EATS: The new 1996 Zagat Survey of...

EATS: The new 1996 Zagat Survey of L.A. restaurants is out. The Valley is in when it comes to food. But some Valley eateries were bashed as “geographically undesirable.” To whom? Westsiders reluctant to come over the hill? . . . Example: Brent’s in Northridge was named Best Deli in L.A. “Worth the schlep,” one judge said. A companion book that surveys places to buy food goes even further, calling Brent’s “an oasis in earthquake country.”

MORE EATS: The Zagat survey says Pinot Bistro in Studio City is the most popular Valley restaurant among judges, placing sixth out of 50. The bistro also scored as a Top Romantic and Top Power Lunch spot. . . . Sherman Oaks’ Cafe Bizou, though, was top bistro in the whole city of L.A., as well as No. 1 in the coveted trendy category. It was Top Newcomer.

THIS IS IT: It’s time to see who are the champions. . . . Reseda High will meet Eagle Rock tonight at Birmingham High for the City Section 3-A football championship. Read about Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer, above, who has guided the team for 18 seasons. . . . The Southern Section Division II game is a rematch between Hart and Antelope Valley High. Details in Sports (C10).

NEVER FORGET: Pearl Harbor was remembered Thursday in a ceremony at Lancaster City Hall. A survivor of the 1941 dawn attack, Ken Creese of Lancaster, was honored by the County Board of Supervisors and the city. Creese is past president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Assn.

REALITY CHECK: As the City Hall debate rages over potbellied pigs (B5), consumers might consider a few things. . . . For starters, these little piggies are huge--between 125 and 300 pounds--and like to root. That means digging up carpets, lawns and linoleum. They shouldn’t eat like pigs, as in quantity, and can get grossly overweight if they do. Pigs need their own pool, lots of bedding to burrow under and as for the (gigantic) litter box, “it’s not gerbil stuff,” says Madelyn Bernstein, head of the LA SPCA.