Jason Neroni is chef at Osteria La Buca; Perch lounge coming to downtown L.A.

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La Buca, again: After focusing his efforts to revamp and expand Osteria La Buca, owner Graham Snyder has taken the restaurant’s makeover a step further, hiring globetrotting chef Jason Neroni, whose résumé includes Spago in Los Angeles and Porchetta in New York. Both share a passion for simple Italian food, signaling that the new menu will sway diners with a return to basics -- such as house-made pasta, pizza and salumi and dishes such as porchetta. The latest design upgrade includes more expansion, a zinc-top bar and walnut tables and custom booths in the dining room.

5210 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 462-1900, OsteriaLaBuca.com.

Going up: Rachel Thomas and Coly Den Haan, the duo behind the erstwhile Must, are planning to open the three-story, bistro-inspired Perch lounge at the top of the Pershing Square Building in downtown Los Angeles. Multiple entertainment venues will host DJs, live music and burlesque and cabaret acts. The news release emphasizes no dress code (diners only have to hold themselves to their own warped standards of what to wear). The executive chef will be Benjamin Udave, former chef at the Jonathan Club. Thomas and Den Haan expect a May opening. Meanwhile, the two will reopen the Must on the ground floor of the same building later this year.

448 S. Hill St., Los Angeles, PerchLA.com.

-- Max Diamond