NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANTS

Everybody agrees that we don’t have enough of them. But when you’re looking for a pleasant little place where the food is good and the prices reasonable, consider the following. Especially if you’re in the neighborhood. BEAUX TIE GRILL (7458 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 765-5965). Terrific Cajun/Caribbean food for reasonable prices. Start with things deep-fried, such as crunchy catfish strips in a batter that has a nice, hot bite. For entrees, there are rich fish dishes, including halibut, swordfish and rock cod. Also recommended are lamb chops and the charbroiled Jamaican shrimp. The dining room is spare--gray walls, pink tablecloths, a single flower in each vase--and somehow restful and comfortable. Open for lunch Tues.-Fri., for dinner Tues.-Sat. MC, DC, V. Dinner for two: $25-$45.

CAFE MAMBO (707 Heliotrope Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 663-5800).The little sister of the always jammed Cha Cha Cha, Cafe Mambo is also a cute, small (seats only 45) converted house. Up for grabs is Latin/Caribbean style California nouvelle --pretty abstract stuff with a lot of imagination and careful detailing. For breakfast there’s Mambo Passion, a fruit bowl-soup with beautiful, fresh, expensive fruit and berries. There is also good French toast, omelets and the like. For lunch, there’s a wonderful empanada appetizer and all sorts of sandwiches. In the salad department there is a chunky curried chicken on the half shell (cantaloupe). Open for breakfast and lunch Wed.-Mon. Major credit cards. Lunch for two: $10-$20.

MIGNON EUROPEAN RESTAURANT (1253 N. Vine St., Los Angeles, (213) 461-4192). This Romanian restaurant in a small neighborhood mall tries hard to appear first-class. It’s a spare, neutral dining-hall atmosphere, with paneled ceiling, art on the walls and taped pan-flute music. The food, including the Romanian stuffed cabbage, is superb. The ciorba (tripe soup) is good too. Skip the sweetbreads and head for the stroganoff served on rice or the schnitzel with delicious French fries. Open Tue.-Sun for lunch and dinner. Major credit cards. Dinner for two: $13-$30.

MILLIE’S (3524 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 662-5720). This place is downbeat, offbeat, what used to be called a scene. A perfect place to confront those hung-over Sunday mornings. On the jukebox, reggae rockabilly; on the counter, fresh-squeezed orange juice and something called a Devil’s Mess--scrambled eggs and spicy sausage, onions, peppers, cheese, all messed together and heavily spiked with curry and cayenne, buried under layers of avocado. For those who make it through to later meals, there’s veal, fresh fish, chicken broiled to order and beef stroganoff. Open for breakfast Tue.-Sun., for dinner Mon.-Fri. No credit cards. Dinner for two: $20-$25.

RESTAURANT SHIRO (1505 Mission St., South Pasadena, (818) 799-4774). A restaurant that makes you wish you lived in the neighborhood. From the open kitchen in this simple dining room, chef Hideo Yamashiro produces wonderful food. Dishes not to miss include Chinese ravioli filled with shrimp and salmon mousse, a fabulous seafood salad and whole deep-fried catfish. The menu, which changes nightly, is focused on fish, including sea bass, catfish and shrimp bathed in spicy garlic and chile sauce. Open for dinner Tue.-Sun. MC, V. Beer and wine. Dinner for two: $30-$45.