Island Treasures

Day-o, day-ay-ay-o. Daylight come and you wan’ to eat out. How ‘bout some island food, mon? The Beaux Tie Grille (7458 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 765-5965). Just the kind of unique, inexpensive, out-of-the-way restaurant you always hope to find, but rarely do. The spicy, Caribbean-inspired sauces are the everything here--each entree is a sauced meat: filet mignon and shrimp come with Jamaican sauce; catfish and a salmon special with the creamy, slow-burning pili ; quail with a wonderful apricot-enriched reduction. And the dollop of dressing that comes with the crispy catfish strips and calamari is not the Thousand Island dressing it resembles but a delicious tartar sauce spiked with ground red pepper that makes it hot and lemony and very tasty. Peach cobbler is dark and tangy with cinnamon, with a thick and crunchy crust that resembles something like a big gingersnap, and pecan pie is utterly delicious. Lunch and dinner, Tue.-Fri.; dinner only, Sat. All major credit cards. No liquor. Street parking. Dinner for two, food only, $35-$55.

Cafe Mambo (707 Heliotrope Drive, Los Angeles, (213) 663-5800). This is a neighborhood restaurant in a rock ‘n’ roll neighborhood. It’s the second restaurant of Cha Cha Cha owners Toribio Prado and Mario Tamayo, and features updated Caribbean cooking with a Latin accent. A classic salad of chilled chayote squash chunks dressed up with papaya and a sweet hazelnut vinaigrette is luscious as ripe melon. Snails sizzle with onions and black mushrooms--a tapa from heaven--perfuming the room with their delicious excess of garlic. The peppery chicken gumbo, more Merida than New Orleans, is still the best in town. And the thick, grilled veal chop, marinated in red wine, comes juicy and crusted with charred spices--garlicky cylinders of the Cuban tuber yuca alongside. Make it a night and end with a slice of their world-class tarte tatin . Breakfast, lunch and dinner, Wed.-Mon. Beer and wine. Valet parking. Dinner for two, food only, $28-$40.

El Floridita (1253 N. Vine St., Hollywood, (213) 871-8612). This mall cafe has good food and prices to match. Puerco asada (roast pork marinated in garlic and served with rice and beans and yucca) is a must, and authentic Cuban steak, bistec de palomilla, garnished with sauteed onions and French fries. The arroz con polla is succulently moist, with meat fairly falling from the bone. If you have time, the zarzuelas de mariscos, a sort of seafood stew or bouillabaisse equivalent is worth the wait. Boliche, another Cuban favorite, meat stuffed with sausage, is also worth a try. The desserts here are especially fine. You can’t go wrong with the flan. The tres leches, spongy, cake-like pudding made with condensed, evaporated and regular milks is also tasty. Lunch and dinner daily. MasterCard and Visa. Beer and wine. Mall parking. Dinner for two, food only, $15-$40.

Jamaica West (2205 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, (213) 578-2926). Never dared to taste curry goat? Try it here; spices suffuse the meat with a distinct, clean taste, not gamy at all. It is closest perhaps, to a lean and well-marinated lamb. Spanish roots assert themselves in what Jamaicans call the “ escovitched “ yellowtail. Red and green peppers, oil and vinegar are tossed over a baked or fried fish and then briefly sauteed. The fish here is tender inside its gleaming crust. Brown stew chicken is a dark and lusciously marinated affair. Skip the rather ordinary desserts and have a cup of the Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. Dinner, Tue.-Sun. All major credit cards. Full bar. Parking lot. Dinner for two, food only, $20-$45.

Versailles (10319 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 558-3168). Versailles has a sort of roadhouse look, with a long counter and neon beer signs everywhere. All the dishes have Spanish names, but the barbecued chicken and roast pork would probably play in Peoria. It’s a sort of Cuban-style Apple Pan with tables. The entrees are mainly pork, beef and seafood. Ropa vieja (shredded beef, tomatoes, green pepper and onions) is tasty enough to order again and again. The paella and zarzuela need to be ordered ahead of time but are worth it. Lechon asado (shredded and spicy pork) are served with incredibly sweet and juicy fried banana slices, rice and black-bean soup. Round out your meal with an avocado-and-onion salad and a fruit smoothie: mango, banana, coconut or papaya. Lunch and dinner daily. MasterCard, Visa. Beer and wine. Parking lot. Dinner for two, food only, $15-$20.