Home, sweet home

Brooke Williamson, the young chef who reigned at Zax in Brentwood until recently, is back, this time at her own place. She and partner Nick Roberts, another Zax veteran, have taken over the old Van Gogh’s Ear in Venice and turned in into Amuse Cafe. And what a sweet little spot it is.

The funky two-story building on Main Street is a yellow as dazzling as the painter’s sunflowers. Downstairs is the kitchen, with a handful of tables set out on the porch in front. Up a flight of creaky wooden steps is the breezy upstairs dining room with windows on two sides and walls hung with arty photos. A few choice tables a deux are perched on the balcony.

At just over 3 weeks old, Amuse Cafe already is crammed with Williamson’s fans from her stints at Michael’s and Zax. Funny thing, they all seem to know each other.

One night a long table is commandeered by wine buffs who polish off virtually the entire menu. Glasses of wine sail across the room, gifts from one table to another.

The cafe is still waiting on its beer and wine license, so until it comes, it’s bring your own bottle to the restaurant.

The menu is divided into small and large plates. Small fit the trend for tapas. They can function as appetizers, or you can order two or three and share. Small plates include a caramelized onion tart, an order of tender pork ribs with a leek and scallion salad or a fine calamari and frisee salad, for example. Large plates muster up a ground rib-eye burger (well-priced at $12, including fries), a juicy flatiron steak or perfectly nice piece of halibut with Asian-accented accompaniments.

For dessert, there’s rhubarb brown butter cake and a fragile, barely sweetened panna cotta, or an extravagant banana split with three kinds of ice cream and a frill of Chantilly cream.

The idea behind Amuse Cafe is a place for everyday dining. Everything is priced to suit this neighborhood, i.e., inexpensive, though you’d never know it from the lineup of fancy cars in the lot. The partners originally planned to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, but only a few days after they opened, breakfast was abruptly canceled. They had too much on their plates with just lunch and dinner.

They’re still serving brunch on the weekends, though, when I expect to see a flotilla of bikes parked alongside the cars. Though their cooking isn’t yet as polished as it was at Zax, I’m hoping for the best once these two get their sea legs.

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Amuse Cafe

Where: 796 Main St., Venice.

When: Lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Wednesday though Friday; small plates 2 to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 2 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; dinner 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday; brunch 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Tuesday. No alcohol as yet. Valet parking.

Cost: Dinner appetizers, $8; sandwiches, $12; main dishes, $13 to $18; desserts, $7.

Info: (310) 450-1956.