HOLLYWOOD -- American Film Market attendees know that in Los Angeles, you are what you eat -- or, more precisely,
where you eat.
Nothing conveys coolness better than knowing the best new restaurants in town, and being able to get a table at peak times on a Friday or Saturday night.
Here are a few of the newest and most interesting.
Jer-ne
Travel south from Santa Monica into Marina del Rey for one of the area's most exciting new restaurants, Jer-ne (pronounced "journey").
With its brash colors and a long marble table lit from within, this stylish new hot spot at the Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey feels more like something at an Ian Schrager property or a W hotel, and that's the point.
The food is different, too. The menu features "New World" cuisine, a global sampling that includes braised Caesar salad and a "fish inspiration of the day," all with strikingly colorful, dramatic presentations.
Choose among the wine flights (Champagne, whites and reds), with selections changing frequently, or sample a tea-infused martini garnished with fresh ginger or an ume plum.
Diners should take advantage of the temperate Southern California climate with the massive patio overlooking the marina.
Fabio
Also new in the Venice Beach area is Fabio, the namesake of chef-owner Fabio Flagiello, former toque at Chianti Cuccina and Capri.
A triathelete and long-distance biker, Flagiello likes to prepare healthful, nutritious and energizing meals. His Tuscan-inspired cooking combines Californian and Italian ingredients in variations of traditional dishes.
It's a warm, comfy setting, definitely urban on the interior, yet with a pleasant patio for al fresco dining.
Flagiello also owns Il Caffe next door, which opens for breakfast and lunch, and features an international newsstand in addition to great coffee drinks and gourmet muffins.
Napa Valley Grille
Experience California's wine country at its best without traveling north. Stop in at the Napa Valley Grille, located in Westwood Village. Sommelier and manager Robert Cross has assembled a Napa-heavy list of more than 300 bottles, And the menu features herbs and produce from Napa.
Standouts include a salad of fennel, radish and apple with lemon-juniper dressing; horseradish-crusted Chilean sea bass with red wine-tarragon sauce; and a rich and intoxicating Makers Mark-laced ice cream with blood orange coulis.
The Lobster
Chef Allyson Thurber brings some serious credentials to the Lobster, having cooked at one of the city's premier seafood spots, the Water Grill, located downtown.
However, the restaurant's signature crustaceans, available in 1-, 1-1/2- and 2-pound sizes, are not necessarily the best dish on the menu: Halibut and other seafood are often more flavorful.
Many come for the view as much as the dining as the restaurant sits at the foot of the Santa Monica Pier, and diners can see all the way up the coast to Malibu and beyond on clear days.
Tanino Ristorante and Bar
Authentic Southern Italian cuisine lures food lovers to chef-owner Tanino Drago's Tanino Ristorante and Bar in Westwood. He took over the former Alice's Restaurant space and renovated the historic -- and beautiful -- building designed by renowned architect Paul Williams.
Try the ossobuco con polenta with one of the many fine Italian reds on the adventurous wine list.
Zax
Zax, on the site long occupied by Woodside, features one of the city's best -- and youngest -- chefs, 22-year-old Brooke Williamson, who worked her way up at Michael's before becoming executive chef at Boxer and now Zax.
Though she'll no doubt be carded for years to come, this young chef is definitely cooking grown-up food -- from crisp veal sweetbreads to rich and tender braised beef short ribs with saffron Israeli couscous.
Zax features a homey setting with bare brick walls. Portions are generous and the small wine list has been carefully assembled. (Look for the Scherrer Winery Zinfandel for one of the best bargains.)
Josie le Balch
Just-opened Josie le Balch is the new eponymous spot for the chef who most recently debuted the Beach House.
She's moved away from seafood on this Americana menu, with rack of lamb, wild boar and venison. These menu items show the influence of the years she spent as the chef at game-heavy Saddle Peak Lodge.
It's a casual and subtly elegant space, perfect for quiet meals.
In the Zone
Tired of putting on pounds while at American Film Market and other industry gatherings? Consider having healthy, well-balanced meals delivered daily to your home or hotel from Zone Delivery ((800) DIET 911) -- three full meals and snacks, all of which can be customized to personal preferences and dietary needs.
The information that comes with the program will teach you how to dine out without blowing it on those occasions when business makes it unavoidable to go to restaurants.
WESTSIDE HOT SPOTS Fabio 1025 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice (310) 452-6364
Jer-ne 4375 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey (310) 574-4333
Josie le Balch 2424 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica (310) 581-9888
The Lobster 1602 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica (310) 458-9294
Napa Valley Grille 1100 Glendon Ave., Westwood Village (310) 824-3322
Tanino Ristorante and Bar 1043 Westwood Blvd., Westwood (310) 208-0444
Zax 11604 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood (310)571-3800
Zone Delivery (800) DIET 911
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