Cafe Le Parc 733 W. Knoll Drive, West Hollywood 310-855-8888 At the intimate and
totally exclusive Café Le Parc you can enjoy superb American continental .
Hamburger Hamlet 9201 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 310-278-4924 The first Hamburger
Hamlet quickly gained a following amongst contract players from the nearby
studios.
Mel's Drive-In 8585 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 310-854-7200 The original Mel's
stood in for the gang's hangout in 1973's "American Graffiti." This one is
smack in the heart of the Sunset Strip.
Millie's Honk 'n' Holler 3524 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A. 323-664-0404 Along with generous helpings
of shaggy bohemian vibe, Millie's serves breakfast (egg dishes and
banana-walnut or berry pancakes) and lunch (sandwiches, burritos and
salads) all morning and afternoon. The food is more carefully prepared
than you might expect, and the coffee's particularly good.
The House 5750 Melrose Ave., L.A. 323-462-4687 The House celebrates American
cooking, which is harder to find at serious restaurants in Los Angeles
than it should be.
The Ivy 113 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood 310-274-8303 The Ivy is one of
L.A.'s most intense power-meal spots, as well as one of its prettiest.
Chin Chin 8618 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 310-652-1818 Owner Bob Mandler
is the guy who brought dim sum to the west side 17 years ago when he
opened his first Chin Chin on Sunset Boulevard. He's certainly perfected
the art of serving lighter Chinese fare in a casual setting.
Formosa Cafe 7156 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood 323-850-9050 Some old Hollywood
hangouts look set to last forever. If there's ever a nuclear war, it won't
be cockroaches that survive. It'll be the Formosa Café.
Joss 9255 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 310-276-1886 Joss is owned by a
Hong Kong movie producer who isn't afraid to add a few new twists to the
ancient Chinese culinary arts.
Mandarette 8386 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood 323-655-6115 From the folks at The
Mandarin, Beverly Hills' posh temple of Chinese gastronomy, comes this
endearing Chinese cafe.
Taipan 7075 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 323-464-2989 The cha siu bao (pork buns)
are among the best in town -- and they're $4.
Alex 6703 Melrose Ave., L.A. 323-933-5233 At a time when many
restaurateurs are looking to the bottom line, Alex Scrimgeouer is taking
the high road to fine dining. There's nothing trendy about the cooking.
The four-course prix fixe menu seems like a bargain at $58. My favorite of
the middle courses is lovely spring asparagus and quail's egg salad paired
with a piquant saffron remoulade.
Bastide 8475 Melrose Place, L.A. 323-651-0426 The letter B picked out in
glass beads on either side of a doorway among antique shops on Melrose
Place marks the spot of chef Alain Giraud's new restaurant. It is French
all the way -- French chef, designer, sommelier -- and, it pours only
French wines.
Cafe Mozart of Europe 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 323-957-9580 The tourists flocking to
Hollywood & Highland may be looking for movie memorabilia, but at Café
Mozart of Europe they'll find a dream of old Vienna. It's a dynamite place
to get a hot dog and a sundae. And then wash it all down with Hungarian
wine, of course.
Lucques 8474 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood 323-655-6277 This is intelligent,
sensual cooking. As small as the menu is, there are so many things you'd
want to order that choosing can be difficult. Standouts include grilled
Atlantic snapper set on green rice dotted with pine nuts; suckling pig
with its crackling crust; and a juicy veal chop with cavolo nero (Tuscan
black cabbage) and truffle butter.
Petrossian 321 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood 310-271-6300 Petrossian sells
all the famous Caspian caviars (including it's super-premium Imperial
grades)
Traktir 8151-A Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood 323-654-3030 The mention of
Russian food may invoke images of borscht, beef stroganoff and chicken
Kiev. But you won't find any of these on the menu at Traktir. What you
will find is ethnic foods from the former Soviet republics.
Ago 8478 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood 323-655-6333 The line of flashy
cars turns off Melrose Avenue into the parking lot and purrs up to the
valet station, where men in basic black leather and women in wispy dresses
or tight-fitting sweaters step out into the light. It's a typical night at
Ago.
Caffe Luna 7463 Melrose Ave., L.A. 323-655-8647 What started out as a
hole-in-the-wall for terrific lattes has turned into a major scene for
hip, young actors and models -- and the food's pretty good, too.
Celestino Italian Steakhouse 8908 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood 310-858-5777 Celestino's beef
comes from the Midwest, but that's where the similarity with traditional
steakhouse beef ends. The beef, originating from a breed native to the
northeastern corner of Italy, is prized for its flavor and for being
naturally lower in fat and cholesterol than traditional beef.
Marino Ristorante 6001 Melrose Ave., L.A. 323-466-8812 Marino Ristorante on Melrose
Avenue looks like the kind of place the cast of the film "GoodFellas" or
the HBO series "The Sopranos" would frequent.
Primavera Ristorante 2138 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz 323-666-8666 Among the eclectic
collection of restaurants on Los Feliz's lively Hillhurst Avenue (e.g.
Katsu, Vida) is this popular Italian eatery drawing regulars and those
lucky enough to discover this up-and-coming neighborhood.
Bangkok Seafood 1253 N. La Brea Ave., West Hollywood 323-969-8611
Mario's Peruvian Seafood 5786 Melrose Ave., L.A. 323-466-4181 Try the cold squid salad,
steamed mussels buried beneath a mass of pickled onions, and the luscious
stir-fry of shrimp, squid, octopus, onions and tomatoes.
Salt H Esquire Fish & Chip 4732 Hollywood Blvd, L.A. 323-667-2653
Seafood Village Restaurant 5730 Melrose Ave, L.A. 323-463-8090
The Palm 9001 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood 310-550-8811 West Hollywood's
Palm has been a favorite watering hole with the "power meal" crowd for
ages - the kind of steakhouse that Perry Mason frequented!
Tidal Wave 6122 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood 323-466-9917
Antonio's 7420 Melrose Ave., L.A. 323-655-0480 For 30 years, Antonio's has been
one of L.A.'s most popular Mexican eateries.
Gardens of Taxco 1113 N. Harper Ave., West Hollywood 323-654-1746 If they seem to
forget your menu when you walk in this dimly lit "authentic" Mexican
hideaway, it's not a sign of bad service. Like a good story, the servers
of Taxco rely on an oral tradition of sing-songing your entrée options.
Marix Tex Mex Cafe 1108 N. Flores St., West Hollywood 323-656-8800 The tastiest treat
here is the clientele, who are at Marix to see and be seen.
Senoritas on Sunset 9040 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood Cross Street: Doheny Drive
310-274-6662 Señoritas on Sunset serves hip and healthy
Californian/Mexican cuisine in a comfortable lodge setting with oversized
booths, wood floors, three fireplaces and a wall of windows that open onto
Sunset Boulevard.
The Spanish Kitchen 826 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood 310-659-4794 After sitting
abandoned for four decades, the Spanish Kitchen has finally made an
only-in-Hollywood comeback. The original spot is now a spa, but
entrepreneur Greg Morris has resuscitated the name "the Spanish Kitchen"
for his new La Cienega Boulevard Mexican restaurant.
