Blini

One of the great Russian treats is little pancakes topped with fine caviar and creme frai^che. In a restaurant or at home, it’s the perfect food for ringing in the year.

* Patina: One of L.A.’s most elegant restaurants makes an unconventional blini of corn, sweet peppers, cream, basil and egg whites. A dozen of these lovely light pancakes comes with an order of osetra caviar, along with shallots and creme frai^che. (Osetra caviar with corn blini, market price.) Patina, 5955 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 467-1108.

* Gustaf Anders: Chef Anders Strandberg makes a souffle-like pancake with whipped cream and beaten egg whites and yolks. One accompanies your order of an ounce of caviar, along with creme frai^che and lemon wedges. (Beluga caviar, $66; sevruga, $37; osetra, $37; American black, $20; golden caviar, $15.) Gustaf Anders, South Coast Plaza Village, 3851 Bear St., Santa Ana (714) 668-1737.

* Diaghilev: For traditional Russian buckwheat blinis, look no farther than this Franco-Russian restaurant. They’re topped with creme frai^che and a spoonful of caviar, then finished off with dill or chives. (Beluga, $95; osetra, $65; sevruga, $60; caviar presse Paiusnaya, $50; l’eventail des caviars, $115.) Wyndham Bel Age Hotel, 1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 854-1111.

* Spago: Wolfgang Puck serves delightful lemon herb pancakes with his own cured and smoked salmon and sturgeon, salmon caviar, red onions and a dill cream sauce. At dinner you assemble your own toppings; at lunch, one large blini comes fully assembled (minus the sturgeon). (Lemon herb blini with smoked salmon, dill cream and salmon caviar, $14; house smoked salmon and sturgeon with lemon-herb blini, dill creme frai^che and caviar, $17.) Spago, 176 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 385-0880.

* Beverly Hills Caviarteria: At this New York-based store, you can choose white or buckwheat blinis baked in New York and sent vacuum-packed to the Beverly Hills location. You can also grab creme frai^che and caviar here (a wide variety is offered, from Russian to American) and assemble your own at home. (Five white flour blinis, $7.95; five buckwheat blinis, $7.95.) Beverly Hills Caviarteria, 158 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 285-9773.

* Aristoff Caviar & Fine Foods: Beyond this black-and-white awning, Aristoff sells both buckwheat and flour blinis made locally by a Russian woman, each packet containing three pancakes. There’s a varied selection of caviars, and while you’re at it, throw in some Kendall Farms creme frai^che. (Blini, $3.) Aristoff Caviar & Fine Foods, 321 Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 271-0576.