Of truffles, we speak of the mushroom, rarely the chocolate. And in LA, you can easily find yourself a four-dollar-sign dinner of summer's most divine truffles at Patina, Scarpetta and Bouchon (heck, Providence even has winter truffles all the way from Australia!). But if you just want a taste of truffle -- and perhaps in an offbeat vessel -- we suggest ordering the following five truffle oddities: Piccolo: The beloved cucina just a few feet off Venice Beach offers truffles 18,000 ways (are we exaggerating?). Of the primi dishes alone, you might enjoy a slow-fried chocolate ravioli stuffed with truffle-ricotta or seared sea scallops in parmesan-truffle fondue; and like the latter, the crispy veal's sweetbread burger with quail egg is topped with delicate shavings of summer's truffles. We want to set this appetizer up with the Croque Madame at Hatfield's for the ideal surf 'n' turf amuse bouche happily-ever-after.Piccolo, 5 Dudley Avenue, at Speedway (310-314-3222 or piccolovenice.com) Culina: Meeting some Very Important Person at the Four Seasons Hotel is a habitual pastime in Beverly Hills. But with the arrival of Culina and its revelatory cocktail program, calling for a simple G&T seems rather ... safe. Order the Sferra Truffle instead, and for $18 (yes, that's comparable to a bowl of Culina pasta), sip a martini of Belvedere, Disaronno Amaretto and truffle honey.Culina, 300 South Doheny Drive, at Burton Way (310-860-4000 or culinarestaurant.com) The Penthouse at Huntley Hotel: The view at the Huntley alone is worthy of long ride up the elevator. But to really elevate the panoramic visual of the Pacific, The Penthouse gives your favorite childhood munchie an R-rated makeover: tater tots get truffled, then served with a black truffle dipping sauce. And no, it wouldn't be childish to ration tots out fairly (even if you have to split the last tot in half!).The Penthouse at Huntley Hotel, 1111 Second Street, at California Avenue (310-394-5454 or thehuntleyhotel.com) Umami Burger: What "umami" infers is this idea of the fifth taste; "mushroom-y" is a lazy way to explain it. Among all of Umami's burgers, we find the umami flavor most appealing in the Truffle Burger, that in which the patty holds a truffle glaze and the housemade truffle cheese offers another form or umami (aged cheese, oh, yes). There's more: Order the Truffled Beet Salad, which is doused in aromatic truffle dressing.Umami Burger, 850 South La Brea Avenue, at West Ninth Street (323-931-3000 or umamiburger.com) Kiriko: Though an omakase meal at Kiriko leaves us stuffed to the gills, it's impossible to resist a helping of its signature truffle ice cream. The dessert might be speckled with white truffles or black, but no matter what's in season, the ice cream emits the most intense of truffle flavors all over your mouth. In great contrast to the delicate sushi you've just enjoyed, the of-the-earth ice cream is wildly savory -- and cannot be missed.Kiriko, 11301 West Olympic Boulevard, #102, at Sawtelle Boulevard (310-478-7769 or kirikosushi.com)