We received complimentary Kalamata (purple) and slightly larger Picholine (green) olives bathed in oil, lemon peel and herbs.

Funke makes his pasta fresh daily by hand with a pasta board he purchased on a spring foray to Italy. Terrific tortelli (stuffed egg pasta) ($14) were strewn with crispy bits of caramelized cauliflower and toasted shaved almonds. He then showered each six-inch rectangle with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cutting open each tortelli precipitated oozing cauliflower puree. This dish was excellent, with varied texture.

Carlsbad mussels ($14) were supple and piled in a white wine, garlic and wild herb broth. Slabs of grilled bread acted like oversized croutons that soaked up the sauce to good effect.

It’s hard to blend in at dinner with a flashing camera. It must have been the camera that prompted free sweet corn agnolotti, which just went off the menu. This pasta might have been even better than the stellar tortelli: tiny bites of sweet, thin-skinned pasta dumplings.

Seared diver scallops ($32) were caramelized outside and plated with explosively flavored, multi-colored cherry tomatoes, black and green olive slivers and tangy capers.

My cousin wavered between flat iron steak and the Niman Ranch “cast iron” burger ($16). He went with the juicy burger with a nice char, which was topped with crispy onion rings, sharp Vermont cheddar, homemade pickles and wild arugula – served with excellent hand-cut, herb-showered French fries (and little white skillet of garlic aioli for dipping). The soft bun sure looked and tasted homemade.

Zoe Nathan is a rising pastry star. She and Loeb plan to partner on a Santa Monica bakery and café in early 2009. In the meantime, her selection of House Made Cookies ($9) was varied and impressive. Her lemon squares were tart and silky. Mini chocolate cupcakes were rich but moist, coated with extra chocolate. Heart-shaped shortbreads practically melted in my mouth. “Kouign amman” turned out to be a solid sticky bun. The mini chocolate chip cookie was the least successful offering, flavorful but crunchy. The chocolate-dipped cream puff was served cool, filled with vanilla-flecked cream. Maybe the best bite was the rectangular apple galette with airy pastry and a caramelized base.