Frittata

The frittata is an Italian snack, as good at lunch as at breakfast, made by cooking eggs with other ingredients into a firm cake.

* Mustard Seed Cafe: Here you’ll find a fluffy version, almost a quiche without a crust. It’s mixed with thinly sliced potatoes and red peppers, shredded zucchini and Kalamata olives. At breakfast it comes with fruit, at lunch with a green salad. (Fresh vegetable frittata, $5.95.) Mustard Seed Cafe, 1948 N. Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz (323) 660-0670.

* Campanile: You might find a frittata on the menu, which changes weekly. At brunch, it will come to the table in the skillet it was cooked in. Recently featured were a lipstick pepper, parsley pesto and ricotta version and another with chorizo, white beans, spinach and romesco sauce. At lunch, a frittata--say, fennel, potato, red onion and Roncal cheese--is served turned out on a plate. (Frittatas, $13.) Campanile, 624 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 938-1447.

* Doughboys: The grilled potato and portabello mushroom frittata is generously sprinkled with Asiago cheese and comes with toasted sourdough walnut bread. Egg whites can be substituted for whole eggs. (Three-egg frittata, $6.95.) Doughboys, 8136 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (323) 651-4202.

* One Pico: At Sunday brunch this place makes a frittata of rock shrimp, tomato, basil and a touch of Fontina. It comes with a frisee salad in a garlicky dressing, sprinkled with bacon. (Rock shrimp, tomato, basil frittata, $15.50.) One Pico, Shutters on the Beach, 1 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 587-1717.

* Il Fornaio: There are two breakfast frittatas at the Beverly Hills branch of this bakery-restaurant chain. The hearty one, frittata la contadina, is made with red onions, bacon and grilled potatoes. The light one is an egg-white frittata with rock shrimp and avocado. Both come with diced potatoes and toasted Il Fornaio bread with butter and jam. (Frittata la contadina, $8.25; frittata gamberetti, $10.50.) Il Fornaio, 301 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 550-8330.

* Ca’ del Sol: At Sunday brunch you can try owner Rodolfo Costella’s grandmother’s frittata. It has organic eggs, red peppers, zucchini, leeks and eggplant with a dash of white wine, topped with onion confit. It comes with roasted rosemary potatoes. (Frittata de la nonna, $8.25.) Ca’ del Sol, 4100 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 985-4669.