Tropical Storm Prado Hits at Cava

In Miami Beach, young, hip entrepreneurs took a bunch of crumbling, once-grand hotels and made a hot, model-friendly scene. In Los Angeles, young, hip chef-entrepreneur Toribio Prado is in the process of transforming a modern, but staid mid-’80s-era small hotel into a Miami-worthy scene. First to be completed in this work-in-progress is the restaurant, formerly Rembrandt’s, now Cava, a darkly lit, new wave proto-Spanish restaurant.

Prado has been cooking his own take on Caribbean classics for years at his restaurants Cha Cha Cha and Prado. Now he’s looking to Spain for inspiration, and the results aren’t always traditional. Jamon serrano , listed on the tapas menu, is really Italian prosciutto on grilled bread topped with marinated mushrooms, bitter greens and an astounding quantity of raw garlic--not what you’d find in Madrid, but not bad, especially with a sip of Sandeman Amontillado sherry. There are four different paellas --from a fairly straightforward paella valenciana to one with smoked duck, shiitake mushrooms and white truffles. Gazpacho, smooth rather than chunky, has a subtle citrus flavor you may not expect . . . Prado’s been cooking tropical for many years.

* Cava at the Beverly Plaza Hotel, 8384 Third St., Los Angeles, (213) 658-8898. Entrees and pasta $9-$20.