Cioppino

Made to order

Il Grano’s cioppino begins with lots of garlic sauteed in olive oil; marinara sauce is added and it’s cooked down until thick. Then fish is added, which might include cod and branzino (Mediterranean sea bass), and shellfish: mussels, clams and, when available, Santa Barbara prawns. Calamari goes in last, and the cioppino is served with grilled ciabatta bread. The soup is made to order, and it’s not on the menu; ask the waiter for it. (Cioppino, market price.)

Il Grano, 11359 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles, (310) 477-7886.

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Recipe varies

What goes into seafood soup changes according to what’s available, of course, but at the moment, here’s what’s going into Vincente’s zuppa di pesce: branzino, Mediterranean snapper, mullet, seppia (cuttlefish), small clams and large shrimp. As for the broth, it’s fish stock, white wine, garlic, tomatoes and lots of parsley. The soup comes with a piece of bruschetta jutting out of the side. (Zuppa di pesce, $22.)

Vincente, 11930 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood, (310) 207-0127.

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Touch of saffron

At Fresco, you’ll see Sabastiano Ragusa’s delicate cioppino at every other table. His broth is fresh clam juice and white wine with a little olive oil and a touch of saffron. He adds snapper, shrimp, black mussels, Manila clams, crab legs and calamari, and when it’s done, he adds parsley, tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil. (Cioppino, $26.)

Fresco Ristorante, 514 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, (818) 247-5541.

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Lots of fish

The broth for Antonello’s cioppino is fish stock, white wine, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. Chef Franco Barone adds salmon, halibut, branzino and swordfish and, when they’ve cooked for a bit, large prawns, crab claws, mussels, Manila clams and then sea scallops. Finally he garnishes the soup with basil-garlic-Parmesan crostini. (Cioppino, $29.75.)

Antonello, South Coast Plaza Village, 3800 Plaza Drive, Santa Ana, (714) 751-7153.

-- Jessica Strand