DINNER IS SERVED ... AND SO ARE OUR READERS.

With 40 years and lots of meals - good and bad - under his belt, Larry Lipson is a restaurant critic extraordinaire. He's been on the dining scene since the days of the Brown Derby and Cocoanut Grove, and the Red Barn in Panorama City.

Lipson has been the restaurant critic and writer at the Daily News since 1958, back when the newspaper was called the Valley News and Green Sheet and the offices were in Van Nuys.

He interviewed Wolfgang Puck when he was still a chef at Ma Maison, predicting he would become the nation's first celebrity chef. Others he's profiled over the years include Michel Richard, original chef at Citrus; Joachim Splichal of Patina; Roy Yamaguchi, who worked for 385 North and now owns restaurants in Hawaii and on the West Coast.

Over the years the London-born Lipson has enjoyed numerous great meals, but he claims the most memorable dinner he ever had was back in the early '60s at the Goya Award Dinner for the local press. It was held at the then-new Host International Theme Building Restaurant at Los Angeles International Airport and featured a multicourse dinner complemented by superb premier grand cuvee wines.

Currently, he lists Chinois on Main, Spago, L'Orangerie, Pinot Bistro, Cafe Bizou, Arnie Morton's, Yujean Kang's, Citrus, Drago and Valentino as his top 10 picks.

Besides writing about all the new and hottest dining spots around town, Lipson is a respected wine and food writer who has penned articles for numerous publications, including the Miami Herald, Christian Science Monitor and national magazines.

He is also the author of ``Larry Lipson's Restaurant Guide (Camaro Publishing, 1983) and is contributing editor for current and previous editions of Gault Millau's ``Best of Los Angeles'' and ``L.A. Restaurants'' guides.

Lipson also has talked about food, wine and restaurants for the past 10 years on Los Angeles radio stations including KGIL, KABC and Cable Radio News (CRN).

He is affiliated with California Restaurant Writers Association, Westwood Wine and Food Society and has been honored numerous times by local press clubs.

In his spare time, Lipson volunteers as a judge for wine competitions throughout the state, as well as the L.A. County Fair. He is a frequent guest speaker in the community, sharing what he knows best - the art of evaluating restaurants.

The things he looks for? Originality of dishes, menu arrangement and description of items, plate presentation and, of course, taste. He also considers the decor, service and value, measuring them against local standards to save readers time and money.

Through the years, Lipson has seen dining trends come and go. When he started his career, dining was a formal affair, and popular entrees were lobster Newburg and beef Wellington. This was back when restaurant writers were recognized when they dined, but in recent years he has worked hard to stay anonymous.

Trends changed rather quickly, from Polynesian-style restaurants followed by bistros and brasseries, Spanish cafes and, finally, the trattorias of the '90s.

His favorite foods? Lipson loves caviar, truffles (white or black), gyoza dumplings, thin-crust pizza, juicy steaks, fresh focaccia, hearty stew and - every so often - apple pie. He lists his favorite wines as grand marque champagnes and noble reds but also likes good port and fine cognacs.

When he's not working, Lipson is home with his wife, Lillian, who is a clinical research associate, and their dog, Beige. He also spends time with his sons, Matthew and Jeffrey, and his grandsons, Olen and A.J., and tries to hit the tennis court as often as possible.

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Drawing: no caption (Larry Lipson)

Jorge Irribarren/Daily News