Suzanne Goin's wine-centric bistro in West Hollywood is a lovely example of what increasingly feels like a dying breed: the grown-up restaurant. Lucques' ivy-covered, brick-walled space greets you with a roaring fireplace flanked by comfy couches, a touch that makes visiting this former carriage house feel all the more like dining at a friend's home. Goin's cooking here is generous, exacting, somewhat Mediterranean yet heartily Californian. Lacquered, golden-skinned chicken is stuffed with chestnuts, pancetta and cavolo nero, rich and comforting and sweetened by a dried-fruit compote. A dish of roasted kabocha squash with burrata, Brussels sprouts and pumpkin-seed pesto mixes sweet with creamy with nutty for one of the best winter salads around. The wine list is another accomplishment: Where other lists in town tend to either be encyclopedic and intimidating or short and trendy, Lucques goes for the middle ground, presenting a selection that is manageable and user-friendly but also extensive. 8474 Melrose Ave., W. Hlywd.; (323) 655-6277, lucques.com. Tues.-Sat., noon-2:30 p.m.; Mon.-Thurs., 6-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 6-10:30 p.m.; Sun., 5-10 p.m. (three-course prix fixe dinner). Entrees $26-$45. Full bar.

Besha Rodell's Introduction

Anne Fishbein's Photography

The Google Map

 

The 99 Essential Restaurants List:

A-Frame
Alma
Angelini Osteria
Animal
Attari Sandwich Shop
Bäco Mercat
Bar Amá
The Bazaar
Bestia
BierBeisl
Bludso's
Cacao Mexicatessen
Canelé
La Casita Mexicana
Cemitas Poblanas Elviritas
Chichen Itza
Chung King
Cole's
Coni'Seafood
Cube Cafe & Marketplace
Din Tai Fung
Eva
Father's Office
Fred 62
Gjelina
Golden Deli
Go's Mart
Il Grano
Guelaguetza
Guisados
Hatfield's
Ha Tien Quan
Hawkins House of Burgers
Hayat's Kitchen
El Huarache Azteca
Huckleberry
The Hungry Cat
ink.
Jar
Jitlada
JTYH Heavy Noodle II
Kang Ho Dong Baekjong
Kiriko
Kiyokawa
Kogi Truck
Krua Siri
L&E Oyster Bar
Langer's
Little Dom's
Lucques
Ludo Truck
Lukshon
Mariscos Jalisco
Matsuhisa
Meals by Genet
Mélisse
Milo and Olive
Mo-Chica
Musso & Frank
Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa
Nickel Diner
Night + Market
Oinkster
Osteria Mozza
Pann's
Pa-Ord Noodle
El Parian
Park's BBQ
Philippe the Original
Picca
Pink's
Pizzeria Mozza
Playa
Pollo a la Brasa
Providence
R&R Soul Food
Ración
Red Medicine
Ricky's Fish Tacos
Rivera
Rocio's Moles de los Dioses
Salt's Cure
Sapp Coffee Shop
Savoy Kitchen
Sea Harbour
Shanghai No. 1 Village Seafood
Soban
Son of a Gun
Sotto
Spago
The Spice Table
Superba Snack Bar
Tacos Leo
The Tasting Kitchen
Tavern
Tsujita LA
Vincenti Ristorante
Wurstküche
Zam Zam Market

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