The Loudest Restaurants in L.A.

I'm just going to pick three off the top of my head.

1. The Penthouse. Such a beautiful space and the worst acoustics ever set high atop the Huntley Hotel. The decor is pretty stunning so I will go in once in awhile for lunch or a meeting and it's much better. Once the evening rolls around you can hear everyone and anything. www.thehuntleyhotel.com.

2. Comme Ca. OK I love Comme Ca and everything Chef David Myers does, but it is very loud at dinner time here too. Brunch was better, but I want to go back for dinner. Can't they put sound absorbers under seats? I've seen that done before. But I love the cheese counter and am going back soon. www.commecarestaurant.com.

3. STK. The new steakhouse (in the old Bridge space on La Cienega) is quite the scene at the moment. We sat next to the loudest two women I've ever heard in my life, but the rest of the place was quite noisy as well. I'm not going back, but the decor is cool and the menu is good enough. Maybe wait till the scene dies down. The bistro room might be more mellow. www.stkla.com.

Foxy Lady

SBE is taking over the world. Not only do they own Katsuya (Hollywood and Brentwood), S Bar, Area, Hyde Lounge, The Abbey and god knows what else, they have revamped the space between Dan Tana's and The Troubadour. And am I the only one noticing that their corporate offices on Beverly keep getting bigger? I love them for giving me Katsuya's baked crab roll and robata corn within 100 yards of my front door, but I don't like the SBE logo on the coasters. Foxtail, a "supper club" (ironic since there's like six main entrees) and bottle service only lounge is worth checking out, but maybe just if you're going to a show next door. The decor melds opulent Art Deco with 1970s glam, which is sort of an odd mix. Expect lots of stained glass, glass tile walls, wing tip chairs and waitresses in Biba-designed striped dresses with patterned tights. The service is top-notch and they have unlimited bottled water for $3! I had a fantastic wild striped bass and Tim had tender Colorado lamb. The real star though was the chocolate bread pudding -- definitely in my top three of all time. www.sbe.com/foxtail

Murano on Melrose

I had been driving by this spot almost weekly and finally had the chance to go in for drinks and appetizers last night. The space is stunning -- stark white with punctuations of color in the form of 25-plus Murano glass chandeliers -- and the lounge is spacious with a full bar and plenty of seating. The main dining room has red chandeliers and sconces (my favorites), but the deep eggplant ones in the front room are custom made and one-of-a-kind. We had the roasted beet salad with Humboldt goat cheese and pistachios and the too-good-to-be-true risotto fries. Chef Kristi Ritchey is a 26-year-old wonder who hails from the Patina Group. In addition to nightly dinner, Murano does happy hour and Sunday brunch as well. www.murano9010.com.