The West End Bistro

A cacophony of horns filled the garage. The combatants remained unmoved. Literally. While dozens of cars piled up behind them, the two sat blocking traffic, arguing over who was entitled to the space. In the Westside Pavilion, parking spaces are precious.

The man won. The woman was forced to drive endless circles with the rest of us. I don’t know what she did; when I finally found a place to park, I went straight to the West End Bistro, 10700 W. Pico Blvd., West L.A., (213) 475-3238, for some wine (they serve a great many by the glass) and a plate of pasta.

“Pasta by Design,” if you please. This means that you get to choose a noodle, pick a sauce and then add a topping or two--sort of like pizza (a dish they also serve). By their calculation, that means you have a choice of 980 pasta dishes. And if that’s not what you want, this large, loud, bright restaurant (with a bar that seems destined to be a singles spot) offers almost anything else you can think of, from chicken with mashed potatoes to Caesar salad. They even offer diet desserts. It is a truly enormous menu.

If only the garage were as big.