Invention and Elegance at Califia

Roland Gibert was a pioneer, one of the first chefs in Los Angeles to take the onus out of eating in hotels. The food he cooked at Bernard’s in the Biltmore was fresh, delicious and surprising; one taste of his inventive dishes--stews made out of lobster or sea bass and marrow in a deep red wine sauce--was enough to make most people forget they were actually in a hotel.

When Gibert left the Biltmore last year, his many fans were deeply disappointed. They will be thrilled to know he has finally resurfaced--in another hotel. He is now in charge of Califia in the new Radisson Plaza Hotel in Manhattan Beach (1400 Parkview Ave., (213) 546-7511).

Overlook the hotel’s massively ugly lobby and go downstairs to the relative intimacy of Califia’s elegant glass cage. Open the expensive menu and you are instantly aware of Gibert’s presence. Here are his old favorites-- pressed caviar “tel que nous l’aimons” and ravioli made of cepes. There is the wonderful gingered cream of sea urchin soup, served in its own giant shell. But there are also some changes; this is a much meatier menu than the one he left behind. Of the 10 entrees on the menu, only three are fish, and the offerings are generally much more restrained than they were downtown.

Still, the menu is filled with typical Gibert twists, like the sauce of sauterne and cinnamon served on the filet mignon. Right now the kitchen is a bit uneven, but it looks like this will be another hotel with a really fine dining room.