A LA CARTE : OFFICE-BUILDING EATERIES.

Byline: Larry Lipson

With the news that Sisley, a successful Italian restaurant with two locations - Valencia and West Los Angeles - will open a third restaurant on the ground floor of an office building in Sherman Oaks, we thought we'd take a look at such restaurants and offer some local ones for consideration:

Cheesecake Factory

Address: Trillium Center, 6324 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: International.

Comments: Doesn't seem to matter where a Cheesecake Factory is - it does well anywhere. This ground-floor location has front-door valet parking, so patrons don't have to wander through a scary parking structure at night if they choose not to.

McCormick & Schmick's

Address: 633 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Seafood.

Comments: Daily changing menu brings forth fresh fish at moderate tariff, and there's an action bar for younger office-workers to enjoy after work. Promotion-minded management is always ready to throw a party.

Milano's Italian Kitchen

Address: 21550 Oxnard St., Woodland Hills.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Italian.

Comments: Interesting, inexpensive fare is dealt out here with artistic flair on oversize plates. Jug wine on the table is partaken on the honesty basis. Does reasonably good business at night despite its Warner Ranch office building surroundings.

Monty's Steak House 

Address: 1100 Glendon Ave., Westwood.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: American.

Comments: With its old-fashioned, red-booth clubby decor, it's the sports headquarters for nearby UCLA jocks and coaches. And this landmark Westside beefery is one of the few surviving top story/panoramic view restaurants in the L.A. area.

Nicola

Address: Sanwa Bank Building, 601 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Contemporary American.

Comments: Here's one of the oft-forgotten culinary gems of the city. Owner Larry Nicola is a talented chef whose skill produces delicious combinations of impeccably arranged food in a stunning, avant-garde ambience.

Pane Caldo Bistrot

Address: Antiquarian Guild Building, 8840 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Italian.

Comments: One of the forerunners of the local Italian explosion, this reasonably priced second-floor dinery brought the trattoria experience to many show-biz and ordinary citizens for the first time.

Papashon

Address: 15910 Ventura Blvd., Encino.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Pacific Rim.

Comments: Some of the city's best Asian-accented new wave cooking is done by the ``Shon'' in Papashon, its chef and co-owner Sean Sheridan. Meanwhile, in its office building location on the Valley's main thoroughfare, it is easy to miss, despite umbrella tables on its boulevard patio.

Stepps

Address: Wells Fargo Building, 330 S. Hope St., Los Angeles.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: International.

Comments: Convenient downtown rendezvous for theatergoers and office workers, this Seattle-owned restaurant provides an interesting enough array of dishes and drinks to achieve consistent popularity.

Tower

Address: Transamerica Center, 1150 S. Olive St., Los Angeles.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: French-continental.

Comments: The food is spectacular, along with the view from 32 floors up, smog permitting.

Water Grill

Address: 544 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

Phone: [phone].

Cuisine: Seafood.

Comments: There's rarely a fresh fish available that doesn't turn up on the menu here. Great oyster bar and clubby environment makes for a downtown culinary dream.