FOR OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS

When you want to take your visiting friends out for a dinner unlike anything they are likely to find back home, here are a few places to consider. CHINOIS ON MAIN (2709 Main St., Santa Monica, (213) 392-9025). Some of the most interesting food in America is served in this busy room filled to the brim with flowers and objets d’art. Wolfgang Puck’s other restaurant (designed by wife Barbara Lazaroff) is serving an eclectic blend of Chinese, French, Thai and Californian food. And what the kitchen comes up with is amazing: Who would imagine that foie gras and pineapple would be such a good match? Other wonderful dishes include Thai-inspired whole lobster in curry sauce and crispy duck in a fresh plum wine sauce. For dessert, don’t miss the flavored creme brulee served in little ceramic pots. Lunch, Wed.-Fri.; dinner nightly. Valet parking. Full bar. Major credit cards. Reservations essential. Dinner for two: $50-$80.

CITRUS (6703 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 857-0034). A restaurant that has caught the mood and fancy of L.A., this is one of the must-see restaurants for out-of-town Foodies. Inside it is a clean white room with cool yellow linens, open beams and a faintly nautical look. Outside is a patio anchored by Italian umbrellas. Renowned pastry chef Michel Richard’s dishes are bold, original and not remotely fussy--they’re also very pretty. Sauteed scallops come covered with curls of Maui onion rings; lamb is served on a bed of saffron ravioli filled with goat cheese, laid out on a leaf of Savoy cabbage. At lunchtime the tuna burger, which sounds like a joke, is a delicious appetizer not to be missed. Open Mon.-Sat. for lunch and dinner. MC, AE, V. Valet parking. Dinner for two: $50-$70.

FRESCO RISTORANTE (514 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, (818) 243-6908). An example of the Valley’s new sophistication, this restaurant is easy to fall in love with. The room is cosy, and the Italian food is not only good, but unusual. For starters there are dishes such as corn crepes stuffed with duck in port sauce and asparagus-stuffed pasta. The risotto is absolutely perfect, an ivory colored mound topped with the best of the season. Whole wheat spaghetti, topped with red pepper, cubes of soft, melting cacio cheese and lots of pepper is delightful. For dessert, there’s a wonderfully chewy chocolate meringue cake. A Mecca for foodies, the restaurant is packed on the weekends. Lunch, Mon.-Fri.; dinner, Mon.-Sat. Full bar. MC, AE, V. Dinner for two: $32-$68.

MAGDALENA’S CAFE AND PASTRIES 17818 Bellflower Blvd., Bellflower, (213) 925-6551. Extraordinary food in an unusual location. Chef Steve White’s cooking style, while highly personal, is firmly rooted in French tradition. Appetizers often come bathed in fabulous sauces, like the ethereal salmon quenelle which is glorified by a subtle three mustard sauce. The menu changes daily, but some of the wonderful dishes have included grilled Norwegian salmon in beurre blanc with chanterelles, domestic leg of lamb, boned and stuffed with julienned vegetables, or breast of pheasant. You may long for plain salads, soups without cream and light desserts, but you won’t find them here. Open for lunch Tues.-Fri, dinner Tue.-Sat. Beer and wine. MC, V. Dinner for two: $40-$65.

REBECCA’S 2025 Pacific Ave., Venice (213) 306-6266. The architecture is one reason why out-of-towners are so eager to come get a look at this restaurant. Designed by architect Frank Gehry, it looks like no other restaurant on earth. But the food is simple, expensive, and surprisingly good. This is Mexican food made with lots of love and lots of money. Mexican seafood cocktails are made with fresh tomato juice and just-shucked clams and oysters. The ceviche owes a debt to sashimi. There is a chile relleno filled with everything under the sun, including stewed pork, onions, garlic, raisins, and cinnamon. Desserts are great, and include the best flan in town. Dinner nightly. Full bar. Valet parking. Major credit cards. Dinner for two: $40-$70.

EL TORITO GRILL (59 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, (714) 640-2875). Snappy dressers congregate here, the bar’s jammed on weeknights and the menu doesn’t look like any El Torito you ever saw. There’s a spare, quasi-whitewashed Southwestern decor in which to gulp down the good flaky tortillas, hot off the griddle. This is new southwestern fare, which differs from Mexican food in the use of ingredients like corn flour pasta, rather like fettuccine alfredo with corn flavor and a slight red pepper bite. Familiar dishes come with a twist--the tacos are always soft, filled with grilled beef, chicken or fish. Nachos are blue corn chips with a layer of great refried beans. Daily specials tend to be rotisserie meats served in a thin, plain red wrapper sauce. Don’t miss the blue margaritas. Lunch and dinner daily. Major credit cards. Dinner for two: $20-$35.