Primi No Longer Part of Selvaggio’s Domain

And Then There Were Three: Piero Selvaggio, owner of the Valentino restaurants, has sold his northern Italian eatery, Primi. The new owner, as of June 1, will be Pepe Ruiz. Selvaggio told us, “I really felt that Primi was such a catalyst to what a trattoria has become in the US.” Selvaggio has owned Primi since 1985, 10 years after he started Valentino. Selvaggio retains the Valentinos in West L.A. and Las Vegas and Posto in Sherman Oaks.

* Primi, 10543 W. Pico Blvd., L.A.; (310) 475-9235.

A Hop, a Skip and a Jump: J.P. Amateau, who used to cook at the Regent Beverly Wilshire, is now at Parkway Grill in Pasadena. Parkway has lacked an executive chef since 1997, when Hugo Molina left to open his own Pasadena restaurant. Executive sous chef Carlos Escalante had been handling the top duties. Amateau says: “Now they [the owners] want to upscale the menu a little.” Amateau’s going Cal-Mediterranean, a departure from the French-influenced style of the Dining Room. Change will be gradual, but he has big plans. As he put it, “I’m going to make use of that wood-burning oven.” He’ll put whole racks of lamb and veal roasts in there; he’ll tweak the pizzas and play with the pastas. Parkway’s popular catfish dish, however, will remain untouched.

* Parkway Grill, 510 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena; (626) 795-1001.

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Smokin’!: May is national barbecue month, so we would be remiss not to mention the Pig, which opens Friday. This Memphis-style barbecue place, created by the husband and wife chefs Daly and Liz Thompson, specializes in tomato-based sauces. Along with baby back ribs and pulled pork, you can get smoked beef brisket, pan-fried Cajun catfish and (call Elvis!) beer-batter deep-fried pickle chips.

* The Pig, 612 N. La Brea Ave., L.A.; (323) 935-1116.

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Days of Wine and Oysters: Jon Fernow, chef-owner of Cienega, and sommelier Jason Baker have created a wine-and-oyster tasting menu to be served 7 p.m. Tuesday. It features oysters by the dozen or half-dozen and plenty of Chablis by the glass. Oysters market price; Chablis $6 to $20.

* Cienega, 730 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood; (310) 358-8585.

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The Prime Wine: Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills is hosting a wine dinner featuring the products of Beaulieu Vineyards at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Chef Walter Eckstein has created a six-course meal to go with the six showcased wines. The main course is prime rib. (You were expecting something else?) The price is $80 per person.

* Lawry’s The Prime Rib, 100 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills; (310) 652-2827.

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To Chew On: The old La Dolce Vita in Beverly Hills has been sold. Jimmy Ullo, who owned the place for the last 34 years, is slowly paving the way for his own retirement. For now he’ll stay on as general manager and the rest of the staff will remain. There will be “no radical change,” as he puts it. But he did tell us, “I think I’ll be slowly fading out in the next three years or so.” La Dolce Vita is at 9785 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 278-1845. . . . Hisashi Yoshiara, chef at Jozu on Melrose, is now offering an omakase (or chef’s choice) menu nightly. The five-course menu usually consists of a sashimi plus two other small plates, an entree and dessert. The rate is $50 a head. On Sundays, omakase is four courses for $30. For Mother’s Day, Yoshiara is serving a three-course meal for $40. Jozu is at 8360 Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood, (323) 655-5600.

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Mother’s Day: Entertain Mom at La Boca del Conga with a bolero/rumba quartet and a three-course Nuevo Latino meal. Dishes include plantain-coated grouper and a double-cut pork chop with chipotle mashed potatoes. The $40 price tag does not include beverages, tax or tip. There are seatings at 3 and 7 p.m. After the latter seating, if you fork over an extra $15 for admission to the Conga Room upstairs at 9:30 p.m., Mom can salsa the night away. La Boca del Conga, 5370 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; (323) 938-1696.

At 71 Palm restaurant, Mother’s Day brunch will be served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The three-course menu begins with salad, moves on to egg, fish and meat dishes and finishes with dessert. The price is $28.95 for adults; $14.95 for children under 12. A glass of champagne and orange juice is included. 71 Palm, 71 N. Palm St., Ventura; (805) 653-7222.

Le Meridien, the hotel that used to be called Hotel Nikko, will also offer a Mother’s Day brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Hana Lounge and Garden. This buffet includes dishes like terrine of foie gras and lentils and leg of lamb en crou^te. The price is $50. Hana Lounge and Garden, in Le Meridien at Beverly Hills, 465 S. La Cienega Blvd., L.A.; (310) 246-2100.

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