DRAI'S TURNS HOLLYWOOD CLOUT INTO MEATY SUCCESS.

Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic

From exterminator to fashion entrepreneur to real-estate wheeler-dealer to movie producer to controversial restaurateur - that's the short story of the ebullient Victor S. Drai.

His hot Drai's restaurant on the site of the once-famed L'Ermitage on La Cienega Boulevard's Restaurant Row has made him one of the most influential host-owners in town at a time when it's mostly chefs that are the recognized celebrity owners.

Drai, born in Casablanca, Morocco, dropped out of school at age 14 after his family moved to Paris. He started a clothing company in Paris when he was 22, soon gaining fashion fame from his Vicadam-labeled velvet jeans.

Along the way he became enamored of food, but it wasn't until 1974 when he visited Los Angeles that he decided he liked being in the United States. On his flight back to Paris, he met actress Jacqueline Bisset, beginning a relationship he says changed his life.

Though he spoke no English, he moved two years later to L.A., where he bought and sold houses, wrote a screenplay called "Last Time Around" (it has never been made), and ended up flying to France and securing the English-language remake rights to the French movie hit "Pardon Mon Affaire" that was retitled "Woman in Red."

He married its star, Kelly LeBrock. He then developed and produced "the Man With One Red Shoe," "The Bride," "Weekend at Bernie's" and "Weekend at Bernie's II." Today he attributes his restaurant's success to his aquaintanceship with so many show-biz people.

After his divorce from Brock five years ago, he married 18-year-old Loryn Locklin. In 1993, when he'd finished the second "Bernie" film, his sick mother died and his wife became pregnant; that's when he decided to stay home in Los Angeles and go into the restaurant business. He began calling friends and after an hour and a half he claims he had 25 investors, no questions asked.

Most invested $5,000, a few doubled it and there were a few who committed $25,000. One friend became a major partner with a $200,000 commitment.

He insists that all have recouped those investments. Drai's has been so successful, he says, that even with his spending up to $400,000 for physical expansion and improvements in the building, there was enough profit to pay them back.

Drai, who knew of chef Claude Segal when Segal was at Ma Maison, had discovered the talented chef was looking for a post after having left the tiny Picnic.

"I originally wanted more of a bistro," he explained regarding his initial plans for Drai's. "It just came out more elegant."

Everyone thought he was crazy, he said, grinning, when he turned L'Ermitage's main dining room into a sofa-filled lounge. "It made the whole restaurant," he said.

He describes Drai's fare as "sexy." He calls it "real food - meat and potatoes."

Segal's steak au poivre is the big item. "We use 350 pounds a week."

He separates his restaurant from other show-biz dining spots such as Spago, Morton's and Eclipse with the simple explanation, "Mine is the only one with a mixed clientele."

He draws bigwigs from politics, fashion, music, movies and business of all kinds. But though he has moved up from being inexpensive, when Drai's opened, to a medium- to high-priced restaurant now, he says his average dinner check per person is around $42 or $43, which, he says, makes Drai's "still cheaper than the others."

There's no caviar, he points out.

Controversy over his manner in handling supposed VIPs doesn't bother him. He admits he had to turn away Marvin Davis one time because all tables were taken.

"Stars don't impress me. But I try to accommodate them like everyone else."

He draws the line on special table requests. It's a straight reservation or nothing at Drai's.

In the two years the place has been open, Drai figures he has tossed out a couple of hundred people.

"Most of them come back, anyway," he said.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: Drai's.

Where: 730 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood.

When: Open for lunch from noon to 2:30 p.m. Friday only; for dinner from 6 to 10:30 p.m. nightly.

Behind the scenes: Victor S. Drai is owner. Claude Segal is chef.

Reservations: A must. Call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Photo Victor Drai takes a meat-and-potatoes approach to power dining at his West Hollywood eatery - no caviar and no special table requests. Evan Yee/Daily News