Lucques offers some hits--along with some misses.

SUZANNE Goin, owner and executive chef of Lucques, is a superstar in her field. Starting with a high school internship at Wolfgang Puck's now defunct Ma Maison and graduating to head chef at Campanile, her more than two decades in the kitchen have led her through some of the most respected establishments in the country, if not the world.

After completing a stint at Berkeley's Chez Panisse, helmed by the innovative Alice Waters, patron saint of California cuisine, Gain returned to her hometown to open Lucques. This homey spot serves up Goin's signature Cal-Mediterranean with seasonal farmer's market ingredients, but after nearly a decade and after she opened her newer "it" spot, does Lucques still live up to expectations?

The lunch menu at Lucques is much like the cozy former carriage house it inhabits: restrained and well-edited. With just four appetizers and five entrees to select from, this is not the place to look for staid versions of your typical lunch standards. Rather than over-extending the kitchen with a slew of options, Gain has chosen fewer, well-executed dishes. As a guest, it is clear you are submitting to her vision of dining. The detailed descriptions include the origins of the sometimes exotic ingredients--Rutiz farm carrots, Niman ranch steak. Unfortunately, with this severely limited menu, the vegetarians are relegated to the appetizers.

For the rest of the population, though, Lucques is a quiet haven for a business lunch. The covered patio is serene and simple but not recommended for hotter days: the high walls reach to a plastic canopy that traps hot air on a sunny day. Despite this--and the Astroturf covering the ground--it is exceedingly pleasant. It's also surprisingly quiet even when filled with diners.

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The interior, however, is brilliant in its sophisticated comfort. With exposed bricks and wood beams, this small space is enough of a draw on its own to warrant a visit. Filled with booths and anchored by a free-standing fireplace framed by a couple of black leather sofas, designer Barbara Barry cleverly placed large mirrors at eye level to keep the single dining room from feeling claustrophobic.

After baking on the patio on the first visit, the empty interior room on a subsequent visit seems cool and shaded, a respite from the other diners. The only problem is that we are all but forgotten by our server. Professional and informed, his accent is so thick he is incomprehensible at times. He moves quickly, but on our second visit he seems overwhelmed by the guests dining al fresco and his terror is palpable as he sails past the table with barely a glance, repeatedly. We spend much of the time waiting on him--we make the mistake of ordering appetizers first and then have to wait eons to order our entrees, making the whole meal unbearably long.

When it is time for the check, we spend a good five minutes trying unsuccessfully to get the attention of staff members clustered around the bar before he finally reappears. Despite this inconvenience, everyone is extremely gracious, especially the manager and hostess, both of whom have those ideal service qualities--relaxed yet on point.

The meal begins with delicious bread accompanied by the restaurant's namesake olives as well as oil-drenched almonds and fleur de sel. It is a nice touch and one of the high points of the experience.

It is the appetizers that stand out. They are bold and inventive, even when they fail. The eggplant and grilled peppers agrodolce with burrata and opal basil seems like a logical choice, that is, until it arrives. I understand the concept of agrodolce--sweet and sour--but am unprepared when the dish appears sprinkled generously with raisins. This is a deal-breaker. Also, even if you love antipasti, you'll find the vegetables are slippery with oil and unappealing. It is a disappointing misstep, but the carrot soup makes up for it. With hints of yogurt. mint, and ginger, the soup recalls the spices of traditional Indian cooking. It is light and refreshing while maintaining a depth of complexity that most vegetable soups seem to lack.

The heirloom tomato salad is also a winner--a haute take on the Greek classic. The sweet, ripe tomatoes are served with Persian cucumbers and French feta salsa verde. The presentation is artful and in this simple combination of high quality ingredients you can see clearly this formula is--or should be--the heart and soul of the restaurant.

Unfortunately, the entrees do not fare as well. They are forgettable for the most part. The fish of the day is California sea bass and is prepared with an olive tapenade and rests in a bed of summer vegetables. It is good, quality food, but somehow lacking. The menu description references pan bagnat, a sandwich stuffed with vegetables and olives. But the few hunks of bread under the fish are like an afterthought and do nothing for the overall flavor. The grilled quail over mushroom risotto is excellent and a little more risky, but beware--the fowl comes cooked rare and lying on its back. It's all a little disconcerting.

The biggest letdown is the soft shell crab with a sweet corn and avocado salad with marinated spring onions. The crab is extremely hard and greasy, so much so that I surrendered before even getting to the meaty part.

The fact that it is doused in a heavy mayonnaise-type sauce does not help. Though rich on its own, the salad might fare well with a leaner accompaniment, but as is, the whole thing is a washout.

The steak frites, though tasty, seem like a strange choice for the menu. With so many other places serving the same dish, how can it be inventive? It is not. The meat is tender and served with an excellent bernaise sauce, but the fries are not great.

The dessert selection is also extremely limited--there are only two choices, well, three if you count the sorbet of the day. The standard creme brulee is just that--standard. The only thing note-worthy about the dish is the presentation: the crunchy burned sugar is not actually topping the dessert but alongside. The fillet and muscavado shortbread cookies that garnish the plate are tasty, but the "seascape strawberries" are sad, tiny shards of fruit that are soaked in syrup and seem to seriously undercut the concept of fresh, seasonal ingredients the restaurant is wing to work.

Much more interesting is the bittersweet chocolate sorbet with honey tulle (a kind of wafer), honeycomb and espresso anglaise. This is probably the most vivid and memorable flavor combination and indeed what I was looking for and expecting at Lucques, but sadly it is not fully realized until the close of my second meal there.

Lucques has been open for nine years this fall. an eternity by L.A. standards, and Gain has gone onto open the newer tapas and wine bar, A.O.C., with partner Caroline Styne. This has prompted many to ask if the once buzzed-about Lucques has seen better days. Simply stated, Lucques is a great place to dine but needs the constant attention of this world-class chef to stay at the top.

LUCQUES

Food: *** **

Service: *** **

Atmosphere: **** *

Where: 3474 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 90069. Cross Street: La Cienega Boulevard 

When: Tuesday through Saturday, Noon to 2:30 p.m.; Monday and Tuesday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Wednesday through Saturday, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m; Sunday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

What to Try: Carrot soup with yogurt, heirloom tomato Greek salad, grilled seabass with summer vegetables, steak frites with bernaise sauce, grilled quail with wild mushroom risotto, bittersweet chocolate sorbet with honeycomb

Parking: Valet, $5.50; limited street parking available

Price Range: Lunch appetizers, $10-14; entrees, $16-19

Reservations: [phone]

Reviewer Lindsey Styrwoll can be reached at [e-mail].