This small specialty bookstore can't rival Barnes & Noble in quantity, but the foodie staff offers customer service and restaurant gossip one just won't find at a chain bookstore.

The Cook's Library claims to be one of only two stores in the country dedicated exclusively to cookbooks and has become a must-see for any chef traveling through LA. Shoppers can browse the more than 7,000 titles that range from vegan cookbooks, cocktail and wine books and restaurant cookbooks on the cozy couch at the front of the store. It does carry some rare and out-of-print books; there is an annual summertime used-book sale. Near the door, a bulletin is stuck with cooking-class flyers, chef's business cards and other foodie news, but the best source of information is the staff, many of whom are chefs in transition—some just out of culinary school, some saving up for their own restaurant—eager to dispense advice as well as gossip about the local restaurant scene. Employees gather once a month to try out the city's newest eateries and often hear gossip from chefs that visit the store. They know about openings and closings, chef shuffles and permit problems, and one clerk even claims dropping the name Cook's Library gets her seated at some restaurants more quickly.