A Guide to the Best of Southern California : BROWSING : What Crockery!

If you have a serious craving for the brightly colored, clunky-looking plates, platters and bowls found in some of L.A.’s trendy restaurants, make a break for the Dish Factory in downtown Los Angeles. It has stacks of factory overruns, seconds and discontinued items from major manufacturers at low-low prices. Plates ranging in diameter from 6 to 12 inches, for example, go for about $12 to $52 a dozen ; platters, $40 to $53; soup bowls, $28; cups, $13, and large saucers, $22. Colors are fresh and electric: cobalt blue, chrome yellow, caramel and, of course, basic black.

Also spotted on sale recently were plastic-handled flatware in blue, white, red and peach--the perfect mates for your plates--and serving bowls, just $2.50 each, in pink, aqua and periwinkle.

The Dish Factory, 310 S. Los Angeles St., Los Angeles; 687-9500.