A Second, and Larger, Mistral to Open in Beverly Hills

Time for a Second: After 15 years running Mistral in Sherman Oaks, Henri Abergel is opening a second Mistral in Beverly Hills at 301 N. Canon Drive, where On Canon used to be. He’s just begun the remodeling process, so he won’t be ready to open until early December. The new Mistral will seat about 100, almost twice as many as the Valley spot. Abergel is having a large bar and some booths built to give his new baby the bistro-ish feel of the original. When it’s finished, he tells us, it’s going to look “like an uptown bistro.” When Mistral Beverly Hills is ready to debut, Abergel will throw a few opening parties.

Welcome Back: Having settled its liquor-license issues, Felt has reopened in West Hollywood. Accompanying cocktails is a range of bar snacks like buttermilk-batter fried onions with blue cheese sauce ($6) and oysters on the half shell ($10). The entirely new kitchen staff is led by Stuart Skversky and Warren Schwartz. Skversky was most recently a sous-chef at Spago Beverly Hills, and he and Schwartz were sous-chefs together at Patina. (Schwartz has been trying to open a fine-dining venue called laca for the past year. That project is currently on hold but not abandoned.) Apart from the bar menu, the two guys turn out dinner entrees such as roasted chicken breast with wild mushroom risotto cake ($16) and grilled rib eye topped with Roquefort ($18). Pastry chef Laura Fieberg (from Zealous in Chicago and the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta) is making pumpkin cheesecake ($7) and a warm apple-walnut crisp ($7), among other treats. Felt is open for dinner nightly. Valet parking helps alleviate the inconveniences of the ongoing construction along Santa Monica Boulevard.

* Felt Restaurant & Bar, 8279 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; (323) 822-3888.

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Max on the Move: Dean Max has left Woodside, owned since August by Christ Schaeffer, after three years as its chef. Max had been bargaining with Schaeffer to become a partner in Woodside, but the two couldn’t quite cut a deal. “Chris is a good guy,” says Max, who left without hard feelings and is looking for his next position. In the meantime, Max would love his customers to contact him with their e-mail addresses so he can keep them informed about his cooking classes, which he plans to continue. You can e-mail him at DeanJamesMax@Yahoo.com.

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

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Menu Mania: Melisse, the modern French restaurant in Santa Monica, will offer a white truffle menu and a game menu, both of eight courses, through December. The white truffle menu ($150) is truffled egg, white truffle risotto, lobster with a bacon-truffle sauce, black bass, a glazed veal shank, a cheese plate, apple sorbet and a roasted pear tart. The game menu ($95) features the likes of rabbit, pheasant, partridge and venison. The special menus must be ordered for the entire table, but individual dishes from each menu are also available a la carte.

* Melisse, 1104 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 395-0881.

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Eat for a Good Cause: At 6 p.m. Saturday the Silver Lining foundation is throwing a fund-raiser for the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic, which offers medical assistance to the poorest in the community. An outdoor acoustic concert featuring Beck kicks off the evening at the Silver Lake mansion known as the Paramour, followed by food and drink from Vida, Fred 62, Los Feliz Restaurant and Jazz Spot, vermont, Cafe Stella, Mustard Seed Cafe and Chameau. Tickets ($250) may be purchased online at https://www.hsfreeclinic.org or by calling Catalyst Productions at (323) 665-5384. Parking directions to the Paramour will be given upon ticket purchase.

Wine and Dine: Roy’s of Newport Beach showcases Arrowood Vineyards & Winery for its dinner at 7 p.m. Monday. The four-course meal ($100) is paired with reserve wines, and winery co-founder Alis Arrowood will be on hand to discuss them.

* Roy’s, at Fashion Island, 453 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach; (949) 640-7697.

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The Farm of Beverly Hills and the Cheese Store of ditto have conspired to serve a Champagne dinner at 7 p.m. Monday at the Farm. The six-course meal features crispy duck salad, sea scallops with caviar, an ahi-cucumber tower, smoked salmon on a potato pancake, prickly pears and foie gras and an apricot terrine. Six Champagnes will be poured. It’s $95; call the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills to reserve a space at (310) 278-2855.

* The Farm of Beverly Hills, 439 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills; (310) 273-5578.

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Down Under Coming Up: Aubergine restaurant is holding a full-blown Australian wine dinner at 7 p.m. Nov. 15. Australian chef Sandor Palmai from the Landhaus Restaurant in Barossa Valley is being flown in to create a seven-course meal. Eleven wines will be poured throughout the night. The price is $225 per person.

* Aubergine, 508 29th St., Newport Beach; (949) 723-4150.

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