Winter Restaurants 2002

44. I LIVE IN ECHO PARK, BUT MY FRIEND LIVES IN SANTA MONICA. WHERE CAN WE MEET IN BETWEEN?

HUNEVEN: I recommend Cobras & Matadors on Beverly -- it's where Boxer used to be. The formerly stark space has been transformed into a warm, lively Spanish-style tapas restaurant. You can bring your own wine or beer (or buy it next door) and have a long, drawn-out dinner with lots of little dishes or a few larger ones. This kind of noshing is extremely relaxing and social and conducive to good conversation. Share plates of Spanish cheeses, a bowl of black mussels with chorizo, and the small fried cubes of potatoes, which are crusty on the outside, fluffy and moist within, and come with two irresistible dipping sauces, a rich "allioli" and a spicy mojo picon. Ita-Cho, a few blocks east, offers a similar socially interactive dining experience, in that the country-style Japanese food also comes in small à la carte servings. You can order a lot at once, or draw the meal out for hours, dish by shared dish. Don't miss the marinated black cod, the slippery miso-sauced eggplant, or the broiled eel with a cool, crunchy cucumber salad. Cobras & Matadors, 7615 W. Beverly Blvd.; (323) 932-6178. Ita-Cho, 7311 W. Beverly Blvd.; (323) 938-9909.

45. ARE THERE ANY GOOD ONE-MAN SHOWS IN THIS TOWN?

HUNEVEN: At Bistro 21, a tiny 20-seat restaurant tucked into the elbow of a La Cienega mini-mall, chef Koichio Kikuchi single-handedly cooks dinner five nights a week. The task he sets himself is an exercise in organization and concentration, a nightly challenge. The Asian-inflected French cooking runs from appealing to uneven -- try the duck with black olives, or the filet -- and sometimes he gets pretty backed up. Be sure to go with friends with exceptional conversational abilities. 846 N. La Cienega Blvd.; (310) 967-0021.

46. AND FINALLY, WHO LIVES IN A PINEAPPLE UNDER THE SEA?

HUNEVEN AND GOLD: Sponge Bob Square Pants.