Critic's Choice restaurants

Whenever Italian friends come to stay, I've noticed they can go at most three, maybe four days before they can't stand it anymore: They have to have some pasta. If that means cooking it at a campground or beside the road, so be it. This is comfort food at its most basic. And if...

How does your garden grow? That's a question that can be posed to a number of restaurants around town. And I'm not just talking old olive oil cans sprouting Genovese basil or flat-leaf Italian parsley. Restaurants are adding giant pots or raised beds wherever they have space. Some are...

Summer prix-fixe market menus can be filled with surprises, such as pumpernickel-crusted fried green tomatoes at Josie, duck breast with potato confit at Papilles, and bittersweet chocolate torta at A.O.C.

Tavern, Bouchon and Clementine will give you a hand with gourmet options.

Proof Bakery in Atwater Village, Sycamore Kitchen on La Brea Avenue and Sweet Butter in Sherman Oaks are destinations unto themselves.

The idea is catching on with restaurants. Here are three to sample: lobster Mondays at Jar, salumi bar Thursdays at Mozza Scuola and focaccia Thursdays at A.O.C.

Pétrossian, Spago and Huckleberry are among the best spots in the L.A. area. But for Spago's smoked salmon pizza, better go soon.

Who wants to eat lunch inside on these perfect early summer days? A salad is too messy to eat from your lap unless you carry a cleaning kit with you. But a sandwich? That's why it was invented. You could pack your own peanut butter and jelly, but if you want a lesson in the art of...

Three restaurants are sure bets for outstanding duck dishes.

Reviewed: Valentino, Providence, Tierra Sur