Spago

Some Hollywood institutions coast on reputation alone, with food being an afterthought as opposed to their raison d’etre. Not so with Wolfgang Puck’s original celebrity hangout and the place that catapulted him from an Austrian chef of some local renown to an international brand extraordinaire. The fare is almost uniformly excellent, and Puck can surely take credit for ushering in the era of California cuisine, which relies heavily on natural and organic ingredients. The most innovative cooking will be found on the seasonal tasting menu (about $125 per person), as conceived by chef Lee Hefter, but the old standbys – hand-tossed pizza, Cantonese duck and prime cote de boeuf – still delight. Wine director Kevin O’Connor presides over an exhaustive wine list and some bottles are even surprisingly reasonable considering the pricey menu. For dessert, pastry chef Sherry Yard’s contemporary concoctions, which change with the seasons, are wonderful, and she’s got a James Beard award to prove it.

TIPS: Two of the restaurant’s signature items, spicy tuna tartare cones and Wolfgang’s salmon pizza, are not on the menu, but they’re always able to make them anyway. Like other Beverly Hills stalwarts the Polo Lounge and The Belvedere, the outdoor patio is ever-charming, romantic and where it’s at, but if you’re sitting there you must be an A-lister because most regular folks find it hard to score a table.