A FEW weeks ago, Craig Susser, the former manager of the legendary Hollywood restaurant Dan Tana's, interrupted a morning of paperwork to take a call from one of its regulars, the three-time Stanley Cup champion Junior Langlois.
"Junior, how you doing, handsome? I was going to call you," Mr. Susser said, leaning back in a swivel chair from his cluttered desk.
The office was in the back of Craig's, his new restaurant on Melrose Avenue, which in the time-honored ritual of aspiring hot spots, had opened to select customers six days earlier, not far from Tana's and another popular hangout, the Palm.
"I love you, you're my brother, we're not even really open yet," Mr. Susser said to Mr. Langlois, and after a few more soothing words, hung up. "A lot of people are a little upset with me," Mr. Susser said, "that I haven't reached out to them individually."
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