Walking into a 100-year-old Craftsman style home that is now The Larchmont restaurant is a step back in time. Beautiful reconditioned hardwood floors and exposed wood beams create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Step up to the small bar area where mixologist Chris Kramer shakes up an array of creative libations.

In addition to an interesting beer and wine list, innovative cocktails are made with fresh natural ingredients such as his Larchmont savory martini garnished with an olive and picked herbs from the farmers market. His chartreuse eldorado mixes Casamigos Anejo

Harissa seared scallops are served with a wonderful Hollandaise sauce enhanced with crispy prosciutto. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

tequila, Grand Marnier, fresh lime and squeeze of orange. He dips the rim of a glass in black lava salt and pours the drink into the glass over a large, round ice cube that melts very slowly as to not dilute the flavor.

The Larchmont hired new executive chef Michael Bryant, formerly at The Churchill on W. Third St. near the Beverly Center. This talented chef incorporates French cooking he learned from his mother while growing up Virginia. He started working in restaurant kitchens as a teenager, first as a dishwasher, and then basically every other job before becoming an executive chef. In Los Angeles, Bryant also had a stint at Joe’s, Father’s Office and the Palihouse Hotel in West Hollywood.

We enjoyed dinner at an elegant table near the fireplace. Bryant is a genius with sauces. His harissa seared scallops shine with Hollandaise sauce enhanced with crispy prosciutto and smoked almonds. He adds bright red pomegranate seeds for color and a burst of sweetness. The North African influenced harissa paste is made with various chiles and spices giving this dish the right amount of heat.

We sipped a Nueva Moda “old fashioned” that had pecan halves floating on top, while we cut into the charred Spanish octopus tentacle. Sliced fennel bulb with the tall, wispy, frond top is diced and sprinkled on the plate. The sauce composed of dainty English peas, sliced heirloom baby tomatoes, potato cubes and savory Nduja sausage was splashed with harissa, again adding heat.

Fennel appears in many of Bryant’s dishes, adding texture and an essence of licorice and anise.

I usually don’t order chicken when dining out, yet our server highly recommended the entrée. The plate arrived with a perfectly roasted half chicken browned beautifully on top surrounded by a luscious chicken jus with chanterelle mushrooms, cipollini onions, baby carrots, a little bit of sage and haricot vert adorning the top.

We ordered a side of the roasted cauliflower Vadouvan served with a white velouté sauce that offers a slight curry flavor. Veloute is the “mother sauce” of classic French cuisine according to Antonin Careme in “The Art of French Cooking.” Chef Bryant’s Vadouvan veloute is a smooth and velvety white roux stirred with English peas, diced mint, and a squeeze or two of preserved lemon. It’s an outstanding vegetarian dish.

We finished with an appealing pot de creme presented in a glass jar with a layer of chocolate and butterscotch budino, a touch of toffee and crowned with toasted marshmallow.

If you dine at the Larchmont before January 31, you can enjoy some of the dishes I experienced on their dineLA dinner menu for $39 per person like the charred Spanish octopus, the roasted chicken and pot de creme dessert.

Their dineLA lunch menu is$25 per person. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner begins at 5:30 p.m.

For Valentine’s Day, The Larchmont has three seatings at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Start with an amuse bouche, followed by a choice of burrata and beet salad with pickled fennel; a foie gras plate or – my favorite – harissa seared scallops. Bryant offers guests a soft scrambled egg with roasted cauliflower, crispy quinoa and a chive crème, before the third course choice that includes house ricotta tortellini; red snapper with Manilla clams; or marinated charred ribeye with gnocchi and brussels sprouts. Finish with a strawberry panna cotta with angel food cake or the chocolate and butterscotch pot de crème. This elegant menu is $85 per person. $$$ 5750 Melrose Ave. (323)464-4277.