After 14 Months, Its Number Is Up

One Down: One, the 14-month-old restaurant with the minimalist name at 672 S. La Brea Ave., closed its doors after dinner Thursday. “One died today,” owner Serge Burckel tells us, “butlife goes on.” He thinks Los Angeles just wasn’t into his kind of fusion cooking. (Of course, he was asking a lot of us by giving his place that fragmentary name). “I think I will leave L.A.,” he says. “Disney [in Orlando, Fla.] made me an offer.”

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A Lot Less Smoke: Smoky Joe’s has breathed its last breath. Tom Kaplan, owner of the venerable West Hollywood place Hugo’s and Highland Grounds in L.A., has taken over the Smoky’s space in Studio City to open a second Hugo’s. Kaplan, who lives in the area, says he’d had his eye on thelocation for years. “I’ve been waiting for this spot,” he says. The remodeling, however, was extensive. “We literally stripped it down to bare floors and studs,” Kaplan tells us. But now it’s ready for its close-up. Hugo’s is open and serving breakfast and lunch daily. Along with poached eggs over black bean cakes with ham ($8.95), tofu scramble ($7.95) and a Cuban sandwich ($9.25), Hugo’s stocks more than 100 varieties of tea.

* Hugo’s, 12851 Riverside Drive, Studio City; (818) 761-8985.

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Good Luck Charm: Andrei Tscharner has been brought in to head up the kitchens at the work in progress known as the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica. Formerly a Sheraton, it recently changed hands and will be refurbished later this year. The new owners recruited Tscharner from the Grand Hotel Euler in Basel, Switzerland. Tscharner has taken over the Grill, the hotel’s fine dining room, and the Cafe, its casual cousin. It was easy to lure Tscharner to Southern California--he had already fallen in love with our area while working at the Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara. In Santa Monica, Tscharner is ready to take on the responsibility of putting the Grill on L.A.’s culinary map. At dinner, the Grill functions as a steakhouse, with such dishes as an 18-ounce Porterhouse ($29.50) and a rack of baby back ribs ($22.75). Seafood runs to steamed bluenose sea bass ($19) and grilled tiger prawns ($25). The sides, all a la carte, include creamed spinach ($4.50) and gratin Dauphinois ($5.50). At lunch, however, the theme becomes slightly more Mediterranean, offering pastas and pizza as well as grilled herb half-chicken ($15.50) and double lamb chops ($17). The Grill is open for lunch Monday through Friday, brunch on Sunday in the garden, and dinner nightly.

* The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 576-7777.

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Adding Another Car to His Train: The prospects for getting upscale food at the Hollywood Bowl just got better. The Patina Group has a contract with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to operate the restaurants, concessions and food carts there. Service began Friday. Patina Group head Joachim Splichal designed menus for the Rooftop restaurant and for the Pool Circle box seats nearest the stage. He’s also providing picnic dinners for other box seats, packaged food at the Staccato counter, and hot dogs and enchiladas at the concession stands. Splichal, proprietor of the highly rated Patina restaurant on Melrose, is no stranger to grab-and-go dining. He provides food to the cafes and counters at MOCA and LACMA.

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Getting Glorious: Celebrate your independence from the kitchen by letting these chefs cook on July 4.

Jennifer Naylor has created a cookout-style dinner menu for Granita on Tuesday with corn and clam chowder ($14), jalapeno-smoked Gulf shrimp ($16) and pizza with pancetta appetizers ($14). Main courses include a whole roasted Maine lobster ($32), cumin-spiced white salmon ($24) and maple-chipotle-glazed rib-eye steak ($32). Desserts (all $7.50) include chocolate brownie sundae and All American apple pie. This menu is available for takeout with a two-day notice.

* Granita, Malibu Colony Plaza, 23725 W. Malibu Road, Malibu; (310) 456-0488.

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The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey does up a Fourth of July celebration with a barbecue, a blues band and fireworks over the marina. The centerpiece of the ‘cue is a roasted suckling pig. Other dishes include smoked ribs, barbecued brisket, grilled chicken, corn on the cob and potato salad. The dessert table will be holding peach cobbler and chocolate fudge cake. The buffet will be served from 5 to 10 p.m. The price, of $49 for adults and $24 for children under 12, includes tax and tip.

* The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey, 4375 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey; (310) 823-1700.

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Angela Pettera can be reached at (213) 237-3153 or at pettera@prodigy.net