THE HOMETOWN GUIDE : Hollywood a la Carte : Dining in the Neighborhood

Brashov, 1301 N. Vermont Ave.; (213) 660-0309. It’s just a little Romanian deli, but Suren Brashov struts around his establishment as if it were a palace, grandly offering flowers and candies to the ladies. He loves his own food--stuffed cabbage and eggplant salad and marinated peppers--and you probably will too. Be sure to try one of the heroic desserts. Open for lunch and dinner daily. No credit cards accepted. Dinner for two, about $20. C. C. Brown’s, 7007 Hollywood Blvd.; (213) 464-9726. It looks a little incongruous sitting on Hollywood Boulevard these days, but this quintessential ice-cream parlor predates the Chinese Theatre. It’s been here since 1929, serving pretty much what it always has. Although you may not yearn for an American cheese sandwich, it’s hard to pass up one of their mean hot fudge sundaes. Open Monday-Saturday, 1 p.m.-midnight. Sundaes are $3.65. Chao Praya, 6307 Yucca St.; (213) 466-6704. One of L.A.’s older Thai restaurants, accustomed to pleasing Western palates; much of the food is only slightly spicy. In addition to the usual soups, noodles and curries, Chao Praya specializes in seafood--lobster, shrimp, squid, crab, oyster, clam and even frogs cooked in dozens of ways. Open for lunch and dinner daily. All major credit cards accepted. Dinner for two, about $20. City Restaurant, 180 S. La Brea Ave.; (213) 938-2155. A converted carpet warehouse has been stripped down to a modern high-tech restaurant with a video screen over the bar showing the action in the kitchen. The food, by chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, is eclectic, reflecting their French training in addition to time spent in India and Thailand. Appetizers include fried Brie, Thai melon salads, stuffed rigatoni and tandoori beef; entrees run to roasted fish, a wonderful mussel stew, an Indian-influenced chicken. If that’s too much of a mixture for you, the desserts are mostly American and mostly wonderful. Open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner; dinner only on Sunday. All major credit cards accepted. Dinner for two, about $50. Dar Maghreb, 7651 Sunset Blvd.; (213) 876-7651. This opulent palace was the first Moroccan restaurant in Los Angeles, and it’s still the most elegant. You can sprawl across a sofa while your hands are washed, a belly dancer undulates around the room and a fountain bubbles away. The usual Moroccan meal--soup, b’stilla , couscous and the like--is served, ending up with sweets and the ritual pouring of mint tea. Open daily for dinner only. All major credit cards accepted. Dinner for two, $41-$50. Jitlada, 5233 Sunset Blvd.; (213) 667-9809. This is not the most sophisticated Thai restaurant in Los Angeles, and it’s certainly not the most elegant. But this bare-bones little place makes some of the tastiest dishes in town. They have a large Thai clientele, and if you can convince the management that you mean it, they’ll fire the food up to the truly torrid temperatures that the Thai delight in. Great soups, fine curries and a wonderful vegetable dish called “spinach on flame.” Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. All major credit cards accepted. Dinner for two, about $20. Musso & Frank Grill, 6667 Hollywood Blvd.; (213) 467-7788. The oldest restaurant in Hollywood--and as far as a lot of people are concerned, the only one. Everybody comes here--movie stars, businessmen, housewives--and everybody is treated with the same efficient brusqueness. The atmosphere is old-time America: dark wood, large booths, a counter where you can sit and watch the cooks grilling steaks and chops and fish. Nothing here has changed very much over the years, but the food continues to be entirely reliable. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. All major credit cards accepted. Dinner for two, about $35. Tick Tock, 1716 N. Cahuenga Blvd.; (213) 463-7576. A bit of Americana in the heart of Hollywood. The place to go when you feel like Thanksgiving dinner, any time of the year. There’s a children’s menu, and little ones are generally entranced by the hourly striking of the antique clocks that fill the walls. In addition to turkey there is prime rib, fish, leg of lamb--all served with mashed potatoes and rolls, and all accompanied by several other courses. Open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. All major credit cards accepted. Dinner for two, under $20. Yamashiro, 1999 N. Sycamore Ave.; (213) 466-5125. What can you expect from a restaurant that claims to serve Continental / Japanese cuisine? In this case, not much more than a spectacular view. But this lovely Japanese pavilion is one of the nicest places to sit and look over the city, and these days you have to be thankful for any view that does not revolve. Open for lunch Monday-Friday, dinner daily, brunch on Saturday and Sunday. All major cards accepted. Dinner for two, $20-$45.