HOT SPOTS : ARTY ITALIAN CHEAPO.

Byline: Larry Lipson

Milano's Italian Kitchen, 21550 Oxnard St., Woodland Hills, [phone]. (Also in Glendale.) Everything is under $10 at this zingy, office building restaurant where the pastas, pizzas, salads and sandwiches are tasty triumphs of plate presentation.

It's a jungle in there

Amazon Bar & Grill, 14649 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, [phone]. Tropical fare aka Cha Cha Cha-style food is moderately priced in this smash hit, art-eco, rainforest-themed cafe and bar where charity begins with regular donations from profits.

Redondo rendezvous

Chez Melange, 1716 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach, [phone]. Mecca for foodies and wine lovers in the South Bay area, this casual motel eatery proves that cooking innovation and imagination works wherever you put it.

Chain champ

Cheesecake Factory, 6324 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills, [phone]. (Also in Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Redondo Beach, Pasadena, Marina del Rey and elsewhere.) Congrats due on an ambitious and rather exotic menu that's surprisingly workable. And the cheesecakes aren't bad as a bonus.

Sky's the limit

L'Orangerie, 903 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, [phone]. This is deep pockets, haute cuisine of the so very, very French type, you may forget you're on U.S. soil. Every ingredient is premium, often flown over from La Belle France within the past 24 hours. Bon appetit.