The Roof Garden: hidden treasure in So. California.

When it comes to arguing with my relatives about any subject having to do with Hollywood, resistance is futile. Mind you, my most opinionated kin live in New England, 300 miles from Left Coast glitz and glamour, so it's anybody's guess where they gather their intelligence about all things Southern Californian. Trust me, though, when I say they know things--even if their wisdom can be as maddening as it is inarguable. Consider bow I recently shuttled a visiting aunt and uncle around L.A. from dawn to dusk to help answer their pleas to glimpse at least one big-time star to brag about to their friends back home. At the eleventh hour, we came virtually face to face with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner shopping, Just when I thought to myself, "How's this for a great snag?", my aunt coolly surveyed the star couple hopping into their car and driving away, shrugged her shoulders and said, "Kelly Clarkson is a bigger deal where we come from. Where could we see her?" Like I said: maddening but inarguable.

So, when friends and I recently dropped by The Peninsula Beverly Hills' Roof Garden restaurant, I couldn't help but think about the family member who spelled out another of my family's irrefutable L.A. truisms by saying, "Look, even you jaded types who live in and around Beverly Hills like to see stars, or you like to live like stars, or both. Who doesn't? Well, at The Roof Garden, one of our town's best-kept secrets, that seems entirely plausible. Take an early morning breakfast there, for instance. Stepping through the doors and onto the terrace is almost like stepping onto the secluded patio of a handsome, warm, and beckoning private Beverly Hills home. Maybe that welcoming impression has to do with those cool green canvas umbrellas shading Werner Woods tables and matching chairs with green-striped canvas cushions, the tables adorned simply by small terra cotta pots of flowers, yellow woven placemats, and sleek Guzzini utensils. Maybe it's the large green plant containers smartly situated and brimming with lavender, Santa Barbara daisies, bachelor buttons, and statis. It could be the manicured greenery growing in containers along the roofline or the piped-in strains of smart, soothing classics from the American Songbook crooned by the inimitable tikes of Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, and Keely Smith. Whatever it is, it works.

As on the terrace of any truly hospitable home, the tables are discreetly and comfortably positioned, the better to enjoy great conversation as The Roof Garden's friendly, knowledgeable, and unobtrusive servers deliver freshly-squeezed orange juice and such other delights as Southwestern-inspired omelets and succulent papaya with yogurt Everything is of a piece, all of it seamless. If you feel so inclined, you could hone your brain doing the crossword puzzle in die complimentary New York Times or get down to brass tacks making deals on your cell phone. We didn't do anything of the sort. The expansive skies above, the fresh breezes, the sparkling swimming pool, and cabanas on the upper terrace beyond--these invited us to savor, chill, de-stress. My friends and I found our conversation flowing seamlessly from the ridiculous to the sublime and back again. The Roof Garden is that kind of place, it sets the pace for that sort of party. The servers never hover, never fuss, nor step on anyone's punch-line. Here, no one needs to try too hard.

Weekdays for lunch, things get spiffed-up several notches, but not so it spoils the casually elegant vibe. On the afternoon we turned up, the surrounding tables were filled with actors, agents, designers, businesspeople and suntanned travelers ordering from an extensive menu and, while waiting, nibbling happily away on an assortment of irresistible breads including a wickedly-addicting ciabatta. Still, despite the occasional distracting chirp of a cell phone or the beep of a Palm, the tone during lunchtime remains unhurried, confident, and relaxed. We ran rampant through the menu (which spells out calorie counts, fat grams, cholesterol, and carbs), by sampling a smoky, pungent quesadilla, a wonderfully Latin-influenced roast chicken, chased by one of the bracing, immunity-boosting teas from Elixir, and topped by a sinfully good wedge of Chocolate Pyramid.

Will you see the famous and written-about who can live like this all the time? Of course you will, but at The Roof Garden, everyone gets treated like a household name. And, as my family says, who doesn't like that? Come to think of it, the next time they're in town, I'll take my family for breakfast and lunch on The Peninsula roof. Who knows, maybe they'll finally see Kelly Clarkson?

9882 South Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Toll Free: [phone] E0mail: [e-mail] Website: www.peninsula.com