A LA CARTE : RESIDENCES AS RESTAURANTS.

Byline: Larry Lipson

Restaurants are commonly established in former residences, both in this country and abroad.

Unfortunately, government regulations make it difficult for restaurants to adapt former homes without huge expenses for remodeling and additional construction. In many cases, homes near intersections are just replaced with mini-malls.

There are a few of these charmers left, and here are several worth your consideration:

Chez Helene Address: 267 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Country French and French Canadian.

Comments: Around for 20 years, this appealing Gallic cafe moved from Venice and provides a refreshing alternative to all the pasta and pizza emporiums.

Picks: Chilled cucumber soup, lamb stew, leg of lamb with herbs de Provence and any fresh fish dish.

Fatty's Row House Address: 829 S. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: American rustic.

Comments: Named after onetime resident Roscoe ``Fatty'' Arbuckle, who lived here in the '20s, this is a replacement for recently shuttered Regina Coeli, an Italian restaurant owned by actress Valerie Harper and her husband, Tony Cacciotti. Brian L. Reed is the new owner and Patrick Beck the chef.

Picks: Whole red snapper with fresh herbs, oven-roasted potatoes, creamed spinach, house-baked pies.

Four Oaks Address: 2181 N. Beverly Glen Blvd., Bel-Air.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: French.

Comments: There's a wonderfully romantic patio. Chef Peter Roelant cooks some of the best French food in the city. And it's not the old-fashioned classic style, but much in keeping with the healthy needs of Southern Californians. However, be prepared to lighten your wallet considerably.

Picks: Carmelized onion tart, grilled daurade, almost any dessert.

Maison Magnolia Address: 2903 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Continental.

Comments: This is one of those delightful restored mansions being used as a ``private'' restaurant, meaning that there's a prix-fixe dinner at a set price for a limited number of people per night.

Picks: Items change nightly, but remembered as worthy are the mushroom mousse, an artichoke and scallop salad, cauliflower bisque, spiced shrimp, beef Wellington and the hard-to-find floating island dessert.

Off Vine Address: 6263 Leland Way, Hollywood.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Californian.

Comments: It gets its name by being on an off street near famous Vine Street in Hollywood and is one of the true charmers in the area for a leisurely lunch or dinner and faster pre-theater meals.

Picks: Veal tenderloin in green peppercorn and peach sauce, caviar and sour cream-topped potato pancakes, fresh fish, blueberry crumble pie.

Manhattan Wonton Co. Address: 8475 Melrose Place, West Hollywood.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Chinese.

Comments: This is a brand-new restaurant in the long-dark former Spanish hacienda that was fashionable Le Restaurant for many years. Author Joseph Heller's nephew Paul, a movie producer, re-created his personal version of a New York Chinese eatery.

Picks: Cold sesame noodles, poached salmon with black bean vinaigrette, shrimp in lobster sauce, non-Chinese desserts such as angel food cake and a trio of creme brulees.

Raymond Address: 1250 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Californian/continental.

Comments: This was once the groundskeeper's cottage of the old Raymond Hotel. It has been a landmark restaurant here for many years.

Picks: Rack of lamb, any fish or chicken dish.

Zach's Italian Cafe Address: 10820 Ventura Blvd., Studio City.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Italian.

Comments: This was previously Mary's Lamb and briefly the Deauville before Zach's moved in from a location farther west on Ventura Boulevard. It sits back from the street behind a gated entrance and what was formerly the front yard, now a small parking area. It has even retained its onetime veranda as a tree-shaded patio.

Picks: Stuffed pizza, pastas, chicken dishes.

MEMO: Do you have a question about restaurants? Mail it to Larry Lipson, P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills, Calif. 91365-4200, and look for the answer in a future dining beat column in L.A. Life.