Lisa Vanderpump Opens 3rd Restaurant Venture, PUMP, In West Hollywood

LATimes.com:

It's a little after noon on Friday and Lisa Vanderpump is walking around the soon-to-be-finished garden patio of Pump, her new restaurant, bar and lounge in West Hollywood. She's adjusting lighting fixtures, directing construction workers and figuring out where to put a shipment of 40 large decorative pots that have just arrived.

The star of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and producer of "Vanderpump Rules" is hoping to have the restaurant, her third Los Angeles venture, open to the public Thursday. She also owns Villa Blanca in Beverly Hills, Sur on Robertson Boulevard and has opened a number of venues in Europe -- all of which she designed herself. 

She's taken over the once disheveled Southeast corner of Robertson and Santa Monica Boulevard. A large iron gate opens onto what is now a multipart restaurant and lounge with an outdoor area that seats 75, a garden area with seating for 70, an indoor dining area and a room for private parties.

Former "The Next Food Network Star" contestant Penny Davidi, who also opened Pizza Rustica, is the chef and collaborated with Vanderpump on what Davidi calls a "people-friendly" Mediterranean, Italian menu. Dishes include tri-color pasta with house sausage in a light arrabiata sauce and another pasta dish with chunks of lobster; filet mignon tagliata sliced over red cabbage and a cauliflower and wasabi puree; and a salmon filet with a tumeric, lemon caper sauce, fingerling potatoes and asparagus. 

Vanderpump has a couple of her own dishes on the menu including a shrimp and crab salad-stuffed papaya. She's also taken some of her favorites from Villa Blanca, including the crab rolls and spicy tuna and crispy rice and put them on Pump's bar menu.

RELATED:  Lisa Vanderpump: Brandi Glanville Has Been ‘Horrible’ Since Our Feud Began