GIVE THANKS FOR STATE OF GRACE.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

FRASER FARE, the stylized New American food of chef Neal Fraser that was first lauded in these pages when he turned up as the kitchen maestro of a little gem of a restaurant down the street called Boxer (now Cobras & Matadors), has reached its summit at Fraser's new Grace dinery on Beverly Boulevard.

Grace, named after Fraser's daughter, is co-owned by savvy Richard Drapkin, currently a partner in Brentwood, an associate in the management of Capo, Cora's and the Broadway Deli, and former operator of Cafe Jacoulet and Les Anges.

Other partners are experienced Amy Knoll, Grace's general manager, and restaurant entrepreneur/investor Brooks Townsend.

All this professionalism comes to the fore in Grace, where the former site of Muse has been redone into a much warmer, cosmopolitan-looking restaurant featuring lengthy banquette seating along one wall of the main dining room, striking Klismos dining chairs and an almost floor-to-ceiling wall of glassed-in, temperature-controlled wine display storage. Cylindrical, orange-toned chandeliers diffuse light on the proceedings, where more orange plus brown, green and rose shades aid the warmth factor.

This, of course, is in stark contrast to previous resident the Muse's minimalist, cool concrete looks.

From its look to its cook, Fraser's food never bores. And it's certainly presented in intriguing ways.

If you're a soup lover (like I am), you'll be absolutely enthralled with the idea of being able to order three soups at one time ($15) and comparing them.

And yes, you can order each one separately for $7 or any two for $11.

All three are really good, though the spicy Thai lobster offering and the full-flavored English pea and soybean soup tend to make the kabocha squash rendition taste a bit bland.

I think Fraser puts a drop or two of truffle oil in the tart, vinegary ponzu sauce that flavors his tiny kumamoto oyster in another three-way presentation, his ``raw fish'' appetizer ($15).

This tiny tidbit, joined by Fraser's signature cubes of tartare of tuna and hamachi (Japanese yellowtail) with olive oil and pink salt, makes you want to order the daily selection of raw oysters (around $1 each) on a separate page.

If you do, you'll love the way the two dipping sauces arrive in small ``shoed'' glass cups.

But the most popular beginning here may well turn out to be the skate appetizer ($9), carefully severed in thin strips, sauced with restraint in parsley brown butter and accompanied by crispy black Tuscan kale and fried oversize capers.

On a savory note, Fraser's braised pork shoulder ($9) starter is the perfect red wine companion, robust but tender pork meat boosted with fried sage and paired with a texture-perfect acorn squash flan.

In a similar vein in the entree department, saddle of rabbit wrapped in bacon ($28) and served in white polenta gets a lift from thyme-enlivened game stock.

Also on the macho meaty side, juicy wild boar tenderloin ($27) in a mustard sauce comes with nifty little brussels sprouts and substantial spaetzles made with herbed Yukon Gold potatoes.

The same potatoes, this time molded into gnocchi, are part of several fish opportunities, sauteed John Dory ($28), that ends up as one heck of a gratifying main course, complemented with one of my favorite vegetables, salsify and assorted wild mushrooms. This, my friends, is no sissy dish. Truly hungry diners will love it.

From the dessert list ($7 each), patissier Elizabeth Belkind's cobblers are worth a try, and in particular her superb, crusty, Mexican-style bread pudding (cajeta) with ice cream flecked with pumpkin seeds and allegrias of millet should be a first choice.

Obviously, Grace is going to be called amazing by some.

But, you have to agree, saying Grace and eating a meal really do have a lot in common, don't they?

GRACE

Food: Four stars. Wine: Three stars. Service: Three and one half stars.

Where: 7360 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles.

Hours: Open for dinner only from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 5:30 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Recommended items: Eastern skate, trio of soups, raw fish trio, braised pork shoulder, daily oyster selection, sauteed John Dory, bacon-wrapped saddle of rabbit, tenderloin of wild boar, veal short rib with langoustine, warm cajeta pudding.

How much: Starters from $7 to $15, entrees from $16 to $29, desserts $7 each. Full bar. All major credit cards.

Wine list: It's nice to see a major new restaurant with some carefully chosen, under-$20 bottles listed. Five whites from $17 to $19 and two reds at $17 and $19 are wines that won't embarrass the orderer. And there are plenty of midrange ($20 to $40) and expensive bottlings for the splurgers, including a $1,500 '99 Screaming Eagle cabernet. It's a relatively good, comprehensive selection. Corkage: $15.

Reservations: Usually needed. Call [phone].

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Photo:

Skate in parsley brown butter, cut into thin strips and accompanied by black Tuscan kale and fried oversize capers, is among the appetizers at the new Grace on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer