This creative restaurant’s only drawback comes after dessert, when you inevitably have to give up your seat to another diner.

Nobu L.A. follows the mold of the other branches without breaking much new ground. Everything is high quality and well executed, yet none of it is exciting as it once was.

On paper, LAMILL Coffee Boutique sounds like a send-up of Los Angeles chic as imagined by a Saturday Night Live sketch writer. The truth is, the vibe is full-on enthusiastic coffee geek....

With their virtuous heritage, the juicy, snappy, flavorful hot dogs at Let’s Be Frank have the added benefit of being very low-guilt.

A Thai-speaking Chicagoan stumbles on southern Thai cooking in a Hollywood strip mall. Shouting from rooftops ensues.

Silicon Valley is a hotbed of up-to-the-minute Chinese restaurants, usually found in grandiose shopping malls around Cupertino and Sunnyvale.

Bastide's meal was unfolding like a delicious dream. An oyster shooter—the essence of the sea—followed by a ceviche of bay scallops, laid out on the plate like an opening orchid.

You’ll find outstanding food with scenery to spare at Hell’s Backbone Grill, in Boulder, Utah, and more.

Big cities have their share of farm-friendly fare, too.

Walk around this writer’s native L.A. today, and you’ll find a town defined by the community’s vibrant food and music—and by its indomitable spirit.