SMALL BITES PLENTY OF BREAD IN L.A.

Byline: Larry Lipson

There's nothing that starts mouths watering quicker than the smell of freshly baked bread.

Panera Bread has parlayed those smells into a chain of bakery-cafes that is growing across the nation.

Recently, one opened at 8647 S. Sepulveda Blvd. in Westchester, and the first Panera in Northwest Los Angeles County will be unveiled in Palmdale on Nov. 11.

Of the 13 more Paneras slated to open in this area by 2008, there's one scheduled to debut in Studio City near the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura boulevards in the spring, followed by Agoura Hills about a year later.

Other planned locations include Woodland Hills (around the Ventura and Topanga Canyon boulevards intersection), Toluca Lake, La Canada, Valencia and Santa Clarita.

BRING LE PAIN: National chains like Panera aren't the only bakery cafes that are blooming.

The 60-unit international chain called Le Pain Quotidien (LPQ) with one locally at 9630 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, [phone], and another at 11702 Barrington Court, Brentwood, [phone], has opened a third location in West Hollywood.

The newest LPQ at 8607 Melrose Ave. promises a country supper menu of tartines (sandwiches), assiettes froids (cold plates) and assiettes chaudes (hot plates) with entrees from $9 to $14.

Information: [phone].

BRUNCH FOR NOT MUCH: Sunday buffet brunch with a French accent has become consumer friendly at Tournesol Bistro Provencal, 13251 Ventura Blvd., Studio City.

With a price of $8.95 (children under 8, $4.95) Tournesol offers scrambled eggs, French toast with maple syrup, crispy sole with coriander sauce, bacon, sausage provencale, roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes, ratatouille, mixed green salad, pasta salad, fresh fruit, coffee and herbal tea.

There's also an a la carte brunch menu with numerous items under $10 and a bistro steak with wild mushroom cognac sauce and pommes frites (fries) for $12.95.

Tournesol has also instituted a Monday lobster night with several lobster appetizers ($8 to $10) and main courses ($14 to $18.50), and a Wednesday steak night featuring a variety of steak dinner plates at $16 each and a four-course prix-fixe steak dinner at $18.

Detailed information and reservations: [phone].

CEZANNE'S NEW WORKS: Desi Szonntagh, who was the starting chef at 2087, an American Bistro, in Thousand Oaks, and is the latest executive chef at Cezanne, Le Merigot Beach Hotel's restaurant at 1740 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, has introduced a new menu that has a rice paper-wrapped salmon starter ($11.50), an escargot with spinach and pastry appetizer ($10.50), Chilean seabass with black risotto ($26) and flavors the sauce with its rack of lamb ($35) with pomegranate juice.

Information and reservations: [phone].