New Michael’s Chef Takes a Fresh Look

Filling Those Clogs: Andrew Pastore is the man replacing Sang Yoon as chef at Michael’s, Michael McCarty’s mostly outdoor Santa Monica restaurant. Yoon left to run a bar called Father’s Office, also in Santa Monica. Pastore had been Yoon’s sous chef for the last four months; now, he says, he’s “trying to compete with everyone else,” meaning other chefs. In his new lunch and dinner menus (just now in effect), Pastore says, he uses as much fresh farmer’s market produce as he can. On his lunch menu are seasonal oysters, Kenter Canyon Farm mixed greens, Maryland blue crab cakes and grilled red snapper with fava beans. For dinner he’s serving a turbot filet with pea tendrils, slow-roasted monkfish with rapini and a lavender honey-glazed free-range chicken.

* Michael’s, 1147 3rd St., Santa Monica; (310) 451-0843.

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Eight Nights of Goodness: The first night of Passover falls on Wednesday. Griff’s, the poolside restaurant in Merv Griffin’s Beverly Hilton Hotel, will observe the holiday through April 27. Griff’s will lay out buffets for lunch and dinner filled with holiday foods like charoset, gefilte fish, noodle kugel and matzo ball soup. The lunch buffet is $21 plus tax and tip; the dinner buffet is $33.95 plus tax and tip.

* Griff’s, in the Beverly Hilton, 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills; (310) 285-1268.

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The Whole Six Plates: Chez Melange offers a Passover meal Wednesday in addition to a Seder plate with all the necessary symbolic foods. The meal that follows is matzo ball soup, chicken liver and gefilte fish, brisket (or lamb shank or whitefish), potato pancakes and chocolate souffle. The tab is $35.

* Chez Melange, at the Palos Verdes Inn, 1716 Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach; (310) 540-1222.

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Easter Options: Easter Sunday is 10 days away. Here are a few options for April 23:

For those looking for a French Easter brunch, La Cachette is serving one from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You choose an appetizer, entree (leg of lamb or fish en papillote) and dessert for $38 plus tax and tip. La Cachette, 10506 Little Santa Monica Blvd., Century City; (310) 470-4992.

A Thousand Cranes in downtown L.A. will have a Japanese Easter brunch. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can wander through buffet stations of salads, sushi, sashimi, cold shellfish, meats, tempura, and Japanese and French pastries; $29.95, includes sparkling wine and orange juice. A Thousand Cranes in the New Otani Hotel & Garden, 120 S. Los Angeles St., L.A.; (213) 253-9255.

Kids get their own buffet and an Easter egg hunt to boot at the Century Plaza Hotel. For adults, chef Andreas Nieto will set out a buffet of salads, iced seafood, prime rib, Virginia ham, corn-crusted halibut, Black Angus sirloin, pastas and vegetables. Desserts include giant chocolate Easter bunnies; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., $35 (children $18). Cafe Plaza in the Century Plaza Hotel and Tower, 2025 Avenue of the Stars, Century City; (310) 277-2000.

The Marina del Rey Ritz-Carlton offers brunch in the ballroom and the more formal Terrace Restaurant. Both buffets offer caviar, raw seafood bars, sushi, salads and dessert bars. The ballroom features main courses such as leg of lamb and beef medallions; $65 for adults, $25 for children 6 to 12. The Terrace has main courses of snapper, salmon, sea bass and veal rib-eye; $75 for adults, $30 for children younger than 12. For the little ones, there will also be a petting zoo and an Easter egg hunt with a golden egg containing a certificate for a weekend getaway at the hotel. The Ballroom and the Terrace Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton, 4375 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey; (310) 823-1700.

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Seder at Home: If you want to eat the meal celebrating freedom in your own home, La Provence Patisserie & Cafe has a full Passover menu available for takeout. In case you aren’t familiar with the place, it’s a French bakery in Beverly Hills that serves breakfast and lunch along with patisserie items. At this time of year, they also offer charoset (pint, $12.50), matzo ball soup (quart, $9.95), chopped liver (half-pound, $5.50) and brisket ($18; serves four). There are also gefilte fish, chicken with capers, prunes and olives, and a flourless chocolate cake. Be sure to place your orders by Friday.

La Provence Patisserie & Cafe, 8950 Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills; (310) 276-1996.

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