HOT SPOTS : TIDBIT HEAVEN.

Byline: Larry Lipson

Kushiyu, 18713 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, [phone]. Kushiyaki experts spotlighted on a raised platform behind the sushi bar grill oodles of tasty goodies on skewers. Order them like sushi. A true grazer's paradise.

Lively Carib

Cha Cha Cha, 17499 Ventura Blvd., Encino, [phone]. Toribio Prado-influenced new-wave, expressive, Carib-Latino-style food continues to excite here under different owners who have descended on the Westside with a similar spot called Calypso. Meanwhile, Prado co-owns Cha Cha Chas elsewhere and the Iberian-accented Cava.

No boos for Nobu

Matsuhisa, 129 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, [phone]. From Japan by way of Peru, chef Nobu Matsuhisa has wowed well-heeled L.A. foodies with his expansive, imaginative, sushi-and-beyond approach to seafood. And now he's taken his act to Manhattan and London, too.

Traditional Italian

Portofino, 13251 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, 818-986-3190. You'll find a good, old fashioned Bolognese sauce on mostaccioli or linguine, a fine version of chicken cacciatore, hearty lasagna and veal parmigiana like you enjoyed as a kid. It's family run and loves to feed families.

Chain champ

California Pizza Kitchen, 16101 Ventura Blvd., Encino, [phone]. (Also in Woodland Hills, Studio City, Tarzana and elsewhere.) Designer pizzas were invented in California and here they are in all their glory. These with pastas and more in a bright, cheery atmosphere.

Marilyn in Malibu

Monroe's, 6800 Westward Beach Road, Malibu, [phone]. Take the elevator up to this very romantic, Marilyn Monroe-themed dining room overlooking Malibu beach. Lots of dramatic, tableside-prepared, continental-style dishes here add to the welcome pampering. Bar is on the beach level.

Room with a view

The Tower, 1150 S. Olive St., Los Angeles, [phone]. Smog permitting, you will view the L.A. metropolis in all its glittering splendor from atop the Transamerica Building.