Yes, Los Angeles still cooks ‘After Midnight’

When Frank Sinatra sang the line, “I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps,” even the most loyal Angeleno had no illusions that he was referring to L.A. Sure, the Southland is home to great weather, show-biz glamour and talented athletes, but wee-hour power? Well, not really.

Yet at 6 p.m. Sunday (repeating at 9 p.m.), the Food Network has managed to put together a full hour of programming, “After Midnight

The show, produced and hosted by actress and longtime VH1 personality Robin Dorian, is actually the second in the “After Midnight” series. The first, centered on Sinatra fave New York, New York, will air Sunday after the “Los Angeles” special, and Miami is scheduled to take the spotlight July 27.

The charming Dorian has done her homework, taking us along not only to obvious spots like 24-hour eateries (Orson Welles once consumed 24 chili dogs at Pink’s, which we are told is still the record) but also to businesses that buzz while most people snooze (Zone Gourmet prepares nearly 6,000 meals a day for morning delivery to the doorsteps of diet-conscious Southlanders). A Huntington Beach cafe opens well before dawn to serve starving surfers and, a freeway or two away, the Four Seasons readies for its power-breakfast rush.

The show throws around Hollywood names like recipe ingredients. There are brief interviews with Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Sorbo as well as a somewhat off-topic visit with the cast of TV’s “King of Queens.” Perhaps the most memorable personality is Bella Haig, who began serving as night manager at Canter’s Deli in 1964. Anyone whose people-palate is broad enough to cite both Paul Newman and Slash from Gun N’ Roses as among her favorite all-time customers is an L.A. treasure through and through.