Breeze Enters Quietly in West Century Plaza

It’s a Breeze: Breeze restaurant opened very quietly over the holidays in the newly redesigned Westin Century Plaza Hotel. Architect Stephen Francis Jones (he worked with Barbara Lazaroff on Spago Beverly Hills) designed the space, which sits on the main level of the hotel next to the entrance. The theme is movement; the pulp glass on the ceiling undulates, and terrazzo floors mimic windblown sand. Andreas Nieto is the chef of the hotel and of this restaurant, which is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

* Breeze, Westin Century Plaza Hotel & Spa, 2025 Avenue of the Stars, Century City; (310) 277-2000.

Caviar Bar With Food: You know a restaurant owner is in love with caviar when he names his place Beluga. Ahmad Yousefi, who owned the Golden Goose Restaurant for 16 years before selling it, opened such a place a few months ago in the South Bay, with Peter Gateas as chef. Beluga has a separate caviar bar, but a few of the appetizers come with caviar, such as the oyster sampler ($24.95) and the smoked salmon ($14.95). Main courses run mostly to fish. The Alaskan salmon is crusted with fennel ($16.95); the swordfish is blackened ($18.95). Pastas ($8.95 to $11.95), veal scaloppine ($14.95) and steaks round out the menu. Dinner is served Tuesday through Sunday nights. In the future, Beluga will function as a bakery-deli with outdoor table service.

* Beluga, 1500 Morningside, Manhattan Beach; (310) 802-1160.

Reproduction: Another Sushi Roku just opened in Pasadena, when the modern Asian restaurant that offers full dining as well as sushi selections moved into One Colorado in Old Town. Owners Michael Cardenas, Lee Maen, Craig Katz and Philip Cummins opened the first Sushi Roku on 3rd Street in L.A. in ’97 and the second on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. The latest, with indoor and patio dining, is open daily for lunch and dinner at 33 Miller Alley, Pasadena. The phone number is (626) 683-3000. . . . P.F. Chang’s China Bistro hit Mission Viejo last month, serving pan-Chinese food with American hospitality, as they put it. (We don’t know what’s so inhospitable about Chinese service, but whatever.) Open for lunch and dinner daily, the new P.F.’s is at the Shops at Mission Viejo, 27000 Crown Valley Parkway, Mission Viejo; (949) 364-6661. . . . The Yard House will open its third beer-focused restaurant come April or May in Irvine. Each Yard House is bigger than the last. This one will measure 16,000 square feet, with seating for more than 700 people. Naturally, the oval bar will feature so many beers on tap you couldn’t possibly get through them all with one liver. The Yard House will be at the Irvine Spectrum, 71 Fortune Drive, Irvine. . . . The Patina Group has opened its fourth museum cafe. Tangata, as it’s called, sits inside the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and flows into its courtyard. It serves lunch (entree prices ranging from $8.75 to $15.50) Tuesday through Sunday. It’s in the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana; (714) 550-0906.

Musical Clogs: Since having a child, Andrew Pastore has left his post as the chef at Michael’s in Santa Monica and headed back to the East Coast to be near family. Pastore had stepped up from his sous chef position last summer. Two people will be taking his place. Christine Banta and Olivier Rouselle will share kitchen duties; both have been with owner and executive chef Michael McCarty for at least a year. Recently married Darcy Tizio-Bowen will continue as pastry chef.

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

For Fish: Fishland is a recently opened shop selling (what else?) fresh fish. The owners are seafood suppliers who have sold their wares wholesale to restaurants such as Spago, Cicada, Drago and Michael’s over the years. The new retail space stocks fish from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Tahiti, Indonesia, Mexico, Chile, Alaska and Hawaii. The fish comes in whole; Fishland will fillet or cut it to order. It also carries olives, olive oils, anchovies and mustards. Some products are kosher. Fishland is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

* Fishland, 9150 W. Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills; (310) 271-2553.

Hold the Pesticides, Please: The Polo Lounge is hosting a wine dinner that will highlight organic red wines. Master Sommelier Elizabeth Schweitzer chose Bonterra’s organically grown Viognier and Syrah to pour, among others. The accompanying five-course meal includes a young squab with pa^te de foie gras, sauteed noisette of venison, white-truffle pasta with Cognac cream sauce and a cheese and fruit plate. The earthy tab is $88.

* The Polo Lounge, Beverly Hills Hotel, 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills; (310) 276-2251.

For the Record: When we mentioned that Agostino Sciandri had split with his partner Mike Gordon, we inadvertently gave the impression that Sciandri had given up all interest in the Rosti restaurants. Although he has sold his stock, Sciandri retains some ownership of Rosti via his own management company.

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