Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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single, loud, tightly packed dining room can sometimes feel like Piazza San Marco at the
height of tourist season. B ut the sensible prices r eflect the r estaurant's efficient decor .
While the dining r oom is decidedly unfancy , the kitchen is dead serious, making this
restaurant a kind of temple for kno wledgeable foodies. The soups are excellent, seafood
dishes extraordinary, and pastas as good as they get. S ignature dishes include pasta-and-
bean soup , v eal chops, lobster ravioli, shrimp risotto, and per fectly grilled v egetables.
Though the dessert menu is long and tempting, I usually go for the
crema de vaniglia,
a
dense, silky custard topped with caramel and chocolate sauces.
8638 W. 3rd St. (bt w. San Vicente and Rober tson blvds.), Los Angeles.
&
310/274-1893.
Reservations
required. Main courses $31-$50. AE, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-11pm; Sat 5:30-11pm;
Sun 5-10pm. Valet parking $3.50.
Lucques
FRENCH/MEDITERRANEAN Once Los Angeles became accus-
tomed to this r estaurant's unusual name—“L ucques” is a v ariety of F rench olive, pro-
nounced “Luke”—local foodies fell har d for this quietly and comfor tably sophisticated
home of former Campanile chef S uzanne Goin. The old brick building, once silent star
Harold Lloyd's carriage house, is decorated in muted, clubb y colors with subdued light-
ing that extends to the handsome enclosed patio . Goin cooks with bold flav ors, fresh-
from-the-farm produce, and an instinctiv e feel for the food of the M editerranean. The
short and oft-changed menu makes the most of unusual ingredients such as salt cod and
oxtails. Standout dishes include Tuscan bean soup with tangy gr eens and pistou, grilled
duck breast served alongside braised red cabbage with chanterelle mushrooms and chest-
nuts, and a per fect vanilla
pòt de cr ème
for desser t. Lucques's bar menu, featuring steak
frites béarnaise, omelets, and tantalizing hors d 'oeuvres (olives, warm almonds, sea salt,
chewy bread), is a godsend for late-night diners, and the bar tenders make a mean vodka
Collins.
Tip:
On Sundays, Lucques offers a bargain $45 prix-fix e three-course dinner
from a weekly changing menu.
8474 Melrose Ave. (east of La Cienega Blv d.), West Hollywood.
&
323/655-6277.
www.lucques.com.
Reservations recommended. Main courses $18-$30. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon 6-10pm; Tues-Sat noon-2:30pm
and 6-11pm; Sun 5-10pm. Metered street parking or valet ($5.50).
Mastro's Steakhouse
STEAK/SEAFOOD This is one of the best steak-
houses in S outhern California. Typical of an upscale steakhouse, the dimly lit dining
room on the first floor has a dar k, leathery, serious men 's club feel to it, so be sur e to
request a table on the second floor , where the bar, live music, and cool vibe ar e located.
Slide into a plush black leather booth, order a Mastro Dry Ice Martini (which comes with
the shaker, so it takes only one to get a gr oove on), and star t off the feast with an I ced
Seafood Tower—a massive pyramid of crab legs, lobster , shrimp, clams, and o ysters the
size of your palm. The Fred Flintstone-size slabs of hand-cut USDA beef ar e served on
sizzling plates heated to 400°F (204°C) so y our steak stays warm and juicy thr oughout
the meal. Forget the greens—the only side y ou need is the M astro Mash, a big bo wl of
creamy mashed potatoes mixed with sour cream, chives, bacon, and butter. The bad news
is that a bone-in rib-ey e runs about $50; the good ne ws is that one will feed thr ee nor-
mal-size people.
246 N. C anon Dr. (btw. Dayton Way and Wilshire Blvd.), Beverly Hills.
&
310/888-8782.
www.mastros
steakhouse.com. Reser vations recommended. Main courses $26-$84. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 5pm-2am.
Valet parking $7.
6
Matsuhisa
JAPANESE/PERUVIAN Japanese chef/owner Nobuyuki Matsuhisa
arrived in Los Angeles via P eru in 1987 and opened what may be the most cr
eative
