From Russia with skill

I’d wondered what happened to Nick Coe after he closed his South Pasadena restaurant-in-a-tent, Nick’s, a few years ago. The food was imaginative and soulful, the atmosphere relaxed and fun.

Coe, it turns out, has been doing some restaurant consulting in Moscow, which was quite a challenge, he says. Now he’s back, and glad to be so, heading up the kitchen at the new 310 Lounge and Bistro in Santa Monica at Pico Boulevard and 33rd Street.

Say where? Remember Flint’s, which also did the lounge thing into the late-night hours, with wild cocktails and, if I remember correctly, blueberry pancakes at dinner? Well, that’s the spot.

310 made a stealth debut in early August. The place has the feel of a speak-easy. Tucked almost under the freeway as it passes over Pico, the space has an industrial warehouse ceiling strung with lamps that resemble tiaras. Through some sleight of hand, the color of the lighting changes from fuchsia to royal blue to turquoise throughout the evening.

The dining room is supper-club proper: white cloths thrown over the tables, stemware at the ready and, in one corner, a trio of electrical instruments, without the musicians. (Maybe I didn’t stay late enough for the show.)

We were cosseted in one of a handful of booths that wrap around four to six diners as tightly as an evening cape. Their dimensions cause some awkwardness when anyone attempts to bus the table or pour water. 310 may need to hire waiters with very long arms. It’s a thought, anyway.

At any rate, Coe hasn’t lost his touch with the modern bistro approach. He’s turning out an appealing one-page menu of fresh, focused dishes. You can start with a plate of marvelous Marcona almonds from Spain or half a dozen oysters on the half shell with an apple mignonette. Warm asparagus comes with morels and from Galicia. Crab ravioli are napped in a tomato coulis accented with citrus.

Wild New Zealand salmon is escorted by Parmesan gnocchi and baby artichokes. Coe braises chicken with prunes, olives and chorizo, and serves duck breast with grilled peaches and figs, almonds and aromatic herbs. Fans of Kurobuta pork can get a hefty chop, juicy and full of flavor. And Kobe flatiron steak comes with an emerald chimichurri and a subtle blue cheese sauce made from the Spanish cheese Cabrales.

And for dessert, Thomas Gerard, the former pastry chef at Patina, whips up some beguiling sweets, including bananas Foster with coconut whipped cream and a lavender honey panna cotta.

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310 Lounge and Bistro

Where: 3321 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica

When: Dinner, 6 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday, to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Full bar. Valet parking.

Cost: Small plates and appetizers, $4 to $14: main dishes, $19 to $34; desserts, $7 to $9

Info: (310) 453-5001