As fall nears, the opening of restaurants accelerates. On the beleagured K Street Mall alone two places opened just this week - Michel Bloch's Crepe Cafe at Ninth and K, which I mentioned in an earlier post here, and Three Monkeys at Seventh and K, which I just heard about.

Three Monkeys is part modern American, part modern Japanese, the former represented by its beer- and martini-heavy saloon and its broiler cooking, the latter by its tempura and sushi plates. The place is big enough to easily accommodate both, spreading over nearly 11,000 square feet and capable of seating about 280, says general manager Carl Steagall, one of four partners in the venture.

The others are the original "three monkeys" - CEO Bob Wilson, president James Chong, and CFO Eric Waddell. The three hatched the plan at Tokyo Dori, Chong's sushi restaurant in Rocklin. (Chong also was the founder of the local chain of I Love Teriyaki restaurants, which he sold.) Steagall, formerly with the Claim Jumper chain of restaurants, later joined the three as a partner in Harvest Ventures Inc., the corporation to develop this and other Three Monkeys.

Three Monkeys, 723 K St., is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays; after the restaurant's grand opening Sept. 7 it also will be open Sundays; (916) 441-4860.