Scratch Bar Now Serving Uni Cobb Salads and Smelt and Bone Marrow

Puffy smelt!

After several weeks of test runs at Tiago in Hollywood, chef Phillip Lee (D'Cache, Hatfield's, Stefan's at L.A. Farm) officially opens Scratch Bar in Beverly Hills tonight. Sharing a parking lot with Matsuhisa on Restaurant Row, Lee's new space, formerly Restaurant 111 and the short-lived Darioush, has simple clean lines, leather banquettes, a five-seat chef's counter that peers into the kitchen, a small outdoor patio, and (soon) wall art inspired by the team of chefs' tattoos.

It's just the kind of place you might want to park it for Lee's puffed smelt with bone marrow, honey-fried stuffed olives, warm hamachi with sweetbreads, or a Cobb salad with sea urchin and pork belly. Dave Fernie (Pour Vous) created sake, beer and wine cocktails like the Hero Neat-o (junmai and nigori sake, lime, salt, cayenne, cane sugar). Scratch Bar opens for dinner tonight, adding happy hour (5-7 PM) and weekday-only lunch (11:30 AM-2:30 PM) tomorrow.

111 N. La Cienega Blvd.; 310-289-8010