Providence   

Based at an address where people have come to expect dining expertise, Providence further ups the ante, capitalizing on the geography lesson that long-celebrated Patina taught LA: People will travel east of Highland if you give them the right menu. Catering to the refined who demand nothing short of greatness are co-owners, chef Michael Cimarusti (Le Cirque in New York) and exuberant GM Donato Poto (Bastide). They met when their careers crossed at Water Grill, so it's only appropriate that their combined venture delves back into the depths of ocean. With barnacles blanketing the walls and mermaid-like lighting fixtures decorating a rather elegant dining room, Providence has numerous dishes such as risotto with ultra-tender sea urchin and jumbo lump blue crab, along with an array of other underwater creatures such as lobster, monkfish, cuttlefish or even a big eye tuna, prepared excellently by people that clearly know what they're doing. If you don't know what you like, they'll even choose for youputting squid, spot prawns and arctic char on the chef tasting menu, which comes with a wine pairing option. In an odd twist, many things at Providence are shrunken to perhaps emphasize that you can have too much of a great thing -- from the cutlery to the tiny glasses served filled with complimentary vanilla-infused and strawberry-infused milk just before the check is dropped. Even the portions have a miniscule feel, but fortunately, it's all sublime. Plus, you'll want to leave room for the white peach with honey parfait or the warm chocolate cake with espresso ice cream. And if certain things feel sparing, there's certainly no shortage of enormity on the colossal wine list, which has over 400 labels, and is served in a three-ringed binder that could easily be mistaken for a bestselling hard-cover novel. With its sights set high, this one could prove to be catch of the decade.