Los Angeles: Crowd control

On the one hand, we’ve got Spago, which invented the “5:30 or 10:30?’’ reservation response, and the tempura bar at Matsuhisa, into which no mortal will ever be permitted. On the other, most of the best new spots, like Son of a Gun, Lazy Ox, and Spice Table (pictured), are small-plates joints you can slide into as long as you call first. And at some of the city’s best, from midtown’s Oaxacan Guelaguetza to Park’s Barbeque in Koreatown, all you have to do is show up.

Score: 7