Chef Josiah Citrin, of Jackson's and JiRaffe fame, knew what he was doing when he opened Melisse with his wife Diane. Apparently, Food & Wine Magazine agrees, as they named Melisse Best New L.A. Restaurant in their July 2000 issue. Nearly everything we've tried here is plate-licking good, but the cheese course is a must. The mostly French fine cheeses arrive warm, accompanied by fresh nut breads and walnuts cracked tableside. Any selection is a perfect lead-in to the restaurant's famed desserts--the chocolate flourless almond cake with praline ice cream, the three fudge-topped Profiteroles with vanilla, banana, and caramel ice creams, or the banana-nut phyllo tower with a butterscotch sauce and coffee ice cream. For maximum gastro-comfort, try to land one of the intimate booths, or a table in the fountained garden room.