THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Riva

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Riva Restaurant Review:

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES TO FRAÎCHE. Expanding from Fraîche in downtown Culver City to Santa Monica by the Pacific, chef Jason Travi named this restaurant appropriately for its location: "riva" in Italian means shoreline. An entrance in white tones with pots of fragrant herbs and fruits leads to a rather large space with a bar on the right and a chef's counter in the back where you can eat and observe the action in the kitchen. The overall atmosphere is somewhat elegant for a place that Travi likes to describe as a neighborhood spot to come and eat his rustic Italian cuisine. If you arrive early it is quite noisy, so don't plan to hold a business meeting or have a romantic conversation. Travi has revamped the menu, replacing wood-fired pizzas with Italian small plates (pizza is still offered Sunday-Tuesday). The dishes call to mind the wave on the restaurant's logo: some are at the top of the curve, some not as high. We prefer the crudi, like the sea bass with pink peppercorns in lemon oil, Japanese hamachi with green onions, lemon and colatura, and turbot cut in squares with sea bean. We also like the Angus flat iron steak served with polenta fries (careful, they break when you grab them) in a caramelized onions and brandy sauce. We're on the upswing with desserts, like the chocolate brioche bread pudding and the carrot cake, and the winner is the pear Tatin on a crispy crespelle with almond cream layers. Travi might consider selling the ice creams that come as accompaniment---they are that good: maple, stracciatella and butterscotch flavors. The wine list is composed with over 200 selections exclusively from Italy, ranging from $25 to $1,000.