LITTLE TOKYO. You'll often see folks sketching at this industrial-looking restaurant, popular with an artsy downtown crowd. The food is nothing particularly fancy, but it's fresh and well prepared. Steaks and salads are especially popular, although the daily specials are usually winners as well.

LONG BEACH. This steak and seafood restaurant provides all the extras you'd expect from a New York-style establishment ­ a large, roomy bar, an award-winning wine list, and some of the best prime cuts in the area. For dinner, start with crab bisque, and then take your pick of every prime cut imaginable, from top sirloin and culotte (also known as a tri-tip) to a rib-eye and Kansas City strip. The wine list literally boasts hundreds of selections, so don't neglect its riches.

WEST HOLLYWOOD. Featuring a clean, spare aesthetic that still manages to be cozy and inviting, this wine bar and bistro is rapidly gaining popularity for its succulent small plates and its superior selection of wines offered by the flight, bottle, and glass. Choose from over 15 cheeses as an appetizer of sorts before sampling and sharing tastes of smoked trout in beet vinaigrette, pan-fried chicken with parmesan pudding, and brioche with prosciutto, gruyère, and egg. Try a pumpkin parfait with sassafras mousse and gingersnaps for a rich after-dinner treat.

TORRANCE. Aioli is a perfect place for a business lunch or dinner, offering ample menu choices in the friendly environs of Old Town Torrance. The location is ideal, the décor is upscale, and the staff is very accommodating. Top all of this off with an addictive crispy duck appetizer, a variety of tapas, and a private wine cellar, and you have plenty of reason to visit more than once.

EAST HOLLYWOOD. This cozy corner hangout features extensive outdoor seating, shaded by umbrellas, as well as a pleasant, if cramped, indoor space. While the cafe serves three meals a day, there's always a rush on desserts and pastries, thanks to creations like brown butter berry tarts and praline fudge bars with homemade vanilla caramel. Alcove's take on the moon pie is an extravagant one ­ two chocolate chip cookies encase made-from-scratch marshmallow, and the whole is dipped in chocolate and hand-decorated. Layer cakes, bundt cakes, pies, and loaves of bread are also available. N.B. Alcove begins serving food an hour after opening times.