Los Angeles tables: Postmodern is back

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Trois Mec

Admitted with tickets that are secured online like those for a show, diners at this radically repurposed old pizzeria in a mini mall are treated to imaginative, idiosyncratic set menus by chef Ludovic Lefebvre.

Website: troismec.com
Number of seats: 26
Average per-person check: $75
Popular dishes: Raw beef, grilled yogurt, fermented black walnut and caramelized eggplant; potato pulp, brown butter, bonito and onion soubise and laguiole cheese; veal, cauliflower, garum, rosemary, cuttlefish and sesame.
What people come for: Mystery and exclusivity; an atmosphere between a neighborhood establishment and one of L.A.’s many pop-up restaurants
Address: 716 N. Highland Ave.
Phone: N/A

Hinoki & the Bird

At the bottom of a pricey condo tower in Century City, this new hot spot showcases the vision of chef-owner David Myers, who offers up sleek small plates prepared with a combination of Japanese attention to detail and a bit of of flash.

Website: hinokiandthebird.com
Number of seats: 138
Average per-person check: $85
Popular dishes: Lobster roll with green curry and Thai basil; chili crab toast and spicy cucumber and coriander;
caramel braised kurobuta pork belly, radish and mustard greens
What people come for: Outdoor patio space, seasonal cocktail menu presented in sections
Address: 10 Century Dr., Century City, Calif.
Phone: 310-552-1200
Photo: Dylan + Jeni

RivaBella

At this strikingly designed restaurant on the Sunset Strip, chef Gino Angelini doles out fine-dining Italian fare with a streak of spectacle and sass.

Website: rivabellarestaurant.com
Number of seats: 185
Average per-person check: $68
Popular dishes: Octopus salad with roasted potates, olives and salsa verda; Nested pasta with Italian ham and Parmigiano cream
What people come for: An expansive wine cave
Address: 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, Calif.
Phone: 310-278-2060

Chi Lin

Adjoined to RivaBella (another in the arsenal of the Innovative Dining Group), this similarly splashy restaurant aspires to “combine the spirit of ancient China with the style of 21st-century Los Angeles.”

Website: innovativedining.com/restaurants/chi-lin
Number of seats: 105
Average per-person check: $80
Popular dishes: Alaskan king crab, Aberdeen-style with mung bean noodles; black pepper two-basil beef with crispy shiso leaves; crab shao long boa soup dumplings with sea urchin mousse
What people come for: High energy, glamor
Address: 9201 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, Calif.
Phone: 310-278-2068
Photo: Mike Gardner

Connie and Ted's

This postmodern clam shack on Santa Monica Boulevard features lots of traditionalist totems but the food, by chef Michael Cimarusti of the revered Providence, tells its own stories.

Website: connieandteds.com
Number of seats: 140
Average per-person check: $50
Popular dishes: Lobster roll, hot or cold; Josephine’s clam cakes with tartar sauce; “Jo’s Wicked Good Chowda’” (New England, Manhattan or Rhode Island clear); “Angels on Horseback,” or bacon-wrapped oysters on toast with beurre blanc
What people come for: Covered patio seating; “seafood-friendly craft cocktails”
Address: 8171 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, Calif.
Phone: 323-484-2722

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Chicago Tables: Reflecting on heritage

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