The South rises again

QUICK. Name the last remaining Victorian cottage on Hollywood Boulevard.

Hint: Built in 1903, it was once used as a schoolhouse where the children of Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Cecil B. DeMille and a host of other early Hollywood moguls and stars were educated. In other words, the Crossroads School of its day.

Give up?

It’s called Jane’s House, and it sits at the back of a narrow courtyard in the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard near Hudson. A couple of weeks ago, the 102-year-old turreted Queen Anne cottage debuted as Memphis, a Southern restaurant all gussied up in Victorian finery.

It’s the latest effort from Gaucho Grill founder Adolfo Suaya -- who, with various partners, is behind Bella and the Lodge, among others -- and entrepreneur Michael Sutton.

Come summer, the broad, shady patio in front is going to be rocking. Inside, in classic bordello style, walls are covered in red silk and the ceiling is dripping with chandeliers. Downstairs is a bar and lounge that couldn’t be more romantic, with its cozy little two- and three-seat sofas trimmed in fringe.

The upstairs dining room is covered in yards more red. Actually, it’s a series of rooms, some larger, some smaller, with at least two that can be closed off for private parties. One even has a smoking terrace.

Outside the windows, vintage movies are projected on the neighboring buildings. It can be disconcerting to see a scene of a crowd in an old silent movie jumping up and down threateningly in one window while “Cinema Paradiso” unfurls out another, but it adds up to a little of that movie magic.

This may turn out to be one trendy place where you can actually eat. Granted, things were slow on the night I was there, but the food I had was all pretty decent. The menu is modified Southern, and, since Reign closed, it’s been hard to find good Southern food in this part of town.

The little puffs of Cajun popcorn shrimp will keep your party company while everyone decides what to order. Gumbo is dark and complexly spiced, with a moderate blast of heat at the end. Memphis crab cakes are made with lump blue crab and garnished with fried leeks. Jambalaya, though, doesn’t quite make it; it’s bland and the rice is gummy.

I tried the fried chicken and got a breast that was, oddly, served sliced. Other than that, it was juicy and good, with a fine crisp crust. Baby back ribs are tender but on the sweet side. But even baked whitefish has some style here, served in a meuniere sauce, and barbecued prawns over white rice are nicely cooked.

If the kitchen is performing this well this early on, maybe Memphis will take. It would be awfully sweet to have a good Southern restaurant in town, and if it turns out to be a late- night scene, even better.

The films, our waiter tells us, change every few days. I think I’ve had enough of Italian food and “Cinema Paradiso.” I’m more than ready for something different.

*

Memphis

Where: 6541 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

When: Dinner, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays (kitchen closes 11 p.m.); brunch, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays

Cost: Appetizers, $8 to $14; salads, $8 to $18; Southern specialties, $19 to $32; other entrees, $16 to $36; sides, $6; desserts, $8

Info: (323) 465-8600