If you’re old enough, you’ll remember the scene in the movie Gigi where the ingénue steps into Maxim’s and tout society looks up to gawk. It’s instant replay every weekday afternoon at Restaurant L, which fills up early with power brokers who swear by the Kobe beef burger with cinnamon pickles; ladies who lunch on palm sugar–glazed salmon; and the media elite who are always grateful for an excuse to indulge in anything chef Pino Maffeo dreams up.