White Asparagus

* It’s the season for green asparagus’ milder cousin.

Napa Rose: Chef Andrew Sutton wraps white and green asparagus in Serrano ham and grills the bundles for a nice smoky flavor. They come with egg salad on brioche toast. (“Asparagus in all its glory,” $13.50.) Napa Rose, Grand Californian Hotel, 1600 S. Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, (714) 300-7170.

Melisse: Chef-owner Josiah Citrin offers white asparagus simmered with morels; in a black truffle bath; or with lobster fricassee. (White asparagus in cocotte, $28; white asparagus in crushed black truffle bath, $32; Maine lobster fricassee, $39.) Melisse, 1104 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 395-0881.

Alex: At this chic new restaurant you can get a white asparagus flan with grilled shiitakes and frizzled leeks or steamed white asparagus with grilled Dover sole, favas and tomato ragout. (Prix-fixe dinners, $58 and $95.) Alex, 6703 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 933-5233.

Cafe Pinot: Have white asparagus and morel salad, lobster and raw white asparagus salad with caviar or roast lamb with fingerling potatoes, greengage plums, toasted almonds and white asparagus. (White asparagus and morel salad, $13; Maine lobster medallions, $14; Colorado lamb loin, $27.75.) Cafe Pinot, 700 W. 5th St., downtown L.A., (213) 239-6500.

Rockenwagner: Rockenwagner’s white asparagus festival lasts till the end of June. On Monday evenings, you can have all the asparagus you can eat; every night there’s a special menu of dishes such as arctic char (a cousin of salmon). with white asparagus. (Monday all-you-can-eat white asparagus, $35; arctic char, $14.50.) Rockenwagner, Edgemar Complex, 2435 Main St., Santa Monica, (310) 399-6504.

L’Orangerie: Begin your meal with delicate French white asparagus in a sauce of milk and chopped eggs, topped with a cold scoop of foie gras mixed with sauce anglaise. The dish is garnished with fresh snipped chives. (Warm white asparagus from France with white egg emulsion and ice cream foie gras, $33.) L’Orangerie, 903 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 652-9770.