Country French Tournesol Sprouts in the Valley

From Basil to Sunflowers: A country French restaurant named Tournesol has just opened in Studio City where Portofino Italian restaurant stood for years. The name, French for sunflower, hints at its southern French decor and Provencal cuisine. Owner Patrice Lambert and his wife, Marie-Doree, owned a restaurant on Corsica for a year and a catering business in France for 12 before moving here. While they were in flight, the 1994 Northridge earthquake occurred. The Lamberts persuaded a longtime friend, chef Francois Meulien, to leave Las Vegas, where he was cooking at Tres Jazz at the Paris Hotel, and open Tournesol with them here.

They ripped apart Portofino’s floor, walls, ceiling and kitchen and added a patio on the sidewalk fronting Ventura Boulevard. All of this took place down the street from Meulien’s old stamping ground--he was the chef at Bistro Garden at Coldwater from 1991 to 1996. Meulien describes his food as “very French contemporary with, of course, California influence.”

His escargots Provencal come with tomatoes and mushrooms in thyme butter ($9). He cooks a whole Mediterranean sea bass in a sea-salt and pastry crust for two ($50). Osso buco is served on spinach risotto ($24.95). An imported cheese assortment is $10. Tournesol serves dinner nightly and lunch Monday through Friday.

* Tournesol, 13251 Ventura Blvd., Studio City; (818) 986-3190.

Saying Goodbye Is So Hard: Sam Perrigo, owner of Bouchon, readied himself to leave his landlord and his restaurant space and move down Melrose Avenue to Kass Bah’s digs last month. At the 11th hour, his landlord cut him a great deal on a five-year lease, so Perrigo and Bouchon will stay put.

Not wanting to let the Kass Bah space go, Perrigo decided to open a Continental restaurant there, which he will call the Parisian Room. Michael Harlan will wield the biggest knife in that kitchen; Harlan last cooked at the House of Blues as the VIP Room chef. He’s spent some time in Asia, so expect that to influence his cooking.

The Parisian Room will be decorated with comfortable furnishing and warm lighting, sort of like Bouchon but less cluttered. Perrigo wants it to look like an Art Deco Parisian brasserie. It’s scheduled to open in mid-September at 9010 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; (310) 278-3600.

Fig Festival: The 80-foot-tall Moreton Bay fig tree that stands in front of the Fairmont Miramar Hotel has inspired a fig festival there, even though the Moreton Bay produces inedible fruit. Now through Sept. 16, the Grille will feature a daily fig menu with dishes like fig and papaya salad, tiger prawns with fig chutney, roasted chicken with rosemary and figs and a warm fig and mango tart. The bar will also be serving fig martinis and margaritas.

* The Grille, Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 576-7777.

Summer Nights: Bistro 45 has hired jazz pianist and composer Jon Mayer to play in the Bistro Bar from 7 to 10 p.m. on selected Friday and Saturday nights throughout September. From 5 to 9 p.m. on Sundays, owner Robert Simon offers a three-course meal plus half a bottle of wine for $45. Choose any appetizer (except the foie gras), entree and dessert off the dinner menu, then choose either half a bottle of white Burgundy or a Chilean Merlot. Add tax and tip. This deal will run through Sept. 23.

* Bistro 45, 45 S. Mentor Ave., Pasadena; (626) 795-2478.

Fund-Raiser: Andy Nakano, owner of Jozu, has teamed with artist Teena Leonardi to put on a fund-raising event for Special Equestrian Riding Therapy. A four-course omakase dinner plus hors d’oeuvres is paired with cocktails and plenty of donated wines such as Veuve Clicquot, Chalone, Cakebread, Opus One and Silver Oak. The ticket price of $225 includes dinner, drinks, tax, tip and 10 raffle tickets. In the raffle: a magnum of wine, a watercolor on silk, two round-trip airline tickets to Japan, a cooking class at Jozu and more wines. Each attendee gets a small original piece of hand-painted silk from Leonardi. The evening begins at 6 p.m. on Monday.

* Jozu, 8360 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; (323) 655-5600.

Sushi and Sake Dinner: The Seabar, located next to Asia de Cuba in the Mondrian Hotel, will sit patrons at its long alabaster table and serve sushi at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. A sashimi-type dish (seared ahi in a coconut shell), a ceviche (lobster martini with pepper vodka) and a sushi roll (conch dynamite roll) are matched with three sakes. The tab (including tax and tip) is $60.

* Seabar, Mondrian Hotel, 8440 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. (323) 848-6011.

Anniversary: To celebrate its seventh anniversary, Chimayo Grill at Fashion Island will give September dinner customers a $10 gift certificate good toward brunch, lunch or dinner until Dec. 31. * Chimayo Grill, Fashion Island, 327 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach; (949) 640-2700.

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Reach Angela Pettera at (310) 358-7647 or pettera@prodigy.net