Lemon Meringue Pie

With high peaks of meringue over a tangy yellow custard center, lemon meringue pie looks as beautiful as it tastes.

* Broadway Deli: At this sophisticated deli’s opulent sweets counter, you can find an individual tart as well as an 8- or 10-inch pie. They’re all made with a cookie crust, lemon cream and a golden peak of meringue. (Lemon meringue tart: individual, $3.75; 8-inch, $18; 10-inch, $20.) Broadway Deli, 1460 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, (310) 393-4211.

* 72 Market Street: 72 Market’s wonderful lemon meringue tart is a simple filling of lemon curd, egg whites and sugar set on a buttery short crust and finished off with a high, slightly toasted meringue. The individual tart (big enough for two) is served with a little raspberry sauce, a few berries and a dusting of powdered sugar. (Lemon meringue tart, $6.50.) 72 Market Street, 72 Market St., Venice, (310) 392-8720.

* The Farm of Beverly Hills: Try the individual-sized tarts baked here daily. You’ll cause a riot of envy at your table as you bite into the flaky crust layered with a tangy lemony filling, dotted on the edges with small points of meringue. This lovely tart is served in a decorative ring of raspberry and vanilla sauce. (Lemon meringue tart, $5.95.) The Farm of Beverly Hills, 439 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 273-5578.

* Washington Street Bar & Grill: Gerri Gilliland’s steak house makes a delectable pie with a graham cracker, cinnamon and butter crust and a creamy filling of condensed milk, lemon, butter and eggs. The pie is topped with a giant peak of perfect meringue that never weeps. It’s served in wedges with a dollop of whipped cream, strawberries and mint leaf garnish. (Lemon meringue pie, $6.) Washington Street Bar & Grill, 3016 Washington Blvd., Marina del Rey, (310) 823-9898.

* Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse: At Joachim Splichal’s new downtown restaurant, where good old American cuisine dominates the menu, there’s a delicious lemon meringue pie. A lemon curd filling and a very tall layer (up to 3 inches at the center) of meringue come on a classic crust. A large slice is served with a lemon vanilla bean sauce and garnished with lemon slices. (Lemon meringue pie, $6.) Nick & Stef’s, 330 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, (213) 680-0330.