BY NATALIE HAUGHTON > LA.com

With interest rising in casual comforting fare, chef/owner David Myers has stepped in with Comme Ça, a new brasserie that debuted a week ago in West Hollywood. It joins his other Los Angeles ventures, Sona and Boule.

At this new venue, you'll find traditional French bistro fare -- including favorites like Escargots Persillade ($12), Soupe A L'Oignon Gratinee ($9), Moules Frites ($20), Coq Au Vin ($24) and Paleron of Beef Bourguignon ($25) -- among the offerings.

The eclectic space, divided into three separate dining rooms, with a black, white and gray decor, has contemporary French flair - except for the plastic chairs.

We could have made an entire meal from the tempting hors d'oeuvres list. The Tarte Flambee ($11), a paper-thin rectangular crust, reminiscent of lavosh, came hot from the oven, strewn with caramelized onions, lardons and fromage blanc all entwined. All the flavors clicked. Faintly pizza-like but with chic, attractive toppings, it was divine - and enough for two to share.

The Roasted Beet Salad ($10) was another fabulous creation. With large thin slices of al dente yellow and pink-orange-red (not deep purple) beets overlapping on the plate, it was topped with thin strips of fennel and watercress and was surrounded by a thin drizzle of horseradish cream. A generous flattened round of goat cheese mixed with creme fraiche and herbs, then rolled in pistachio nuts was presented alongside.

Next up was a lackluster, monochromatic Crab Salad ($14), a combination of very thinly shredded celery root and small pieces of crab tossed with a celery root remoulade atop a few dabs of a green basil oil. It tasted bitter, didn't contain much crab and lacked eye appeal.

MD's Charcuterie Plate ($12) was another disappointment, served with a too-thick slice of house-made duck terrine that unfortunately looked like a piece of Spam (two thinner slices would have been preferable). It was accompanied by a nice grainy mustard, terrific small sliced cornichons and good pickled onions. Unfortunately the terrine was lacking flavor -- and seemed a little greasy and tough

The Steak Frites ($26) was a hit. The boneless rib-eye was cooked to medium-rare perfection and was supposed to be topped with a round of herb butter which had slid off the meat by the time it was served. I would have preferred Bearnaise sauce -- or even just plain beef with a sprinkle of seasonings, as the meat was well-marbled and of high quality. The plate was piled with the perfunctory pommes frites (french fries) which were nothing special - and a small container of aioli, an overwhelming garlic-flavored mayonnaise.

The Crispy Skate Grenobloise ($25) served with haricots verts and topped with a caper lemon brown butter sauce was exceptional - wonderfully tender white fish with just a slight coating, resulting in a nicely browned exterior.

Desserts ($8 each) fell short of the mark. Perhaps our expectations were too high as they were from Boule, Myers' patisserie up the street.

JR's small individual Chocolate Tart was served stone cold, difficult to cut into with a fork, and looked forlorn (no garnish atop the tart) on the plate with a small oval scoop of rose-flavored raspberry sorbet alongside. The rose flavor detracted from the raspberry and the chocolate ganache tart lacked pizazz. The Meyer Lemon Tart topped with a swirl of meringue was a bit more appealingly dressed with a slight raspberry sauce drizzle and a couple of fresh raspberries - but it, too, was served cold. Perhaps we should have taken the server's advice and tried the brioche pudding.

At its best: A chic, sophisticated, casual, fun restaurant serving classic French fare with an amiable staff. A novel cheese counter, manned by a cheese expert happy to answer any questions, offers a variety of French and American cheeses and numerous accompaniments, ranging from nuts and pickles.

Could be better: The restaurant is a work in progress and needs to iron out a few missteps, including better timing (entrees came too fast, leaving no breather after finishing the appetizers) and serving order (a salad came with the entrees, not before, as we anticipated.

>Rating:

>Details: 8479 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood. Open for dinner Sunday through Thursday 5 to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to midnight. (323) 782-1104. www.commecarestaurant.com.

> Hours: Open for dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday,5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; for breakfast 8 to 11:30 a.m, lunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and early dinner (salad, cheese and raw bar) 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays. Brunch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

>Cost: Hors d'oeuvres $8 to $14, entrees $20 to $27, specialties du jour $24 to $30 and market price, fruits de mer $15 to $90 (grand plateau), sides $7, cheese plates $15 to $25, desserts $8.

>Noteworthy: Full bar, 125 American and French wines available by the bottle; about 20 by the glass. Cheese counter, raw bar. Corkage: $20 per bottle. Specials of the day include braised veal shank, pork belly and choucroute garnie. Lunch service scheduled to start in a couple of weeks.