By Joseph S. Amster

IN's guide of where to go and what to eat in the Southland's thousands of restaurants.

As the days shorten and the weather cools, backyard barbecues give way to more nights dining out. There are so many restaurants with every type of cuisine imaginable lining the streets of Southern California, your choices are numerous. To ease the journey searching for the finest in culinary delights, we present our occasional guide to some of the best restaurants throughout the Southland, as well as the thoughts of some of the area's top chefs.

Critic's Picks

Over the last year, I've sampled the cuisine from numerous restaurants (it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it). Presented for your approval are a few of my favorites.

La Poubelle
5907 Franklin Ave., Hollywood
(323) 465-0807

La Poubelle has friendly atmosphere, great food, and reasonable prices. Walking into La Poubelle restaurant felt like it could be planted next door to San Francisco's Café Trieste without losing anything in the translation. No visit is complete without having their fondue -- prepared with a classic light French touch. This warm mŽlange is just the tonic for cold nights. Recommendations include their coq au vin, cioppino, and steaks. The chicken as well as beef are all hormone, antibiotic, and pesticide free -- the chicken is also free range. Be sure to save room for their fabulous desserts.

Kabuki
1545 N. Vine St., Hollywood (other locations throughout Southern California)
(323) 464-6003

I'm obsessed with Japanese cuisine -- that's why it was a real treat when I ate at Kabuki Japanese restaurant's latest incarnation in Hollywood's Sunset and Vine complex. Kabuki's sushi is skillfully prepared, with generous portions, and the fish is top-quality. Their sushi is also a good value, as it's offered half-off with a minimum order of two per-person at lunch and three per-person at dinner. Kabuki's menu offers 23 appetizers, so choosing was a daunting task. Finish the evening with their banana tempura.

Oasis
611 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles
(323) 939-8900

A chef makes all the difference in a restaurant, and this is nowhere more evident than at Oasis on La Brea. Award-winning Chef Mark Furlong and his wife Loraine have created one of the area's great eateries. A standout appetizer is the scallops wrapped in prosciutto. Be sure to try the fried pork Milanese, which was tender and surprisingly light for a fried dish. Equally impressive was the 24-oz. bone-in rib eye steak. Top honors, however, go to the pan-seared salmon.

Le Petit Jacques
13456 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks
(818) 789-3575

Pulling up to Sherman Oaks' Le Petit Jacques Café, the scent of French onion soup wafting from the establishment invited me inside. This is a friendly and familiar place where people come for a special meal, a celebration, or just to enjoy Jacques' lovingly prepared cuisine. Try the stuffed trout, which arrived sautéed and finished in the broiler so it developed a nice crust. Filled with a mélange of shrimp, scallops, crab, and spinach, it was topped with a tomato and caper sauce which served as a good counterpoint to the delicate flesh of the trout. Also good was the shrimp and sea scallops, sautéed in white wine with lemon, shallots, and topped with cilantro pesto.

The Stinking Rose
55 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills
(310) 652-ROSE

The Stinking Rose definitely has a reputation for producing garlic infused cuisine -- when most people think of this restaurant, they believe they're going to be overwhelmed by the flavor of the pungent bulb. With the motto "We season our garlic with food," what do you expect? The results, however, are well-balanced -- don't be afraid -- bring everyone except vampires. Their menu features a good array of pizette, salads, and pastas for lighter eaters, but it's the steaks, chops, and seafood that really shine. The standout for me was the filet mignon, served with an entire head of roasted garlic. Be sure to squeeze out the mellow brown paste on each bite as an accompaniment.

Vermont Restaurant
1714 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz
(323) 661-6163

The Vermont Restaurant and Bar has an intimate space is perfect for a romantic date, a celebration dinner, or a night out with the family. I always appreciate a restaurant that takes a seasonal approach to their cuisine, using only the freshest and best ingredients in season. Be sure to try the pan-seared crispy white fish, which had an intriguing mix of textures: crisp on the outside and succulent on the inside. With a robust and rich flavor, the short ribs are another must.

Il Cappricio
1757 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles
(323) 662-5900

Il Capriccio is intimate and cozy, with the kitchen stationed in the middle of the restaurant, so the fragrances of the cuisine being prepared fill the establishment. Dinner entrées are abundant on the menu, and also include nightly specials worth asking about. I enjoyed the special fettuccine with shrimp and lobster (although the pork tenderloin was tempting), while my dining companion had the ricotta cheese and spinach-filled ravioli served in a creamy pink sauce. EntrŽe choices include a potato encrusted salmon filet, New York steak, Italian sausage on polenta, and pork chops stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto.

Tootie's Texas Barbeque
68-703 Perez Rd., Suite A1, Cathedral City
(760) 202-6963

California isn't known for having great native barbecue, but every once in a while we're blessed with a transplant from one of the great "Q" states in the South. Residents of the Coachella Valley should thank their lucky stars, for Tootie's Texas Barbeque in Cathedral City. Their brisket has lots of smoky goodness in every bite. Other standouts include their Iowa Gold pork ribs, free range chicken, rough grind hot links with a heat that creeps up on you, juicy turkey breast, and a flavorful pulled pork. The side dishes are equally impressive, with the standouts being the creamed corn, Texas caviar (black eyed pea salad), baked beans, dirty rice, and potato. One could feast on the side dishes alone, and these are good choices for any vegetarians in the crowd.

Margarita Grille
70 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach
(562) 437-4583

It's evident that quality is the credo of this restaurant. I love burritos, and the Margarita Grille has 10 to choose from. I opted for the Big Burrito, and it lives up to its name. Although the Margarita Grille's menu has all the items one would expect in a Mexican restaurant, like tacos, enchiladas, chile rellenos, and tamales, it's the specialties that stand out. Be sure to stick around for their festive evening specials and happenings, as well as their tempting margaritas.

Martinis Above Fourth
3940 4th Ave., San Diego
(619) 400-4500

Martinis Above Fourth is one classy club. It has a great outdoor patio, an inside dining room and a private space for special dinner parties and receptions, and the outstanding quality and taste of the cuisine are assured. For appetizers, I recommend the escargot or papaya and grilled asparagus or their famous crab cakes. For the main course, it's all about their pomegranate duck, blue cheese stuffed, bacon-wrapped filet mignon or the sherry cream monkfish. They also have one of the best Sunday brunches in San Diego, which I love as it's all you can eat. -- Nicole Murray-Ramirez

Chefs Speak Out

You never see the alchemists in the kitchen who transform raw ingredients into sumptuous dishes for your delight. We asked a few of the area's top chefs to step out from behind the stove to answer five questions.

Wayne Elias - Mark's Restaurant

How did you get started as a chef?

I was going to a liberal arts school in upstate New York, and I was really doing nothing but enjoying myself. My parents gave me an ultimatum to either pick a different college or go to work. I felt I was not ready to join the workforce, and some of the girls in my dorm were dating some student chefs from the Culinary Institute of America. So, I applied to the CIA and was accepted on a year and a half waiting list, and at the same time, the Rhode Island School of Design opened a culinary arts school within the arts school. I applied there, got accepted for the next semester, and chose to move to Providence, Rhode Island, and go to that school.

What was the first thing you ever cooked?

The first thing they taught us in school -- I had never worked in a kitchen before, never touched a knife or anything. So, the first thing they taught us was how to handle a knife and how to cut correctly without cutting our hands. It was a traumatic first day of school. The first thing I ever did cook was chicken Cordon Bleu. Back in the day, we're talking 25 years ago, that was still a big, famous dish. That was the first dish they actually taught us in the hot kitchen.

What do you think are the latest trends in cuisine?

In California, we have tons of trends going on. For the last year or so, it's been tapas. I think the trend is a big introduction of Italian cooking coming back. Every couple of years things go up and down. They peak -- like it's all about French, then it's all about Asian and Pacific Rim for a while, then it's moved to tapas -- now I think Italian cooking seems to be coming back on the trend again. It's clean, simple, can be extreme healthy -- aside from pastas and heavy sauces.

What's your favorite dish in your restaurant?

I love the coconut shrimp, because I love shrimp, and I like anything fried, like most people. That and the grilled artichoke.

What dish would you create if money were no object?

I'd want to use the freshest seasonal ingredients that are only in for two or three months at a time. They seem to be the most exotic and expensive things to play with -- whether it's lobster mushrooms, fiddlehead ferns, there's a wonderful Italian whitefish that's extremely expensive. If I could use those in my restaurant, I'd love to use stuff like that. We can't afford to offer that to our customers, because they'd never go for that price point.

Tom Space - Pane e Vino

How did you get started as a chef?

Basically, many years ago, I dropped out of college, wondered what I was going to do. I realized that I liked to putz around in Mom's kitchen and was influenced by watching the women in my family making Thanksgiving dinner, which I always thought was an amazing feat. Also, I always enjoyed the restaurant experience when we went out to dine when I was growing up. I really decided I wanted to do it when I was very young, and it just so happened that when I dropped out of college, I was kind of foundering in the mid-'70s, and that's where I gravitated. I hired into a restaurant and worked from the ground up.

What was the first thing you ever cooked?

Peanut butter cookies out of one of my mom's cookbooks when I was a kid.

What do you think are the latest trends in cuisine?

Basically, I don't follow them. Trends are just that, trends. Here, we've been able to maintain our success because we hold to our theme of holding to rustic Italian -- things that will never be a trend, it's just something that will always be there. Everybody jumps on trends and guys close their doors after a year and a half because the trend is gone. There are young chefs that are creative and everything, but I create what's in the confines of our theme.

What's the favorite dish in your restaurant?

When I sit down and eat, I eat something real simple like the pasta with Bolognese sauce. If people ask what the chef's eating, it's that, one of the pizzas, or some concoctions I've put together. I like it very simple.

What dish would you create if money were no object?

It has nothing to do with money or expense. To be honest, my tastes are very simple -- salads with pure olive oil, anything you can use olive oil and lemon juice to create flavor.

Scott Halley-O-Bar

How did you get started as a chef?

I couldn't find anything else I'd rather be doing than cooking.

What was the first thing you ever cooked?

Chocolate chip cookies with my grandmother.

What do you think are the latest trends in cuisine?

Light, fresh, in season, and a minimalist approach. If you use an heirloom tomato, by the time you get to the finished product, it should taste like an heirloom tomato. Don't bash the flavors with over complicated spices.

What's your favorite dish at the restaurant?

We just started our new menu, and my favorite on the new menu is a striped California bass with roasted red pepper and grilled eggplant Napoleon with a lemon brown butter sauce.

What dish would you create if money were no object?

Simplicity is sometimes the answer, so with money being no object, I'd go for the less expensive items. I love working with mushrooms. I might do something with morel mushrooms, English peas, I love using butter. I'd probably do a halibut or bass with those components -- bass with morel mushrooms and English peas with a nice, rich butter sauce.

What's Cooking?

Whether you're looking for the perfect Italian, Mexican, Japanese or American cuisine or just a restaurant in your neighborhood, you'll find it here.

American
The Abbey, 692 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 289-8410
Boathouse Restaurant, 2040 Harbor Island Dr., San Diego, (619) 291-8011
Barney's Beanery, 8447 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 654-2287; 1531 3rd St., Santa Monica, (310) 656-5777
Brians' American Eatery, 1451 Washington Ave., San Diego, (619) 296-8268
Catalina Bar and Grill, 6725 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 466-2210
Choices, 740 E. Broadway, Long Beach, (562) 983-7001
Eatwell, 8252 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 656-1383; 3916 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake (323) 664-1624; 1013 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, (818) 243-5928
Elmer's Pancake and Steak House, 1030 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, (760) 327-8419
Fiddler's Green, 2760 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego, (619) 222-2216
The Flying Leap CafŽ, 2538 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake, (323) 661-0618
Four Olives Café, 4276 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, (562) 595-1131
Green Tomato Restaurant, 4090 Adams Ave., San Diego, (619) 283-7546
Golden Bull, 170 W. Channel Rd., Santa Monica, (310) 230-0402
Hamburger Mary's Bar and Grill, 8288 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 654-3800
Hamburger Mary's, 415 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, (760) 778-6279
Hash House A Go Go, 3628 Fifth Ave., San Diego, (619) 298-4646
Home Restaurant, 1760 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz, (323) 669-0211
Hugo's, 8401 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 654-3993; 12851 Riverside Dr., Studio City, (818) 761-8985
Look Palm Springs, 139 E. Andreas Rd., Palm Springs, (760) 778-3520
The Lumberjack Grille, 3949 Ohio St., San Diego, (619) 294-3804
Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Suite 200, San Diego, (619) 400-4500
Hob Nob Hill, 2271 First Ave., San Diego, (619) 239-8176
Numbers, 8745 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 652-7700
O-Bar, 8279 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 822-3300
Patrick's Roadhouse, 611 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, (760) 325-1551
Plum Restaurant & Martini Bar, 241 E. Tahquitz Canyon, Palm Springs, (760) 322-0200
Tootie's Texas Barbeque, 68-703 Perez Rd. Suite A-1, Cathedral City, (760) 202-6963
Uptown Grill of Palm Springs, 150 E. Vista Chino, Palm Springs, (760) 320-6116

Asian
Beijing Café (Chinese), 8290 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 822-1688
Chan Dara (Thai), 310 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 467-1052; 11940 W. Pico Blvd., West L.A., (310) 479-4461; and 13490 Maxella Ave., Marina del Rey, (310) 301-1004
Chi Dynasty (Chinese), 2112 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz, (323) 667-3388
Electric Karma (Indian), 8222 1/2 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (310) 653-2121
Kabuki (Japanese), 1545 N. Vine St. (in the Sunset and Vine complex), Hollywood, (323) 464-6003; 3539 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena (626) 568-9310, (and locations throughout the Southland
Niko Niko Sushi (Japanese), 10839 National Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 470-2661
Ono Sushi (Japanese), 1236 University Ave., San Diego, (619) 298-0616
Rice Jones (Vietnamese), 3687 Fifth Ave., San Diego (619) 291-1887
Sushi Zen (Japanese), 8163 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 656-9002
Todai (Japanese), 8612 Beverly Blvd. (at the Beverly Center), Los Angeles, (310) 659-1375
Wang's In the Desert (Pan-Asian), 424 S. Indian Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, (760) 325-9264
Wokano (Japanese), 8408 W. Third St., (323) 653-1998, Los Angeles; 913 S. Figueroa St., Downtown, (213) 892-8999; and 33 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena (626) 578-1818, and locatiuons throughout the Southland

Breakfast/Lunch
Auntie Em's, 4616 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 255-0800
Bagel Broker, 8718 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (310) 276-4884; 7825 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 931-1258
Hot Java, 2101 E. Broadway, Long Beach, (562) 433-0688
Kokomo Café, 6333 W. 3rd St., #120, Los Angeles, (323) 933-0773
More Than A Mouthful, 134 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, (760) 322-3776
Quality Food and Beverage, 8030 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (323) 658-5959
Wacky Waffles, 8226 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 654-2475.
Wild Oats Café, 5630 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, (323) 462-0862.

California
Blue Palms, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 464-0808
Cravings Restaurant, 8653 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 652-6104
The Flowering Tree (natural foods), 8253 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 654-4332
Mark's Restaurant, 861 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 652-5252
Oasis, 611 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 939-8900
Vermont Restaurant and Bar, 1714 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz, (323) 661-6163
Woody's at the Beach, 1305 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, (949) 376-8809

Caribbean
Cha Cha's, 762 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, (562) 495-4242
Jamaican Grill, 2943 E. Broadway, Long Beach, (562) 434-3311

Deli/Market
Bristol Farms, 9039 Beverly Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 248-2804
Canter's, 419 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 651-2030
Gelson's, 8330 W. Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 656-5580; 5877 Franklin Ave., Hollywood, (323) 464-7316; 2725 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake, (323) 660-0387

French
Crepes de Paris, 1731 University Ave., San Diego, (619) 298-7651
Le Petite Jacques, 13456 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 789-3575
La Poubelle, 5907 Franklin Ave., Hollywood, (323) 465-0807.

Italian
Boscoso, 707 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, (760) 325-4002
Ego, 329 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, (562) 432-9718
Giannino, 2630 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake, (323) 664-7979
Il Capriccio, 1757 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz, (323) 662-5900
Just Pizza Etc, 315 E. Arenas Rd., Palm Springs, (760) 416-2818
Lotza Mozza, 119 S. Indian Palm Canyon Way, Palm Springs, (760) 325-5571
Marino, 6001 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 466-8812
Miceli's, 1646 N. Las Palmas Ave., (323) 466-3438; 3655 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Hollywood, (323) 851-3344
Marco's Trattoria & Pizzeria, 8136 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 650-2771.
Panini Café, 8575 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 652-4441
Palermo, 1858 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz, (323) 663-1178
Pane e Vino, 8265 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 651-4600.
Spark Woodfire Cooking, 11801 Ventura Blvd., Encino, (818) 623-8883; 9575 Pico Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 277-0133
The Stinking Rose, 55 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 652-7673

Latin American
Bossa Nova, 685 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 657-5070; 7181 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 436-7999
Gauchos Village, 411 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, (818) 550-1430
Picanha,269 E. Palm Ave., Burbank, (818) 972-2100; 73-399 El Paseo, Palm Desert, (760) 674-3434
Rick's Restaurant, 1973 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, (760) 416-0090

Mediterranean
Skewers, 8939 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 271-0555
MedGrill, 1263 University Ave., San Diego, (619) 683-2233

Mexican
Baja Betty's, 1421 University Ave., San Diego, (619) 269-8510
Barragan's, 1538 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 250-0382.
Casita del Campo, 1920 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake, (323) 662-4255
Cocina D. Sanchez, 3332 Adams Ave., San Diego, (619) 283-0355
Edgardo's Café Veracruz, 494 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, (760) 320-3558
Lucy's El Adobe Café, 5536 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, (323) 462-9421
Margarita Grille, 70 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, (562) 437-4583
The Mexican Village, 3668 W. Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 385-0479
Wahoo's Fish Tacos, 6258 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles (323) 933-2480, and locations throughout the Southland