Cost of restaurant meals declines again in Southland.

Price drop here surpasses that of anywhere else in U.S.

The average cost of a restaurant meal has dropped more in the Southland during the past three years than in any other region of the country, according to the 1995 Los Angeles/Southern California Zagat Restaurant Survey.

Between 1991 and 1994, the average price of a meal here fell 18 percent, from $27.91 to $22.95, according to the survey. The next biggest drop came in Boston, where the tab fell 16 percent.

Looking at the past year alone, the average price in the Southland slipped 3.4 percent compared with 1993, according to the survey.

The Los Angeles/Southern California Zagat survey was conducted by New York-based Zagat Survey, which publishes annual guides to restaurants nationwide. To put together the guides, Zagat surveys diners who rate restaurants' food, decor and service. The local survey covers L.A., Orange and Santa Barbara counties, the Central Coast and Palm Springs.

Meal prices in Southern California have been dropping because expensive, fine dining restaurants have been closing, and the debuting eateries are moderately priced, said Laurie Lively Smith, a restaurant analyst with Seidler Co., a downtown L.A.-based stock brokerage firm.

This phenomenon occurred throughout the recession and is continuing, said Janet Lowder, president of the Rancho Palos Verdes-based consulting firm Restaurant Management Services. The Southland restaurant industry has essentially bottomed out of the recession, and is starting to pick up a little speed, she noted.

Pricey eateries close

Some expensive restaurants that have closed during the past several years include Seventh Street Bistro in downtown L.A., L'Ermitage in West Hollywood and Wolfgang Puck's Eureka in Santa Monica, she said.

In the meantime, the chains Cheesecake Factory Inc., Louise's Trattoria Inc., California Pizza Kitchen, Daily Grill and Gaucho Grill have all been expanding rapidly, Lowder said. All of these restaurants are moderately priced.

In addition, several Southland restaurateurs have replaced their fine dining establishments with moderately priced eateries, said Karen Berk, co-editor of the survey.

For example, restaurateur Mauro Vincenti closed his fine Italian restaurant Pazzia in West Hollywood in 1993. In its place, in the same space he opened Alto Palato, a more casual and less expensive restaurant that serves similar food, Berk said. The restaurant opened in July.

Times are changing, and consumers these days want lower-priced food in a casual atmosphere, said Maureen Vincenti, Mauro's wife.

Holding the price line

Another trend contributing to lower prices is the fact that most upscale restaurants have not raised prices in years, and have daily specials that offer patrons less expensive meals, Lowder said.

Meanwhile, many of the newer, moderately priced restaurants are serving larger portions than did past eateries, Smith said. Two chains that offer generous portions for moderate prices are Islands and Cheesecake Factory, she noted.

Meanwhile, the four most popular Southland restaurants in the latest Zagat survey have held that status for the past four years. They are, in order, Patina, Chinois on Main, Citrus and Campanile.

Patina, on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, has remained the most popular restaurant because its co-owner and chef, Joachim Splichal, "is a genuine trendsetter and leader" in the type of food he prepares, editor Berk said.

He is especially creative with potatoes. Splichal makes cannelloni, for instance, using thinly sliced potatoes instead of pasta that he wraps around filling, she said. Patina serves French California food.

Scoring with service

Patina is so popular because "the food is good, it's unique and the value is right," said Christine Splichal, Joachim's wife and co-owner. Additionally, the staff there "bends over backward" to accommodate customers' needs, she said.

Much of the popularity of Chinois on Main is due to the fact that it is owned by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, Berk said. "Wolfgang Puck creates, people follow," she said. The restaurant is on Main Street in Santa Monica.

Chinois on Main is also popular because it offers a unique blend of cuisine -- Oriental and French, Berk said.

And patrons are attracted to Citrus partly because the dishes it serves are pleasing to the eye, she said. Citrus serves French Californian food.

Owner Michel Richard was trained as an artist "and his food shows that," Berk said. Citrus is on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

In addition, patrons at Citrus have a full view of the kitchen through a window. "You can see everything going on," she said. "You see (a bunch of) people scurrying around to create your food, and it creates a sense of excitement."

Sweet taste of success

The fourth most popular restaurant, Campanile, serves desserts that "taste wonderful," Berk said. They are not overly sweet and contain lots of fresh fruit.

Furthermore, the restaurant's healthy and light food appeals to today's consumers, Berk said. The chefs use olive oil rather than butter to cook most of their California-influenced Italian cuisine.

Campanile is on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.

Lowder noted some other restaurants that should be added to the top of Zagat's popularity list.

For one, Calabasas-based Cheesecake Factory's outlets are "very popular. You go in and they are always busy," Lowder said.

In addition, Broadway Deli on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica "has phenomenal sales," she said. Remi, an Italian restaurant that is also on the promenade, is very popular as well, she added.

The popular California Pizza Kitchen chain should also be added to that list, Lowder said. California Pizza Kitchen is based in West L.A.