A LA CARTE; WHITE ASPARAGUS.

Byline: Larry Lipson

The white asparagus season has begun, which actually means that the white asparagus from Europe is now appearing in local restaurants.

This pale, bitter vegetable that has developed a cultlike following since the 17th century is available many ways.

Here are a few restaurants where the white asparagus dishes are worth consideration:

Cicada 

Address: 617 S. Olive St., Los Angeles.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Italian.

Comments: Co-owner Adelmo Zarif said chef Christian Shafer will be serving his white asparagus dishes beginning Wednesday.

Picks: One of Shafer's recommended preparations this year is the white asparagus served with frisee lettuce, crispy prosciutto and a truffle vinaigrette ($17).

Dining Room/Hotel Bel-Air

Address: 701 Stone Canyone Road, Bel-Air.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Californian/French.

Comments: Here, the kitchen refers to the white asparagus as ``queens of darkness,'' because the asparagus remains white simply because it is not allowed to remain in the sunlight when grown.

Picks: The ``queens'' are served here with baby pea shoots, frisee and a truffle vinaigrette ($14).

Four Oaks

Address: 2181 Beverly Glen Blvd., Bel-Air.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: French/Californian.

Comments: Chef Peter Roelant annually offers a series of white asparagus recipes at this romantic canyon hideaway between the Valley and the Westside.

Picks: Roelant's Flemish-style white asparagus dish brings them forth with chopped eggs, butter, parsley and white bread crumbs ($13.50). He also serves them as an elaborate soup ($14) or wrapped in lavender-smoked salmon with osetra caviar, organic lettuce and a truffle oil dressing ($15).

Knoll's Black Forest Inn

Address: 2454 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: German.

Comments: Every year the white asparagus season is celebrated here. Delivery is expected Wednesday, but rates had not been confirmed, consequently, the following prices are approximate.

Picks: White asparagus is served as a salad with ham, sliced apple and herb dressing ($14.50); with chopped egg or with smoked salmon ($21.50 each); as cream of white asparagus soup flavored with Riesling wine ($5.50); or served hot, half a pound in weight, the purist's way, with parsley, boiled potatoes and drawn butter of hollandaise sauce ($21.50).

Le Chardonnay

Address: 8284 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: French.

Comments: We are reminded that white asparagus became fashionable in France during the reign of Louis XIV. A prix-fixe dinner and other daily specialties will be offered here for the duration of the white asparagus season.

Picks: Each course item can be ordered individually or as a five-course meal at a fixed price of $58. The courses are: cold veloute of white asparagus ($9), a salad of white asparagus and scallops with a light saffron mayonnaise ($12), a choice of veal scaloppine with marsala and both white and green asparagus ($25) or Alaskan halibut with olive oil and parsley pesto plus white and green asparagus ($25), and for dessert, caramelized white asparagus with orange ice cream and chantilly ($7).

Matterhorn Chef

Address: 13726 Oxnard St., Valley Glen.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Multi-European.

Comments: Chef-owner Ueli Huegli specializes in the ``spargel'' white asparagus menu during April and May of every year.

Picks: He makes it simple and hot with drawn butter or hollandaise ($15), with cheese and noisette butter ($16.95), with a sunnyside-up egg and herbs ($16.95), with chopped egg and parsley plus parmesan bread flakes ($16.95), with veal scaloppine and boiled potatoes ($21.95), or cold with virgin olive oil ($15.95), with basil mayonnaise ($15.95) or with smoked salmon and capers ($19.95).

Rockenwagner

Address: 2435 Main St., Santa Monica.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Californian/International.

Comments: The town's biggest promoter of white asparagus, chef-owner Hans Rockenwagner's kitchen is preparing them for the 14th year.

Picks: The menu has four categories. Appetizers: steamed with vegetable dumplings ($13.75), soup with prosciutto twists ($9.50), ragout with lobster ($16.50), green-and-white asparagus with Scottish smoked salmon and salmon caviar ($15), steamed with snap peas in curry sauce ($14.50). Classic starters include white asparagus with crab souffle ($10), with lobster salad ($15.50), with salmon tempura ($10.50) and with sauteed foie gras ($16.75). Main courses include white asparagus with medallions of veal ($31.50), with Eastern cod ($26.50), as a full pound steamed ($29.50), with gulf shrimp ($22.50), with a salmon Napoleon ($20.50), with filet mignon ($23.50), with California saltimbocca ($21.75), with pork tenderloin ($22.50) and with rack of venison ($28.50).