Sunset and Vine blossoms

WONDERFUL as it is, L.A. can drive you crazy sometimes -- like when you want to meet someone for a drink, go to a movie and get a bite to eat afterward. In practically any other city, all of the above would be easy to negotiate by taxi, subway or even on foot.

But here, in order to meet first for a drink, you have to valet park. In order to catch a movie, you have to cruise a parking garage in search of a space until you almost miss the opening credits. After that, you have to get in your car again and head for one of the few places where the kitchen stays open late.

And valet park -- again. At this point, we’re already into the double digits just for parking.

That is precisely why the Grove and the Santa Monica Promenade are so jammed. Park once. In L.A., it’s a dream.

When Hungry Cat opened a block away from the ArcLight Cinemas, I was ecstatic. Finally, someplace where you could get great cocktails and terrific seafood after a movie or browsing the racks at Amoeba. But Hungry Cat is tiny, and unless you think to reserve ahead, there may be a wait.

Enter Magnolia, a smart-looking American restaurant just a short stroll away on Sunset Boulevard between Vine and Argyle streets. It’s a casual place, with a somewhat limited menu, but easygoing and fun.

The look is modernist and urban. There’s a bar at the front that was populated the day before Halloween with a flock of girls in angel and butterfly wings. There’s nothing that exotic now, just your usual bar-crawling hipsters.

Behind that is a long narrow dining room outfitted with leather banquettes and concave mirrors that reflect the scene. At the very back is a small walled patio where the noise level isn’t as intense and smokers can be accommodated.

The menu from Cody Diegel, who came from the Belmont in West Hollywood, can be described as either classic American or dead boring, depending on your perspective. That means an iceberg wedge with blue cheese dressing, a decent burger (beef or turkey), a gooey macaroni and cheese, New York steak and fries.

The kitchen turns out that old-fashioned spinach and artichoke dip, which, if you’re starving, is good to share while you’re waiting for the rest of the order. No surprises among the starters, but there’s a decent fried calamari with marinara sauce, an excellent grilled artichoke with citrus aioli and, not to forget, a Caesar.

Magnolia has a nice roster of sandwiches, available late night too. Think BLT, albacore tuna salad and a grilled steak sandwich with bacon-horseradish dressing.

You can go a little fancier, too, with a grilled pork chop, roasted free-range chicken or grilled wild salmon. But I’d opt instead for the marinated skirt steak, which comes with fluffy mashed potatoes and grilled scallions. Just the thing to revive a cinephile after some Hollywood horror.

The star of the brief dessert menu is a mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich -- two giant cookies with a slab of mint chip ice cream between them.

The waiters look the actor manque type, yet they deliver on the service with a wry sense of humor. Think of Magnolia as a dressed-up diner and you’ll be happy as a clam. Especially if it’s late and you haven’t eaten since noon.

As Hollywood wakes from its lengthy beauty sleep, the area around Sunset and Vine is getting to be quite the neighborhood. Next to Magnolia is another new spot, Bowery. Decked out in black subway tiles, it’s more a place to get a drink or a beer than a meal. For that, Magnolia neatly fills the bill.

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Magnolia

Where: 6266 1/2 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood

When: Open 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily. Full bar. Valet parking.

Cost: Appetizers, $8 to $12; salads, $7 to $12; sandwiches, $8 to $12; main courses, $14 to $26; sides, $6; desserts, $7

Info: (323) 467-0660