What’s up?!

The westside of Los Angeles, just like the Kardashian’s, keeps pumpin’ out newbies, but these are tasteful and classy.

Saturday afternoon we dined at Baltaire. It debuted on San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood one month ago and is purportedly packed every night.

It is situated next door to it’s healthy and organic family member, Coral Tree Cafe. A posse from the Brentwood ‘hood who started the Coral Tree Cafe have opened their first upscale restaurant.

Baltaire is large and sophisticated yet warm and welcoming. The transformation renders the building unrecognizable from its former incarnation as the Cheesecake Factory.

We dropped by for a late lunch. The place was almost empty and it gave us time and space to drink in all the attention to detail…flooring, lights, shutters, furniture.

We dined on the lovely outdoor patio which is resplendent with large potted trees and a retractable roof.

There is a spacious bar area and a fireside lounge where patrons can indulge in lunch and dinner.

The big screen TV affords sports junkies like me the opportunity to watch a game. You can order from the bar menu as well as the dining room menu.

We kicked lunch off with a lovely 2013 Palmina Dolcetto rose blend from Santa Barbara County ($12) followed by a tasty fresh, chilled Little Gem Caesar salad with torn ciabatta croutons ($14).

Our server, Andrea, was a joy. The service was fluid and unrushed.

Baltaire, whose name conveys strength yet means absolutely nothing, is a steakhouse so I decided to sample the Butchered Burger ($18). The meat is freshly ground daily.

It was one of the best burgers that I have ever sampled. The meat was so flavorful and cooked to perfection with cheese, aioli, fresh bread and butter pickles, homemade ketchup and steak sauce on a brioche. The burger was served with a choice of crispy thin fries or a salad ($18).

The lobster grilled cheese ($22) and the side of lobster mac and cheese were also tempting ($18).

David ordered the salmon burger and it actually tasted like salmon, no fillers. It was thick, juicy and delectable. David orders salmon burgers frequently and he thought the Baltaire Salmon Burger was superior.

We were too full to sample dessert, but the offerings were tempting. The desserts priced at $12 included bourbon croissant bread pudding, salted caramel dark chocolate tart, cheesecake, German chocolate cake, lemon meringue pie, pineapple upside-down cake, powdered beignets, gelato, sorbet and a California cheese board ($18).

Chef Travis Strickland, who hails from the Windy City, is serving a wide range of steak options at dinner from bone-in filet, Porterhouse, Japanese A5 Wagyu to 35-day dry-aged cote de boeuf.

Other options include a tableside Dover sole, tossed Greek salad, and even matcha green tea to aid digestion after a hearty meal.

Sommelier David Vaughn, formerly of Osteria Mozza, oversees a wine and beverage program boasting a a vast selection with more than 30 wines by the glass. There is also a full lineup of Pappy Van Winkle bourbons.

The modern dining room seats 68 while the patio fits up to 90.

We watched the staff prepare for dinner, setting tables with linen and ironing each tablecloth individually. The servers stripped off their lunch vest attire and replaced them with white dinner jackets.

The open kitchen is spacious and pristine. The music eclectic and nonintrusive.

While it is not an inexpensive dining experience, I would definitely return for dinner. Most of the steaks were in the $50 range and the fish is priced at $40 and up.

I was very impressed with all aspects of Baltaire. A baby grand piano resides up front, providing live music performances…good food and entertainment, who knew!

Baltaire 11647 San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, California. Open weekdays 11am-3pm, 10am-3pm on weekends. Dinner is 5-10pm Monday-Thursday and open until 11pm on Friday and Saturday. Valet and street parking available. Reservations on OpenTable.com.