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Beer drinkers: seek out microbreweries listed in the destination chapters. They usually serve good pub grub as well.

The margarita (tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice) is the drink of choice with Mexican cuisine, and sake with Japanese – higher-grade tequilas and sakes will help avoid hangovers! The last decade has seen a big comeback of 1950s-style martini bars. The use of vodka instead of the traditional gin allows for such wacky deviations as lemon- and chocolate-flavored martinis that would make grandparents shiver. Palm Springs in particular embraces martini culture.

Expect strong coffee in SoCal’s ubiquitous cafés, and tea drinkers can choose from dozens of varieties. In more casual restaurants, however, the brew will probably look like dirty dishwater. Virtually anything is available in decaf.

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Some chichi joints in SoCal levy a tax on birthday-cake ‘cuttage.’ Well-wishers may be surprised to find they’re being charged to cut the cake – even if it’s already cut!

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A special treat in Asian neighborhoods is boba tea, sweetened milk tea with black tapioca ‘pearls’ at the bottom, sipped through a thick straw.

Fruit smoothies are another SoCal staple: fruit blended with ice, yogurt, sorbet, ‘vitamin boosters’ or other goodies. These concoctions really hit the spot on a hot day.

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CELEBRATIONS

Weddings, bar mitzvahs, movie premiers and such are often catered affairs designed to impress. Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, meanwhile, tend to be home-based, with family and friends gathering ’round the roast turkey and TV. Most restaurants close on these holidays, except for Chinese restaurants.

Barbecuing is the rule on warm-weather holidays like Independence Day and Labor Day: hot dogs, steaks and chicken, salmon and veggie burgers – if it fits on the grill, it goes.

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) is celebrated with gusto from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Look for wild revelers and copious tequila drinking at any Mexican restaurant.

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A stunning exposé about food in America, Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, by Marion Nestle (2003), tracks the influence of big business on the American diet.

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WHERE TO EAT & DRINK

Dinner is usually the main meal of the day. Typical restaurant hours are 7am to 11am for breakfast, 11:30am to 2:30pm for lunch, and dinner between 5:30pm and 10pm. Most people start dinner between 6pm and 8pm. If a restaurant accepts reservations, book a table.

You’ll find Mexican restaurants on virtually any block, as are Japanese places, though the latter are most concentrated in LA neighborhoods like Little Tokyo and Sawtelle Blvd in West LA. LA’s Chinatown and communities to its east in the San Gabriel Valley are the epicenter of Chinese cooking. LA’s Koreatown and Orange County’s Little Saigon are both the largest respective expat communities outside their home countries. And San Diego has a thriving Little Italy. In LA, go to West Hollywood, Mid-City and Santa Monica for Californian cuisine.

For smoothies, look for outlets like Jamba Juice, and forget Starbucks for coffee; locals swear by LA-based chain Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

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Some 90% of all dates grown in America are from the Coachella Valley, centered around the town of Indio. Click here for more information.

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Farmers Markets

Cities throughout the Southland have farmers markets on select days of the week, where farmers and small producers of foods such as honey and cheese come to sell their best, sometimes from hours away. Prices are usually sky-high but quality is excellent, and most vendors offer free samples. Keep an eye out for specialty produce that is available only for a week or two out of the year. Some farmers markets also provide activities and entertainment for the kids.

Many of the products at farmers markets are organic. Top chefs, whom you may well encounter at farmers markets, insist on