WHY Carefully constructed Cal-Med cooking in a gorgeous coastal setting.

WHAT The sprawling, luxurious resort on the site of the former Marineland is trying very hard with its seven restaurants to rise above the hotel norm, especially in this flagship dining room. Talented young chef Michael Fiorelli uses produce from the garden right outside his door to make such things as roasted young beets with dried cranberries, hazelnuts, goat cheese, asparagus and orange vinaigrette. Whether they’re local or from halfway around the world (Dover sole, wild Alaskan halibut, Spanish octopus), the ingredients are superb, and the prices reflect the quality. So does the setting: a warm, wood-paneled dining room and a stunning oceanview terrace.

WHO More locals than the typical fancy hotel dining room gets, in part because Palos Verdes has so few good restaurants.