Minimalist, with a den

The corner of Beverly Boulevard and Vista Street was shrouded for weeks while construction turned red, the hip all-American cafe, into the considerably more elegant Opaline. A band of citron-green on the facade pays tribute to the name, which is what Oscar Wilde called the color of his preferred drink, the notorious (and long since outlawed) absinthe.

Inside, the chic minimalist restaurant wears a palette of somber neutrals anchored by a stunning column of light. Bare windows punched in the curved facade look onto the Beverly Boulevard cityscape.

David Rosoff, who ran Michael’s for the last five years, is general manager and a partner in Opaline. The chef is David Lentz, most recently of China Grill in Las Vegas. His first menu is something like Jar crossed with Lucques: in other words, sophisticated-sounding comfort food with a Mediterranean spin. It’s not the same old-same old: This menu actually sounds interesting.

For starters, Lentz proposes pumpkin risotto with chorizo and baby squid, bay leaf-dusted scallops with lentils and smoked bacon in a mushroom broth, or a crepe stuffed with rabbit confit and Iberian ham. Few restaurants would dare offer a salad of roasted beets and arugula with braised lamb tongue, but Opaline does. (Unfortunately, it’s not very good. Mine was woefully overcooked.)

Lentz does his own version of Zuni Cafe’s roast chicken for two. His is an organic bird presented with bread stuffing and a rather oily gratin of Tuscan black cabbage. There’s a Moroccan-spiced braised pork shoulder, not a cut you see often either, served with couscous in its braising juices. Beef cheek shows up in a pasta dish made with very chewy orecchiette (“little ears”) pasta from Puglia. This menu is not light fare by any means, and at least on a first look, the food doesn’t live up to the promise of the descriptions.

Red’s next-door bar, Red-Eye, has been turned into “the den,” a long, narrow room furnished with a banquette and a counter with stools. The bar is actually behind the scenes, so it’s more like eating in a sleek hallway. Here, walk-ins can order off the regular menu or from the den’s list of “small plates” from $4 to $6. How about a little duck confit with white beans and sausage, or perhaps some lacquered lamb ribs, if you’re feeling peckish?

The most exciting thing about Opaline is its innovative wine list, with offerings from truly interesting producers all over the globe. You can order by the glass, by the half-liter (perfect for two) or by the bottle. It’s really a pleasure when someone makes such an intelligent effort.

Opaline plans to stay open until 11:30 p.m. most nights, so now there’s somewhere new to go after the movies or the theater. Oh, and it’s open for lunch too, on weekdays.

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Opaline

Where: 7450 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles.

When: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; for dinner from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Full bar. Valet parking.

Cost: Appetizers, $6 to $12; main courses, $16 to $23; desserts, $7.

Info: (323) 857-6725.