It’s quite an address, restaurant-wise: For 40 years, 22616 Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills was home to La Frite, which closed in 2012 to make room for the French Connection Café, then California Café. (Don't fret, mes chers, La Frite in Sherman Oaks remains open.) Now it’s LUKE Bar & Restaurant—not quite sure why the capital letters, but they capture the attention of THE SAUCE (does it work?)

Co-owner Mark Lavalle is ecstatic about bringing a new look and new menu to the location. “It’s been here for 50 years, it has a lot of the old elements, the raw bones—beautiful crystal chandeliers,” Mark says of the design of LUKE, which held its soft opening September 27. Mark describes the menu as new American with a Mediterranean twist, including the ubiquitous small plates to share.

He adds that the restaurant is determined to maintain a neighborhood-y, family-restaurant feel with home-style cooking, concocting its own salad dressings and house-made soft pretzels, among other home kitchen touches. LUKE also caters to the social hour crowd with a full bar.

22616 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, 818-876-6000