If you’re looking for the perfect afternoon outing, consider touring the Los Angeles County Museum of Art with its permanent exhibits, like Chris Burden’s “Urban Light” and Michael Heizer’s “Levitated Mass.” Currently, the Frank Gehry exhibition of his work, from the 1960s to the present, showcases one of the great architectural minds in our lifetime. Afterwards, complete your LACMA visit by enjoying the cuisine of executive chef Viet Pham at Ray’s and Stark Bar, a member of the Patina Restaurant Group.

The charcuterie plate arrives beautifully displayed on a cutting board. All of the meats are house made, with the lambchetta being my favorite. the violet mustard offered a zesty tang to the dish. (photo by Michael Villalpando)

The restaurant’s expansive windows and outdoor patio open onto the beautiful LACMA campus. Stark Bar offers additional outdoor seating where visitors can sip cocktails and meet friends after work.

On a warm afternoon, we opted to sit indoors where the friendly staff greeted us with a bottle of sparkling water. However, this was not just any bottle of water – Ray’s boasts the only water sommelier in the world, general manager Martin Riese. He presented us with a bottle of Iskilde, a naturally oxygenated water from Denmark. The name means “ice spring,” and it was certainly refreshing on a hot afternoon. Riese has an entire water list, like a wine list, explaining the many types offered. In addition to our water, we selected a glass of Cote du Rhone rose, Famille Perrin.

Chef Pham utilizes fresh ingredients, including vegetables and herbs from the restaurant’s garden located on the LACMA campus. We started with the housemade charcuterie plate with pickled, brightly hued vegetables. A wood cutting board displayed lamb pate, lambchetta, mortadella, pork rillete and Kasekrainerwurst – an Austrian sausage. A swath of violet mustard added a splash of color and tang to the plate. The lambchetta is grilled lamb belly teeming with flavor. In contrast, the lamb pate offered a more subdued taste of lamb. The mortadella was hearty and pungent, while the rillette was a smooth spread. What’s amazing is these meats are prepared in house – not delivered by a local deli. I found this dish to be highly satisfying and plenty for two of us to share.

Hamachi with watermelon, radish, cilantro and diced jalapeño was a perfect intermezzo. Served in a bowl, the generous slices of yellowtail were swirled among the thin radish and watermelon medallions, a lovely dish.

Just added to the fall menu are the Manila clams in a sundried tomato wine broth with Calabrian chile. Dipping the accompanying grilled bread into the sweet clam broth may have been the highlight of our meal.

Pastas seem to be one of chef Pham’s specialties. Impressive dishes like chitarra – a squid ink pastas with sungold tomatoes, crab and garlic Thai basil come alive with the addition of fish sauce and Calabrian chile. His careful hand when seasoning comes through with delicate layers of flavor. Another fine example is the cavatelli with braised rabbit, green olives and shiitake mushrooms. Rabbit jus butter sauce bathes the pasta in a combination of ingredients which is comforting and ideal on a crisp, fall day.

Pham’s talents shine through his menu, and his creative abilities are evident in his design of  interesting, pleasing dishes. Ray’s, like LACMA, is a gem for which the Miracle Mile can be proud.

Make a day of it, and let Riese, Pham and the staff show you an excellent time.

5905 Wilshire Blvd., (323) 857-6180, www.raysandstarkbar.