THE ‘BU PIER IS BACK IN BUSINESS! Closed since 1993, and way in time for summer, the pier has quietly opened—and it’s fabulous Where else can you get a Patron margarita, a Kobe burger, some truffle chips, attentive, professional service—and a blanket? The brand spanking new Malibu Pier Club, now open on the pier, and styled in a retro 40’s theme that will take you back to its heyday. Just footsteps from the famed site of Alice’s Restaurant—which will reopen in July as the Beachcomber—get a head start on summer with drinks, apps and dinner with an incomparable view and a soundtrack of crashing waves. There are even mobile heat lamps to ward off the evening chill before things warm up for the season. The perfectly selected, tight wine list includes Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc, Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon and Rosenthal Merlot. For bubbly: Veuve and Mumm Blanc de Noir. If you aren’t feely beachy enough, the bartenders will whip up a Surfrider (rum, curacao, sweet and sour and pineapple juice), a Long Board (Chambord, vodka orange and cranberry juices) a Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai or a Zuma Surfer (Malibu rum—of course—tequila and pineapple juice. Recommended dishes from the competent kitchen of Executive Chef Chris Juers include: Alice’s Truffle Chips, New England Clam Chowder, Caesar Salad Fondue, Apple, Pecan and Maytag Blue Cheese Salad, Tiny Ahi Tacos, Brick Pressed Mojo Sandwich and the Beachcomber Kobe Burger. Prices range from $10-$16. At many beach establishments you’re paying for the view and the food is secondary if not tertiary, but that’s not the case here. This is the beach immortalized in classic surf films from the 60’s and you’ll see surfers catching waves right at your feet. The pier itself is actually a state park and was built in 1908. The two towers at the end of the wharf were built in the 1940s. It was ravaged by storms in ’82, ’83 and ’93—and has been closed until just two weeks ago. And about those blankets—navy blue, naturally—they’re cutely emblazoned with the slogan “Stolen from Malibu Pier Club,” but you can take one home for $20. And as long as Mel Gibson doesn’t stop in for drinks, well, be safe on PCH. Malibu Pier Club, 23000 Pacific Coast Highway, 310.456-9800

NOT JUST ANOTHER LA SUSHI BAR KULA Sushi Bistro's Saikyo Miso Grilled Black Cod: marinated for three days in Saikyo Miso imported from Japan It’s not a steakhouse: Spacious tables create a zone of privacy for confidential conversations Crowded, noisy, cramped. The story of many sushi bars. Not the case at the newly opened Kula Sushi Bistro just outside Century City, at the site of the old Lunaria. Unlike the current crop of trendy spots, it’s actually Japanese-owned. Kula features seasonal, organic and local ingredients whenever possible, with some specialty items imported from Japan. It’s a great new spot for after work drinks as well, with an expansive list of sake, shochu and house cocktails. Kula Sushi Bistro, 10351 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City 310.282-8870

ON THE WINGS OF THE DOVES Sonya and Christopher Dove work their hair magic at the color bar of their new salon, The Doves, on Santa Monica’s Main Street Tired of the whole Beverly Hills hair scene? Here’s the perfect antidote: a salon owned and operated by the talented creative directors of Wella, Sonya and Christopher Dove. The two Brits staked their claim on a developing part of Main Street, and no architectural detail went unnoticed as their shop was built from the ground up. The atmosphere: an eclectic mix of rich textured metals, strong colors and earthy woods that create an inviting environment. Sit yourself at the ultra-modern color bar for your hair color “prescription.” With their slogan Hair. Art. Team., you will be assured of expertise from the shampoo bowl to the roomy styling stations. “Our vision is to have a workspace and atmosphere where European influenced education is at the heart of our culture but at the same time we will be treating our team and clients just as we would family,” says Sonya, who along with Christopher, has 30 years experience in the hair care industry, starting in England before coming to the US as the creative directors of Elizabeth Arden Red Door salons. The Doves, 2000 Main St., Santa Monica 310. 399-7654

SUMMER LEGS Tarte glam gams bronzing leg stick ($30): easy, breezy tan Sometimes a great new product comes on the market, but could use a little tweaking. Such is the case with leg shines. OK, men, optional beauty product intel here, but Michael Kors had a lock on the roll-ups that look like a deodorant but actually are used to moisturize and tan legs with a few quick swipes. The only problem: the somewhat cloying gardenia scent of Michael Kors. (On one hot, humid summer NY day, it almost made me nauseous.) Now Tarte, queen of roll-up products with their cheek stains, has come up with something better: Glam Gams bronzing leg stick. It’s water resistant and not noxiously-scented. You can nab one when they come out in a few weeks at Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman, and select Sephoras. www.tartecosmetics.com

LAST DAYS OF AUGUST

It’s the calm before the storm when after Labor Day, in quick succession, boom boom boom: its Fashion Week in New York, the VMAs in Las Vegas and Emmy Week in LA.
One man is aiming to break new ground at Bryant Park, and he’s not in the schmatta business. Executive chef Andy Pastore wants to feed the fashion masses with his take on Asian-fusion cuisine.  What, you say? Food at Fashion Week? That would be a first. You could drink yourself silly, partake of any one of a number of controlled and uncontrolled substances but not run across a morsel for days and nights on end, save for a couple of chocolate-covered strawberries backstage at the shows.  (At least in LA, you can buy snackies at Smashbox to soak up some of the alcohol.) 
Maybe the California sunshine got to the native Brooklynite, who at press time, was searching for an NYC venue in which to temporarily hang his toque and serve up his delicacies like an heirloom tomato and mozzarella Napoleon, Thai bouillabaisse with Maine lobster tail or grilled Szechuan pepper-crusted filet mignon. Normally you can find him turning these dishes out from the kitchen at Ritual, on the site of the old White Lotus in Hollywood, with its sultry, candle-lit patio and adjacent nightclub. Pastore began his career in New York under some of the greatest names in the business, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten,  before moving West for stints at Wolfgang Puck’s fondly-remembered Granita, Michael’s, the Sunset Room, Sterling Steakhouse and Cabana Club. 
 Chef Andy Pastore wants to cook for the catwalk crowd who normally forego food for fashion at New York’s upcoming Fashion Week
Ritual, 1743 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood 323.463-0060 
 

FASHIONISTAS WHO ACTUALLY EAT FOOD, IN SMALL BITES
 

Teri Hatcher and daughter Emerson party at One Sunset with Mark Badgley + James Mischka

Countless St-Germain liqueur artisanale cocktails were downed and  truffle pizza, mini-crab cakes, tuna tartar and beef tenderloin were snatched up by a tres- fashionable crowd Monday night at One Sunset to honor Teri Hatcher as the new face of Badgley Mischka’s fall campaign.  DH castmates Felicity Huffman, James Denton, Andrea Bowen and Dana Delaney turned out to show their support along with Sama Eyewear’s Sheila Vance and jewelry designer Michelle Roy. One Sunset, 8730 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 310.657-0111

BARON DAVIS + LA STARS = MAGIC

Angie Stone rocks the crowd at the LA Stars “Rodeo Drive Experience” earlier this month, raising money for the charity overseen by NBA All-Stars Baron Davis and Paul Pierce to benefit at-risk youth in Southern California, and furthering work done by Magic Johnson and his eponymous foundation. Always a pleasure to see his smiling face.

MARTINI MADNESS ON RODEO
With the price of a few rounds of “designer” martinis requiring a C-note these days, it’s hard to imagine five for less than $20. But that’s exactly the deal at the Luxe Hotel’s Bar 360 Monday-Friday, 5:30-7:30 pm: $3.60 drink specials include a fresh watermelon martini, or, shades of Sex and the City, a cool Cosmopolitan, both giving deeper meaning to “happy hour.” Small plates like fried green tomatoes and fresh burrata, lobster rolls and lamb lollipops add a little more joy to an after-work respite.
Luxe Hotel Bar 360, 360 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.273-0300

FROM 818 TO 310: ARCONA ARRIVES IN SANTA MONICA
Long known to Vals as THE place for a results-driven facial, Arcona is now primping and priming Westside punims. Chanel Jenae and Kevin Anderson oversee the legacy of Arcona, who was ahead of her time as a pioneer of holistic skin care. The fab product line uses only all-natural ingredients with high concentrations of antioxidants, plant and extracts, sea vegetables, essential oils, vitamins and minerals and includes the popular Magic White Ice hydration serum and refreshing cranberry toner. Chanel or one of the salon’s estheticians will advise you on a five-product regimen best for your skin type. Trust them. 
The Arcona Studio, 425 Broadway, Santa Monica, 310.458-3800 

YOU WON’T BELIEVE YOUR EYES
It sounds illogical that slapping on a clear eyeliner at night can make lashes grow longer and thicker, but TAR has it on good authority that these potions actually work, with a little patience and a lot of persistence. The best: RevitaLash, which is making some long-lashed believers out of those who use it regularly for 3-4 weeks, when results kick in. Try it yourself, and save the time spent on often over-hyped lash extensions. And there’s a great backstory: ophthalmologist Michael Brinkenhoff originally developed the product for his wife Gayle, who was losing her eyelashes during chemotherapy for breast cancer. A portion of the proceeds of each tube sold ($150) goes to breast cancer research.
www.revitalash.com,  877.909-5274

RIP OF THE WEEK
Don’t fall into this trap: valet parking at the Grove will cost you $20 unless you spend $250 at the plasticine mall. Puh-leeze. One savvy moviegoer gamed the system by purchasing a $300 necklace at Nordstrom and then returned it the next day…at Westside Pavilion.

THERE IS SOME CONSIDERATION FOR GUESTS HERE
Patrons of the Writers Bar and Jaan restaurant at Raffles L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills get free valet parking and customers of the spa at the InterContinental in Century City also park gratis via valet, which TAR awards the best chill-while waiting-for-your-car spot at a hotel in LA, complete with couches, coffee tables, heat lamps and ashtrays. But don’t get too comfortable: they always seem to deliver the cars pronto. Jiminy!

© 2007 Atkin Communications.  Reproduction of material from the Atkin Report without permission is prohibited.  The Atkin Report™ is a trademark of Atkin Communications, Los Angeles, CA.