Angel’s American ‘Melting Pot’ Cuisine Lands in Venice

New Girl in Town: Venice hasgained another neighborhood restaurant with the opening of Angel’s American Bistro at the old Dandelion Cafe location on Venice Boulevard. Owner Martin Lee, formerly a manager at James’ Beach in Venice, also helped open Lilly’s French Cafe, named for his mother-in-law although Lee is no longer involved in Lilly’s. He named his new restaurant after his wife and partner Angel because “most of the restaurants in Venice have a man’s name, [Hal’s, Joe’s], so I said, ‘Let’s have a woman’s name.’ ”

The Lees redesigned the interior of the new place to reflect a clean California look and bought sculptures from local artists Michael Murphy and John Howard Rose. They installed a counter for single diners and large tables for groups. A patio accommodates smokers.

Chef Jason Simpson has worked at Melisse, JiRaffe and Jackson’s. Of his food he says: “It’s my take on what American cuisine is, which is basically a melting pot.” For brunch there are the usual suspects along with a plate of crab hash browns with scrambled eggs ($10.50) and a grilled vegetable sandwich with goat cheese and spring pea spread ($8.25). You can find that same sandwich on the lunch menu along with a shrimp po’ boy with black-eyed pea relish ($10). For dinner there’s macaroni and cheese ($12), fried catfish with ponzu sauce ($15) and Sonoma County duck breast with glazed mango, turnips and bok choy ($19). Angel’s is open for dinner nightly, for lunch Mondays through Fridays and for brunch 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

* Angel’s American Bistro, 636 Venice Blvd., Venice; (310) 827-5878.

What the Mouse Is Up To: Disneyland’s newest Anaheim theme park, California Adventure, is slated to open in February. Along with rides and recreations of California regions, there will be hotels, shopping areas and restaurants. Wolfgang Puck, noted for influencing the way Californians eat, has been tapped to head up a seafood house and cocktail lounge in the Pacific Wharf area of the park. Dubbed Avalon Cove, Puck’s place is planned to look like a giant sand castle from the outside, with an “undersea fantasy” interior. This will be Puck’s first actual seafood restaurant.

Also inside Disney’s California Adventure will be the Grand Californian Hotel, to open in January. Andrew Sutton will be the guy in white at the hotel’s Grand Napa restaurant. Sutton was courted for his knowledge of wine country cuisine, having spent seven years at Auberge du Soleil in Rutherfod. Before that, Sutton was the chef at the famous Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas. He will focus on California cuisine, highlighting the Golden State’s best products and “being very conscious that the food pairs with wine.” The wine cellar will hold more than 600 bottles, most of them from California vintners.

Meet the Meat Man: Harvey’s Guss Meat Co., a wholesale meat company started in 1939 that supplies prime beef to such restaurants as Vida and Campanile, now offers its meat retail to the general public. Harvey Gussman sells dry-aged USDA Prime Porterhouse steaks for $12.50 a pound. He cuts all the meat to order. He also has veal chops for $13.50 a pound and center-cut pork chops for $2.80 a pound. Fresh (not rock-hard) California chickens are $1 a pound whole, $1.12 a pound cut up. Canadian or East Coast duck legs go for $1.86 a pound. For confit with that duck leg, Gussman will sell the duck fat needed for $1.60 a pound. It usually takes one day to process an order after calling it in. Some cuts of meat have minimum orders and cutting and wrapping charges apply.

Delivery is free to some areas on orders over $100. The meat company is open for pickup Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

* Harvey’s Guss Meat Co., 949 S. Ogden Drive, Los Angeles; (323) 937-4622.

A Hop, a Skip and a Wok Away: City Wok, the Valley Chinese spot that moves a lot of Shanghai potato scramble and stuffed Japanese eggplant, has moved from its North Hollywood digs on Lankershim Boulevard. It’s now in the new Studio Plaza at 10949 Ventura Blvd. (at Vineland), Studio City. The phone number is (818) 506-4050. . . . Boxer, the tiny restaurant owned by Steven Arroyo, is serving lunch Tuesdays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Chef Brooke Williamson sends out the grilled ham and Gruyere sandwich that Europeans call Croque Monsieur ($9), a rabbit and eggplant gratin ($14) and a rib-eye steak sandwich with horseradish creme frai^che and French fries ($13). Boxer is at 7615 W. Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 932-6178.

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