A SWINGIN' GOOD TIME LOS FELIZ A THROWBACK TO WHEN FOOD WAS ELEGANT AND MUSIC WAS JAZZY.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

You get good vibes the moment you park your car at the new Los Feliz restaurant on Hillhurst in the Los Feliz district.

That's because when the valet takes it with a smile, you notice the sign indicates a charge of $2.20, indeed quite reasonable these days for a supposedly classy dining place.

And it is classy.

The old Los Feliz Inn has been remodeled into a modern, comfortable restaurant, relatively quiet - meaning you can hear your dining companions when engaged in normal conversation, no shouting necessary - and nicely laid out.

Booths, freshly reupholstered, may seem faintly familiar. They should be. They used to be occupied by some of Hollywood's most famous celebrities on a regular basis at the original Chasen's.

And they fit in here very well.

Tables are set with good-quality linen and smart, gleaming silver and glassware.

Indirect lighting is cleverly arranged to allow easy viewing of the entire interior without glare.

Menus are simple, one page of listings divided into five cold and five warm appetizers and nine entrees. They are dated at the top, indicating possible weekly changes according to market variances.

For example, a rib-eye steak with red wine marrow sauce and Gruyere potatoes ($26) that was rated as merely passable during the first visit, had been replaced on the menu by a grilled filet mignon dish at the same price several days later.

Perhaps the word got to the kitchen from others that the rib-eye was hardly average.

It was the only change except for skookum oysters replacing fanny bays in the cold appetizer category.

But don't jump to conclusions; the majority of the food here is delightful.

And yes, it's expensive.

Figure at least $45 to $50 per person for dinner.

But for that princely sum you can start things by thoroughly enjoying the ahi tuna carpaccio ($11), about as colorful a dish as you could ever want, with the green of fennel, the black of olives, the red of piquillo and the yellow of preserved lemon vinaigrette along with the bright purplish-red of the tuna itself.

Yet, as you peruse the menu and notice the lofty prices, you'll be softened immeasurably as the waiter brings a small ``amuse'' or complimentary tidbit like a little cup of sensational smoked salmon mousse on a tiny diced cucumber mixture.

Back to the paid stuff. If your taste runs to salads, there's a spring farmers' market selection ($10) of crunchy green asparagus spears with red and golden beet slices and tasty baby artichokes in a balsamic dressing made with the sweet vinegar promised as aged for a quarter of a century.

Warm starters of note include savory veal cheeks ($12) paired with red lentils and a nifty, creamy horseradish-potato sauce and sinfully rich, seared foie gras ($16) on sweet french toast with strawberries.

But my starter pick would have to be the layered timbale ($9) of roasted eggplant, sweet red pepper, herbed goat cheese and an olive tapenade. Scrumptious!

Entree highlights include a wonderfully gratifying, upright slab of crisped halibut ($24) topped with edible violets on a puree of fresh peas scattered with several baby organic veggies, and the juicy Moroccan-crusted lamb loin ($26) joined effectively by little gnocchis, chickpeas and olives.

The kitchen really handles fish well. In addition to the moist halibut, there's superbly cooked skatewing ($24) sauced with balsamic brown butter and flanked by little potato pancakes with osetra caviar.

There's deliciously seared New Zealand snapper ($23) perched on a full- flavored Mediterranean vegetable stew.

Chef Collin Crannell utilizes homey stone-ground grits in a creamy sauce as a base for slices of duck breast ($26), cooked to order. The white grits look like mashed potatoes until you take the first bite and immediately taste the grainy texture. Adding flair to this dish are port-soaked pears and cinnamon stick syrup.

Endings can be an unusual granola-crusted goat cheesecake, also with pears in red wine. Or try a fantastic formed soft chocolate cookie, served warm and filled with intensely flavored melted dark chocolate ($8) accompanied by a scoop of good coffee ice cream.

Ice cream fanciers will enjoy the Tahitian vanilla bean sundae with caramel and hot chocolate sauce ($7), while those who evade sweet endings can opt for a mini-selection of cheeses plated with golden flame raisins, roasted pistachios and dried fruit chutney.

If you're a jazz buff, the Los Feliz has a separate jazz room with shows Tuesdays ($5) through Saturdays (usually $10 Wednesday and Thursday, $15 Friday and Saturday) featuring a range of performers from students at the Thelonius Monk Institute to top artists.

Great food and great jazz. What can be better than that?

The facts

--The restaurant: Los Feliz.

--Where: 2138 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles.

--When: Open for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; Sunday brunch 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 6 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; prix fixe supper 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday.

--Behind the scenes: Collin Crannell is executive chef. Owners are Debbie and Rick Clemente.

--Recommended items: Farmers' Market salad, oysters on pickled cucumbers, ahi tuna carpaccio, roasted eggplant timbale, seared foie gras on french toast, seared New Zealand snapper, halibut in sweet pea puree, skatewing with potato pancakes and osetra caviar, Moroccan-crusted lamb loin, chocolate moelleux, sweet goat cheesecake.

--How much: Starters from $8 to $16, entrees from $17 to $26, desserts from $6 to $8. Full bar. Major credit cards.

--Wine list: Multipage list denotes conscientious choices including several sauvignon blancs (they go well with food) and a worthwhile range in prices starting in the high teens. Corkage: $10.

--Reservations: Helpful. Call [phone].

--Our rating: Three and one half stars for food; three and one half stars for service; three stars for wine.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo: Chef Collin Crannell, left, and owner Rick Clemente display the juicy lamb loin with gnocchi, chickpeas and olives, and the halibut with edible violets, pea puree and baby organic veggies.

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer