DINING BEAT.

Byline: Larry Lipson

Despite critical acclaim, accolades from foodies around town and the chef of choice for special dinners by wine and food societies and associations of gourmets, Serge Burckel has given up trying to make his small restaurant, One, at 672 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, successful, closing for good Thursday night.

``We just ran out of money,'' he said. ``We're broke.''

Burckel, named Chef of the Year in March by the California Restaurant Writers Association (CRWA), was described in Gayot's Gault Millau current guide ``Los Angeles Restaurants'' as ``one of the most imaginative chefs in L.A.''

A French-trained chef born in Alsace, Burckel's stint at a major Hong Kong hotel influenced his food, drawing comments in the Gayot guide like, ``clever and eclectic dishes, most of which have an Asian twist and are mind-boggling in presentation and flavor.''

As for his future plans, Burckel said he is contemplating an out-of-town offer from a major resort.

CALLING ALL CARNIVORES

Steaks are in.

And diners are seeing new names on their menus.

Recently, the certified Italian heritage Piedmont beef from the Midwest turned up as lean, juicy and flavorful at Celestino's Italian Steakhouse in Los Angeles.

Now we see that purebred Hereford from Red Oak Farms in Iowa is the new certified premium beef that also seems to get by with less fat marbling, but still retains good beef flavor and necessary moisture despite two weeks or more of dry aging.

Right now the only restaurants in town serving the Hereford steaks are the two Monty's Steakhouses, one in Woodland Hills at 5371 Topanga Canyon Blvd., the other (the original Monty's) in Pasadena.

Monty's in Woodland Hills, which serves prime steaks from Holiday Meat & Provisions in Inglewood, is replacing different cuts in an experimental program with the Red Oaks Hereford beef. Consequently, a customer who wants to try this new beef would pay the same price for it as the regular prime item (includes the huge baked potato), according to Monty's host and co-owner Michael Levine.

An 8-ounce filet mignon is $20.95, a 24-ounce porterhouse is $32.95, and a 16-ounce New York is $29.95 at Monty's, he said. On any given night one of these might be Hereford.

Information and reservations: [phone].

SO LONG, SMOKEY JOE'S

A second location of West Hollywood's popular 20-year-old breakfast and lunch restaurant Hugo's has opened at 12851 Riverside Drive, North Hollywood, previously the longtime site of Smokey Joe's.

Owners Emily and Tom Kaplan and Richard Brenner plan something different for the new spot.

In a month or so, said co-owner Emily Kaplan, Hugo's plans to open for dinner.

West Hollywood's chef Nabor Diaz was brought over to the Valley Hugo's to supervise the kitchen, she said.

Information: [phone].

GET YOUR JUST DESSERTS 

If you have a favorite pastry chef (or regular chef who fashions great desserts) who you think deserves some recognition, have him or her contact Quady Winery at [phone] about entering Quady's annual dessert competition (using a Quady dessert wine) for professional chefs and patissiers.

Prizes are worth up to $1,000.

The contest will be held on July 31 at the Argyle Hotel in West Hollywood.