Serving Up the Comfort Concept in Costa Mesa

No. 5 for the Goodells: Whist restaurant in Santa Monica may be the hot reservation in town, but Tim and Liza Goodell are already on to their next venture. The couple’s fifth restaurant is called the Lodge, and it opened in mid-August in a Costa Mesa shopping center called the Camp.

The Lodge serves comfort food in a setting complete with antlers on the wall. The menu includes a roast turkey dinner with Tim’s mother’s wild rice stuffing, lots of steaks, chicken pot pie and onion rings. The smell of the kitchen’s mesquite wood-burning grill wafts through the dining room. The prices are moderate, with dinner entrees $10 to $20.

* The Lodge, 2937 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, (714) 751-1700.

Yujean Kang in Orange County: Yujean Kang, chef at the venerable Pasadena restaurant, is opening a casual spot in South Coast Plaza this week. Yujean Kang’s Asian Bistro will start with a limited menu of Asian dishes ranging from beef noodle soup to sushi and tempura.

“There are no white tablecloths,” says Kang’s wife, Ivonne. “We want this to be an inviting environment where people can come in from the mall and have a three-course dinner or a snack.”

* Yujean Kang’s Asian Bistro, 3333 Bristol St., No. 1807, Costa Mesa, (714) 662-1098.

Small Bites: Scott Fickling will fill the post of general manager at the Palm in West Hollywood. His predecessor, Gigi Delmaestro, a beloved fixture at the restaurant, died in July. Fickling, a Palm restaurant executive, is relocating from Denver.

Interested in sampling a variety of sakes? Mako in Beverly Hills is offering flights of three for $12.