With Beechwood in Venice, Brooke Williamson and partners have a runaway hit. It's a new format: two-thirds bar and one-third restaurant. And why not, when you can pop in at all hours for fried baby octopus with lemon slices or dainty lamb meatballs with red pepper pesto and a glass of Domaine Tempier rosé? The ground rib-eye burger with smoky barbecue sauce is a must. So are the fries—shoestring, quarter-inch or sweet potato—with a collection of dipping sauces. The dining room has a luxe coffee-shop vibe with sumptuous leather booths and a straight-ahead California menu. Beechwood is the perfect place to eat something good, late. In this early-to-bed town, I'm there, along with every other night owl in town. Hmm, I may need a trio of cupcakes before bed. And a glass of milk. Cocktails, $7 and up. Bar food, $4 to $12; entrees, $15 to $23. 822 Washington Blvd., Venice; (310) 448-8884.
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