Alex Gives a Refreshing Twist to Citrus’ Old Space

After French chef Michel Richard decamped to Washington, D.C., and became a star there, he seemed to lose interest in his first restaurant and Los Angeles. Citrus, which opened in 1987, closed in 2000 and has sat empty ever since.

Who can forget Citrus’ white umbrellas and Richard’s marvelously inventive California-French cooking? In its heyday, it was a destination for food lovers around the country.

That was then. Now a young chef, Cordon Bleu-trained Alex Scrimgeouer, late of Saddle Peak Lodge, has moved into the space and scrawled his name in large letters out front. He’s also completely changed the look of the place. It’s a surprise, and a pleasant one.

Inviting, Deco-inspired leather armchairs are grouped around the bar, which hasn’t been moved. The wall between the main dining room and the bar has been removed, though. And the interior has been given a modernist makeover with dark wood beams, contemporary furniture and discreet touches of stained glass. The effect is both comfortable and elegant.

At a time when many restaurateurs are looking to the bottom line, Scrimgeouer is taking the high road to fine dining. The weight of the silverware will give you an idea of how much he’s spent. It’s a menu on which appetizers average $15, middle courses $12 and all the main courses $29, desserts $9--until you discover a four-course menu (choose one item from each category) is $58. This is clearly the way to go, unless you opt to “let Alex cook for you” for a cool $85 per person.

It’s an ambitious menu, but one Scrimgeouer seems capable of handling if a recent meal there is anything to go by. Among the first courses is a delightful coriander-crusted skate wing with leek fondue and a duck leg confit paired with a little Nicoise-style tapenade. I liked the bright taste of his vinegar-marinated anchovies, which he accompanied with some Spanish raw-cured ham and velvety roasted piquillo peppers.

Among the middle courses is a delicious asparagus and quail’s egg salad with a piquant saffron remoulade. I’m going back, too, for the grilled langoustine, which tastes as if it were live moments before it was cooked. Don’t leave a drop of the anchovy butter behind.

Cote de boeuf makes quite a feast for two; the beef is prime and aged 21 days. If you order lamb, it comes two ways, as chops and ossobuco.

Scrimgeouer does some interesting things with fish, too, without going over the top. John Dory, for example, is served simply with mascarpone-swirled polenta. The surprise was my wild mushroom risotto--for my taste, too strong in flavor, but he got the texture right, which is an achievement in itself.

Order the dark chocolate souffle at the beginning of the meal and you’re all set. Unless, that is, you’d prefer “Alex’s daily pairing of imported cheeses” for a $5 supplement.

The opening of Alex is one more sign that the L.A. restaurant scene may be, finally, on the comeback trail.

Scrimgeouer doesn’t seem to be the cautious type: He’s already started serving lunch weekdays. The tariff is $29 for a three-course prix fixe menu.

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Alex, 6703 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 933-5233. Appetizers, $15; middle courses, $12; main courses, $29; four-course prix fixe menu, $58; at lunch, three-course prix fixe menu, $29. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays for dinner; Tuesdays through Fridays for lunch. Valet parking.