It's a tale as old as time: rising star reaches the pinnacle of fame and women-getting, only to have the world smite his boundless awesome and banish him to Pasadena/the concessions of Dodger Stadium. Back and swinging for the fences, the chef at Bistro LQ.

Opening Tuesday, Bistro's a schmancy, mid-sized mid-city indoor/outdoor eatery befitted with a dangling glass-ball art fixture and wall-length banquettes, chef'd by a Frenchman who ran an award winning Downtown resto in the late '80s before fate forced him to close up shop, become the beverage director/exec chef at Dodger Stadium and open a small restaurant in Pasadena, just now returning to redeem himself and, presumably, avoid rush hour on the 134. Food's farm fresh and organic when possible, with ridiculous-sounding seafood like sea urchin tapioca pudding w/ yuzu kosho & kumamoto oysters in a yuzu martini gelee; monkfish cheeks w/ cippolini onion, artichoke confit, and pomegranate molasses; and salmon w/ chicharrones ragu, baby abalone, and bone marrow "royale" (witness the tragic last chapter of King Steer). The insanity continues onto meatier dishes like squab w/ duck hearts, gizzard pastilla w/ pistachios, rhubarb, and Middle Eastern-flavored ras al hanout jus, braised baby goat w/ guahillo peppers and oregano-scented tripe, and sunchoke puree-abetted veal cheek, which're especially sassy, but, ahhh, youth!

As far as booze goes, LQ's got a small list of artisan beers (Anderson Valley Boonte Amber Ale; Unibroe La Fin Du Monde; etc) as well as an extensive international wine list divided into four categories, according to the chef "based on moments of life and feelings" -- "Celebration and Idare", "First Date", "Love and Passion", "Sexy and Flirt", because combining trying to get laid with wine is another tale as old as time.

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The menu and more's at BistroLQ.com