Cafe Pinot and Pinot Bistro (tel. 818/990-0500) -- these upscale offshoots of chic Patina don't often come to mind when you're searching for family eats, and many kids are certainly too antsy to behave during an entire bistro meal. But the Pinot dynasty welcomes little ones with a special child-friendly menu, and kids under 11 can order anything from the menu, free of charge. It's a great way to enjoy L.A.'s finest and stay close to your budget, too.

On the other end of the scale is Pink's Hot Dogs in Hollywood, an institution that has been serving politically incorrect franks for what seems like forever. Everyone loves Pink's chili dogs, but you may never get the orange grease stains out of your kids' clothes.

Miceli's (tel. 323/466-3438) in Universal City is a cavernous Italian restaurant that the whole family is sure to love. The gimmick? The wait staff sings show tunes or opera favorites while serving (and sometimes instead of). Kids will love the boisterous atmosphere, which might even drown them out.

Jerry's Famous Deli in Studio City is frequented mostly by industry types who populate this Valley community; their kids often sport baseball caps or production T-shirts from Mom or Dad's latest project. Jerry's has the most extensive deli menu in town and a casual, coffee-shop atmosphere. Families flock here for lunch, early dinner, and (crowded) weekend breakfast.

Hard Rock Cafe -- Sure, it's loud and obnoxious and filled with tourists, but it's a sure bet that the kids will love it, and they make pretty darn good chicken sandwiches and veggie burgers. The city has two locations: the Beverly Center, 8600 Beverly Blvd. (at San Vicente Blvd.), Los Angeles (tel. 310/276-7605); and Universal CityWalk, Universal Center Drive exit off U.S. 101 (tel. 818/622-7625).