At Bastide, hurry up and wait

“BEWARE, Robuchon. Look out, Ducasse. Bye-bye, Gagnaire. The new Bastide is on its way.”

Who would make such a statement? Bastide owner (and commercial director) Joe Pytka, that’s who. Pytka closed his elegant French restaurant on Melrose Place in January to overhaul its decor and change its focus. But that was eight months ago, and food-loving Angelenos have been wondering: Will it ever open again? And if so, when?

In January, Pytka had said that he wanted the restaurant to be more reflective of Southern California, but it seems he hasn’t made up his mind about what direction to take the restaurant. “One day is white; one day is black,” says Bastide chef Ludovic Lefebvre.

“More urban and hip” was the direction Pytka had said he wanted to go, but his latest comment would have us believe he’s leaning toward classic French again.

According to Pytka’s publicist, Joan Luther, the restaurant could reopen within the next couple of months; she says designer Andree Putman is “refreshing” the decor instead of completely overhauling the space.

But when exactly will it open? In a month? Three? “I wish I knew,” Lefebvre says. “I’m a chef who needs his public. I just want to cook for people.”

Berkeley-bound

Meanwhile, Bastide veteran Koa Duncan has left the Water Grill after just a year and a half as executive pastry chef to take over Cafe Cacao at the Scharffen Berger factory in Berkeley, where she has been hired to revamp the restaurant.

Her title has yet to be determined, but she says it could evolve into executive chef. “It would be the equivalent of owning my own place,” Duncan says. “I’ve worked with chefs who not only have a strong vision but it’s so strong they can’t really let you fly right.”

Water Grill executive chef David LeFevre says he is looking at several strong candidates for a new pastry chef and is taking on desserts himself for now.

It seems L’Orangerie is also looking for pastry help, according to an ad on Craigslist. Guess that would be a temp job, as the venerated French restaurant is set to close its doors at the end of the year.

This space available

If you have $3.95 million burning a hole in your pocket, you too could be running your own restaurant. The legendary Four Oaks location is up for sale. Since 1903, the secluded Bel-Air site on Beverly Glen has been home to a campground restaurant, whorehouse, tavern and speak-easy.

Owner Jack Allen, 76, bought the land, which includes the property on which Four Oaks sits, “from a gal named Mom” in 1966. For 20 years he operated the restaurant, where he hosted politicians (Pat Brown helped him get his liquor license) and Hollywood luminaries (Natalie Wood, Peter Sellers). When the Four Oaks closed last year, its owners, two L.A. attorneys, were leasing the property from Allen.

Allen says he would like to see “somebody who just loves the restaurant business, loves good food [to buy the place]. A young, brilliant chef with backing would be ideal.” Ludo?

Betty Hallock

Small bites

* Campanile is closed until Sept. 6 for some substantial renovations. “It just got to be time,” says executive chef Mark Peel, who’s getting new china, new fabrics, new window treatments, light fixtures, floor coverings, paint work -- “but what I’m really excited about are the new stoves.”

Campanile, 624 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 938-1447.

* T on Fairfax is set to open in September in a punk-a-la-Vivienne Westwood-inspired space created by Mass Architecture & Design. Lenny Young and Andrew Gould, former owners of the Parlour Club, plan to open more Los Angeles locations with the Fairfax Avenue store as its flagship, centered around 100 teas, gourmet sandwiches and DJs on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s “the antithesis of your grandmother’s tea parlor,” Young says.

T on Fairfax, 435 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 782-0695.

* The erstwhile Redwood 2nd Street Saloon, which for six decades attracted police officers, judges, government workers and journalists who worked downtown until its closing last year, is being reopened in September as the Redwood Bar and Grill by former Golden Gopher manager Christian Frizzell and entrepreneur Dev Dugal. The theme is pirates, the food will be American, and the hours will be late (‘til 4 a.m.). The back room, says Frizzell, will host a DJ and occasional live bands.

Redwood Bar and Grill, 316 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles, (213) 680-2600.