2012 Best Picture Nominees: Performed by L.A. Bars and Restaurants

La Petite Reine

The Artist

Playing host and home to the Academy Awards, this town vibrates with excitement (Editor's note: Or something, depending on your thoughts re 9/11 and Hawaiian shirts, Harvey Weinstein and whether or not you, too, wanted a refund after seeing The Artist, as did some folks in Liverpool) by the end of February. We all fancy an escape into the pictures. Maybe you're Peppy, enjoying a glamorous rise to fame, or Minny, sticking it to your employers, or you're whiling the night away with Zelda Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein.

The closest you may get to your favorite characters is through their stomachs. Check out these restaurants, bars, and clubs to get a flavor of this year's Best Picture nominations. (In alphabetical order, if you're wondering.) Some were directly inspired by food in the film, others capture the ambiance of the set. Take a bite. Drink up. Get lost. And don't forget to thank the Academy.

Guzzle & Nosh

The Edison Bar

9. The Artist:
Drink at: The Edison
The Inspiration: The place you'd most likely see George Valentin seeking out a gin cocktail. A theatrical soul will feel at home amongst well-appointed props and exposed bulbs. 108 W. Second St., downtown; (213) 613-0000.

Back Home in Lahaina

Lahaina Dining Room

8. The Descendents:
Eat at: Back Home in Lahaina
The Inspiration: Hawaiian Music and Laulau barbecue pork inch you closer to the Pacific paradise. Now if only it could inch you closer to George Clooney. Right. 916 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach; (310) 374-0111.

Warner Bros.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

7. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close:
Eat at: Tomato Pie Pizza Joint
The Inspiration: Thin-crust, East Coast pies so good they will send you searching for clues to why you took so long to find them. 2457 Hyperion Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 661-6474.

DreamWorks

The Help

6. The Help:
Eat at: Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles
The Inspiration: Sweet, savory and soulful. You know Roscoe's is doing one thing right -- it's fried chicken, perfect every time. 1514 N. Gower St., Hollywood; (323) 466-7453.