The festive side of fresh

THERE’S always something fun to order at Madeleine Bistro, something that brings a sense of occasion to the table: beignets and mimosas at brunch, shiitake mushroom sushi and organic ale at dinner, cannolis and a glass of Bonnie Doon Framboise for dessert.

This charming storefront cafe in Tarzana, with its date-night aura and inventive, well-crafted vegan food, would fill a niche anywhere, but it’s especially welcome in the Valley, where chains abound and the semi-fancy Cal-cuisine neighborhood spots that dot the Westside and West Hollywood are so hard to find.

Opened in late May by the husband-wife team of David and Molly Anderson, Madeleine is on a stretch of Ventura Boulevard that’s otherwise notable for a cluster of risque lingerie shops. But step on in -- the subdued Craftsman-like interior with its olive green walls and cherrywood lighting fixtures has a casual glamour. A small wine bar permits a graceful wait for friends or makes a pleasant spot for single dining or for regulars.

It’s the kind of place that’s likely to turn drop-ins into regulars, not only because the sophisticated dishes offer vegans some tasty and unusual choices, but also because if you lived nearby, it’d be an easy place to add to your list of dining options. What do you feel like eating tonight? Italian? Japanese? Vegan? Why not?

David Anderson, who does the cooking, has the veg creds for the job: He was executive chef at Real Food Daily and sous chef at Inn of the Seventh Ray, two of the most highly regarded vegetarian-friendly restaurants in L.A. His cooking has the consistency and reliable deliciousness of the former, while the menu borrows some of the fanciful ambition of the latter.

In addition to risottos and pastas and vegetable-forward dishes, he uses tofu, tempeh and housemade seitan in entrees such as Asian tacos (shredded seitan in wonton skins) and the club sandwich (chicken-fried seitan and tempeh bacon with sourdough bread). “Cheeses” and creams throughout the menu are tofu or cashew-based.

The menu changes often, with seasonal ingredients always at the fore, but some dishes (comfort food choices, it looks like) seem likely to be mainstays.

At one dinner, the “study in corn” appetizer wins over our table. Small dishes and cups of corn ice cream, “cappuccino” and foam arrive together on a long narrow tray with a few corn “French fries.” The contrasts in texture and temperature are amusing; corn flavor dominates with some subtle support from seasonings.

But even better is the red beet tartare our waiter recommends; it pairs cool, slightly tangy beets with a warm, unctuous puff of tofu cheese whose richness is a perfect foil for the vegetable. Mushroom tamales provide a less effective contrast: Properly hearty masa envelops a too-delicate filling of chanterelles.

Shiitake mushroom sushi with brown rice, avocado, kinpira (sauteed matchstick burdock and carrot) and pickled ginger is excellent, with assertive, well-defined Asian flavors. An entree of soba in broth, however, isn’t as boldly executed as similar dishes in Japanese restaurants; one misses the pungent fish broth.

Among the entrees, tomato risotto, rich with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, Kalamata olives and black kale, is a marvelous choice. The robust Mediterranean flavors are intensely satisfying. Jamaican jerk seitan served with fried plantains, saffron rice, corn-black bean salad and mango jalapeno salsa is a felicitous dish. It’s a festive take on Caribbean fare that highlights the sweet-savory, fruit-chile aspects of the cuisine.

*

Weekend elegance

SUNDAY brunch dishes include some of the salads and sandwiches offered at lunch plus some weekend-morning specials such as waffles and seitan “chicken” with home fries and maple syrup that pleases one of our party with a Southern-food craving. The omelet torta made with egg substitute doesn’t work -- too much territory is given to unfluffy dry “omelets” and not enough to a delicious tender-crisp potato pancake that’s hidden under layers of the overly complicated dish.

But the fresh-squeezed juices are the kind of detail that makes the cafe stand out -- there’s an apple juice spiked with cinnamon and caramel, for example, and two “cremesickle” variations, orange-vanilla and carrot-vanilla. There’s yerba mate, coffees, teas and a few unusual offerings such as Asian pear ginger kombucha (delicious and invigorating). Wines and beers are organic, biodynamic and/or made from ingredients produced sustainably.

Come dessert time, coconut creme pie is a disappointment for anyone visualizing fluffy custard; it’s a thin, tartlike confection, sweet but not memorable. Cannolis, on the other hand, are a treat and nice for sharing. You get four small ones, two dipped in chocolate, filled with a light tofu-cashew cream and garnished with fresh figs drizzled with balsamic.

A trio of housemade sorbets is good too. But the real standout is the flourless chocolate cake. It’s fudgy and smooth, like a wonderful ganache, and makes an uncommonly cheerful finish to a celebratory meal.

The front of the house has a few kinks to smooth out. Service is earnest but can be awkward. But so much care has gone into the creation of this restaurant that your impulse is to relax and trust that the Andersons will make sure it gets better and better. In the meantime, raise a glass in the candlelight and enjoy the pleasures of the table.

*

Madeleine Bistro

Location: 18621 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana; (818) 758-6971; www.madeleinebistro.com.

Price: Appetizers, $7 to $10; main courses, $14 to $17; desserts, $8.

Best dishes: Red beet tartare with warm tofu cheese crouton, shiitake mushroom sushi, Madeleine club sandwich, tomato risotto, Jamaica jerk seitan, waffles and “chicken,” flourless chocolate cake, trio of sorbets.

Details: Open for lunch noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; for dinner, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6 to

10 p.m. Sunday; for brunch, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free parking behind the restaurant and street parking. Wine and beer. All major credit cards.