waiters, are you listening?

Tidbits: JiRaffe, Raphael Lunetta’s recently redecorated Cal-French restaurant, is now open for dinner on Monday nights. It’s at 502 Santa Monica Blvd., near 5th Street in Santa Monica. The phone number is (310) 917-6671. . . . Reign, the super-sleek Southern restaurant on Robertson in Beverly Hills, is now open for lunch from Monday through Friday. Munch on fried-chicken salad, warm ham-and-cheese melt or a grilled sirloin burger. The prices are high, though, topping out at $19.50 for pan-seared Chilean sea bass. It’s at 180 N. Robertson Blvd.; phone is (310) 273-4463. . . . Sal Marino, owner of Il Grano, celebrates his restaurant’s second anniversary this week. From Friday until Oct. 28, he and new chef de cuisine Joachim Weritz are running menu specials such as baked skate with capers, olives and lemons, seafood risotto, lobster ravioli and green lasagna. Il Grano is at 11359 Santa Monica Blvd. in West L.A., (310) 477-7886. . . . Tanino Drago has gotten his hands on some of the season’s first white truffles and is shaving them over soups, pastas, poached eggs, polenta, a duck-breast salad, striped bass and a veal medallion at his restaurant Tanino. The truffle-topped dishes run from $18 to $65. 1043 Westwood Blvd., Westwood. (310) 208-0444.

The Big Meal Before the Big Top: Hans Rockenwagner wants to get you to the circus on time. So for as long as Cirque du Soleil is performing in its big tent beside the Santa Monica Pier, Rockenwagner restaurant will be serving a special three-course prix-fixe menu for $32.50. It’s being offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., just in time for you to make the 8 p.m. circus performances. The meal, which includes your choice of appetizer, main course and dessert, will be offered until mid-November.

Rockenwagner, 2435 Main St., Santa Monica; (310) 399-6504.

A Pair of Dinners: La Cachette is serving a five-course dinner paired with Kenwood wines at 7 p.m. Sunday. The main course is a filet of venison with crisp ravioli, cranberries and Cabernet game sauce paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon. The price for dinner and wine (one glass with each course) is $125 a person, including tax and tip.

La Cachette, 10506 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A.; (310) 470-4992.

Noel Ampel, owner of Woodside, has invited Lou Preston of Preston Vineyards in Healdsburg down to Brentwood to chat about Zinfandels, Sauvignon Blancs and Marsannes. While Preston is pouring, chef Dean Max will be serving a five-course dinner featuring a breast of squab stuffed with black trumpet mushrooms. The wine dinner is at 7 p.m. Monday, but plan to arrive early. The tab, which includes a glass of wine with each course, tax and tip, is $80.

* Woodside, 11604 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood; (310) 571-3800.

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Angela Pettera can be reached by voicemail at (213) 237-3153 or by e-mail at pettera@prodigy.net.