The wait was so long that one impatient couple gave up and left just moments before the lone waiter finally emerged from the kitchen proudly holding their steaming plates aloft, only to be greeted by the sight of two crumpled napkins tossed onto the empty table. Happily, that's all changed. French-trained chef Chris Pusich, who logged seven years at Equus Restaurant, runs the kitchen. On this night the friendly staff, now well versed in the needs of hordes of customers rushing to dine before curtain call at nearby Luther Burbank Center, greeted us warmly and immediately showed us to our seats. Harlequinesque elongated diamonds painted in soft greens and deep roses decorate the walls.
Wooden tables hold golden-beaded tea lights and arrangements of fresh calla lilies.
The seating includes wrought-iron chairs that are pretty, but need cushions. A central bar with hanging glasses, several beers on tap, and wooden beams on the ceiling enhances the comfortable atmosphere. Sophisticated jazz tapes alternating with soft Middle Eastern music play gently in the background. The ingredients were good and fresh and it was all very flavorful, but the relish had a strange, almost off-putting, tanginess that felt almost effervescent on the tongue. Alas, there was no lemon slice on that plate, and it would have made all the difference.