Cavatina

Walking into the Sunset Marquis' latest dining addition, Cavatina, is a bit like finding the Secret Garden. Twinkling lights and ivy weave together to climb pillars that surround the outdoor patio, and a wall of towering palms makes you soon forget that you are smack dab in the middle of West Hollywood. As Michael Schlow's first Los Angeles restaurant, Cavatina aims to be a place where hotel guests and visiting diners can both nosh while they work or enjoy a more formal dinner—a flexibility reflected in the menu, where snacks and small plates are as abundant as entrées. Homemade potato chips ($7) are elevated with a green-chile onion dip (just a step above the Ruffles French Onion variety); the deviled eggs ($7) are perfect to split between two and come with a sprinkling of guanciale bits. An even better use of egg is a jar of wild mushrooms and polenta ($12), where the soft egg on top can be mixed in to create a creamy, savory spoonful. For both ladies lunching (Cavatina is open all day, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as Sunday brunch) and a romantic dinner date, the restaurant's seafood picks are some of the best dishes on the menu—yellowtail with uni and caviar ($19) and Hawaiian snapper diced over pickled red onion and avocado ($17) are excellent options. More of a meat-eater? Executive Chef Roger Eggleston cooks Schlow's award-winning Marquis cheeseburger ($18) to perfection, proving that a great burger doesn't need a hundred toppings: just some crispy onions, cheddar cheese, and a little horseradish and black pepper spread.