Critic Bill Addison returns to Vespertine, an out-there tasting-menu restaurant that could be equally exhilarating and maddening. Now reopened after four years, is it worth the splurge?

Something about small restaurants occupies a particular place in a cityscape, especially in sprawling Los Angeles. Stir Crazy on Melrose feels like a respite from the world.

Santa Monica’s Lokl Haus, and its pop-up spinoff Lokl Haus Kitchen, serves the region’s best introduction to Turkish cooking.

At Holy Basil’s second location in Atwater Village, chefs “Deau” Arpapornnopparat and “Joy” Yuon bring fresh, experimental energy to Thai cooking in L.A.

Baja meets Oceanside at Valle, but you’ll have to dive deep into the tasting menu at this modern Mexican restaurant from chef Roberto Alcocer.