Yeah, Ilive in the neighborhood and agree w/SeaUrchin about the King's Head -- didn't mention it because it does cater to tourists in SM, but it does have a local crowd. Been going there for over 35 years -- in the beginning just to hang at the bar, drink and meet the local young English males on a trip abroad having the need for a decent pint! After the marriage and the kid bit, that's when we actually began to eat there and the food IS good, particularly their fish and chips. I always go for the "queen" portion -- eat there about twice a year.

Oh, new local watering hole is the stand out Waterloo on Washington just west of Centinela and east of the Marina del Rey Costco.

A little pricey, but great food and great vibes.

Oooh, looking forward to our 3 months there! Please continue to recommend any of your neighborhood faves, Surfergirl!

We have eaten at Craft w/DS&DDIL and as much as we loved it, it is a splurge, not a go-to kind of spot! :)

Is Cafe Montana still good? I know it has had ups and downs in the past and wondering if it is in an up phase now. If so it is very good and has pleasant local brunchly surroundings.

Here is a new Peruvian place in West LA for those staying Bev Hills /SM with a car. I've been to Peru a few times and tried his dishes at Mo-chica, it is a bit toned down (in terms of flavor and heat, so add salsa) but still excellent.

Oh dear, forgot the link

http://www.piccaperu.com/menu/

Wow, mlgb, that looks so good! Thanks for adding to the list. LA has so many places that look so intriguing but w/o a rec from someone who knows the place and likes it, we are never sure if a place is truly worth trying.

mlgb -- thanks for the heads up on this. We drove by that place a couple days ago, saw the Peruvian flag outside, and were trying to figure out the country -- husband found it googling flags on his iphone.

Piccaperu took over the spot on Pico by Beverly Drive formerly Spark Woodfire, and formerly Orsini Osteria.

Is it too toned down? I like food with lots of spice and flavor, which is probably why we don't go to La Serenata close to our house in WLA. Do you recall if they have Pisco Sours?!? It would be worth a visit just for that!

Another one:
"Out-Take" Cafe for any lunch or dinner, and especially Sunday brunch/lunch...broad, fair priced menu....it's on Ventura Blvd, just a long block east of Laurel Canyon. It was a popular standby in Studio City and moved a few years ago to the east side ot Laurel. They have a bar.
stu

Thanks, stu! Even though our 3 months coming up in January will be spent on the West Side, DS and DDIL live in Studio City, so any tips in those environs are very welcome!

I can add one here as well. Hugo's on Ventura in Studio City and on Santa Monica in West Hollywood are places where *lots* of locals eat. Some of the best breakfasts anywhere!

The Counter in Santa Monica on Ocean Park and in Studio City are both (very casual) great places for burgers with some of the best sweet potato fries I have eaten. (Hmm, surprised, I just looked it up and did not realize it is a bigger chain. Still, though it is good!)

Hi surfer, yes they have Pisco sours as well as a lot of other Pisco cocktails. If you focus on the items with "rocoto" that is the spicier chile. Aji amarillo has flavor but less heat.

Lots of other interesting flavors in Peruvian cooking, not all of them hot.

I would go there (or to Mo Chica) just for the seabass ceviche.

We have been to The Counter in El Segundo and really enjoyed it. The burgers are in the $10 range. I like it because you get to check off your ingredients on a sheet, and can be sure that you order exactly what you want. We find that the half-and-half basket of fries if plenty for four people, with half regular fries and half sweet potato fries.

I want some BBQ from Dr Hogly Wogly's!

Keep your flame throwers in check, please. I'm going to throw in a rec for Marie Callenders for one reason only. The best St. Louis baby-back ribs in the city for a great pice. We tried them a few months ago and have gone back a few times including this early evening (afer watching the grisly flick "Drive" with Ryan Gosling..outstanding acting jobs by Gosling and of all people Albert Brooks...superb in his role)

At Marie's they have been featuring these ribs at $18.99. More than enough for two (which amounts to seven ribs each)..they literally fall off the bone...smacking good..hold the sauce, ask for it on the side and add some yourself. I suppose I've chomped on ribs in at least a dozen places here in L.A...both wife and I rate Marie Callendar's #1, believe it or not. Highly recommend whenever you get the rib urge. IMO Tony Roma's, Cecils, and the other candidates are all behind Marie. Certainly dollar for dollar, no comparison.
stu

Stu, which Marie C's? They vary so much, in one town they can be good and really bad in another.

SeaUrchin

I've only eaten at the Oxnard and the Valley locations. The ribs I rec are at the Valley MC on Ventura Blvd., between Sepulveda and Van Nuys Blvd. We take in Friday late afternoon flicks at the Galleria and MC is very convenient for an early supper on our way home. We live just up the hill at Mulholland and Beverly Glen Blvd.

Whenever I mention it to friends and family I get the "Are you kidding?" response. Those who have tried it come away in amazement.

Thanks to the OP (cferrb) and all who have eagerly responded to this thread. The information has been interesting and meaningful for all of us SoCal denizens. Best wishes to all!

Stu Tower

I should clarify...the MC is in the CVS lot, North Side of Ventura Blvd.

Thanks, tower. I'll keep that one in mind. Some MC's are on my no go list after repeat bad meals. It is all up to the management I guess.

In that area I wonder how La Frite has been doing since the Gordon Ramsey takeover.

As I have said before, the timing of this thread is great for us, as we will be staying in LA for a little over 3 mos, come January.

We will be zipping past your neck of the woods, Stu, as we will be staying just off Beverly Glen in Century City and that is the street we will use to go down to Ventura to see DS and DDIL in Studio City. (Perhaps when I say zipping, I am being optimistic! :) )

In-N-Out Burger is much loved--cause unknown.

SocialWorker

If you travel north , there is very lttle traffic until 4pm-7pm..then it could be very clogged. Driving south, anythim after 10am should be OK..it's a very curvy road and only two lanes for the most part. When you get to four lanes, going north you will pass The Glen Center shopping mall (small one)...but it's classic L.A....if people there are not selling a script, buying a script, or promoting a flick, they must be from Bakersfield!). My street (Angelo) is the last street on the right before crossing Mulholland Drive going north. Write me at rozstu1 at aol dot com if you wish.
stu

SU...La Frite continues to be a very fine place..don't know if Ramsay has hurt or helped.

social worker: I should add, since you're from Massachusetts...I'm a Quincy "boy" born and raised. Emerson College grad (as is granddaughter and her husband!)..been a happy Angeleno since 1957...ain't no turning back! Still love New England, though.
stu

stu, when I was at UCLA many moons ago, we went to Dolores quite often with our two-for-one coupons. Glad to hear it is still good, I'd heard about a downward trend in quality. Do they still cut their own Suzy Q fries and bake their own huge yeast rolls at dinnertime?

Have you tried Pomodoro, the little mom pop Italian across from the Crest theatre? How about the Sweet Rose Creamery on 26th near Sunset/Montana?

Dinner at the Getty Center on a Saturday night is a nice splurge. The Bel Air Hotel is supposed to be re-opening soon, had a great burger in the bar there once. The Counter must be very popular if they have one in Studio City and also in Toluca Lake.

You're from Quinzy like the FABULOUS Ruth Gordon!

yup, Tracy, Kwinzee! Ruth Gordon, Lee Remick, Billy DeWolfe (and his famous Mrs. Murgatroyd drinkng skit), John Adams and son, but since they took my name and picture off the billboard entering town, I guess my Califoria residency since '57 just don't qualify me no mo'. But when I visit I still "pahk my cah in the Hahvidd yahd and take the trolley cah to Bahstin's No'th End."
stu

Pomodoro still there..and good spot for dinner. Dolores seemed to have quality menu offerings when I was last there after a flick at the Royal. Tasty crispy wraps. Did not have fries.

Will try the Sweet Rose Creamery as we go by 26th when we drive to SM via San Vicente quite often.

Stu

A quick search didn't find any of these on this thread, which is rather surprising to me, but maybe I'm just inept.

Phillipe's, a block or so north of Union Station downtown. Home of the French Dip sandwich and 9c coffee. Lots of history and color. It's been "discovered" a little, but still a lot of fun. http://www.philippes.com/

Nate 'n Al's on Beverly Drive in downtown BH. Good, not great deli food (best at breakfast) but the room is the attraction: always a lot of B-list or lesser Hollywood types or wannabes, often some A-list folks (Larry King pretty much a daily diner) but always decent nosh served by your grannie. With attitude. http://www.natenal.com/

Canter's deli on Fairfax - bigger menu than Nate 'n Al's, often (not always) better but also quite the landmark. Open 24 hours for when you need matzoh balls at 2 AM. http://www.cantersdeli.com/

Martha's 22nd Street Grill in Hermosa Beach - THE place for breakfast in the South Bay - sit at a sidewalk table in the sun (when you're done waiting) and <i>eat.</i> Then, get up and waddle 50 feet down the street to the Strand (pedestrian walk on the beachfront) and walk those calories off (well, provided you walk for six or seven days) past the bazillion-dollar beach houses facing the surf. I promise you'll be deciding which bank to rob so you can move here.

Here's a little write-up I did on Philippe's a couple of years ago (with some photos). I went a couple of weeks ago, and everything remains just about the same (as it has for more than a hundred years).

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...6_Entry_1.html

((H))

I think Phillipes was closed down for filth this year for a short time. Some people think that means it's probably cleaner than ever, others of us wonder if it signals other problems with the operation?

stu, somewhere on youtube there's an interview that Dick Cavett did with Ruth Gordon where she tells him how to pronounce KWINZEE and talks about her first trips to New York on the "Fall River Line". She was one of a kind.

socialworker....Big Sugar Bakeshop in Studio City for the brownies. Fabulous with some Trader Joes vanilla ice cream. A block or so west of Laurel Cyn on Ventura Blvd.

<i>interview Dick Cavett did with Ruth Gordon </i>

I'll have to catch that...just watched the Cavett-Mel Brooks interview..hilarious.
stu

Great thread, cferrb!

Here are a few of mine:

Rose Cafe, Venice

http://www.rosecafe.com/


Shamshiri Grill (Persian food), Westwood Blvd, LA -- Huge platters, Persian bread to die for. This is the best of the Persian restaurants along that part of Westwood Blvd.

http://shamshiri.com/


Diddy Riese Cookies (and Ice Cream!) - Is it still just $1.50 for a large scoop of ice cream between two still-warm, fresh-baked cookies?!

http://www.diddyriese.com/home.php



Best Chinese restaurant chain in LA: Sam Woo's. It even has it's own wikipedia article!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Woo_Restaurant

The quality of the food is not the same at all locations. I like the one in Irvine best.

http://www.samwooirvine.com/index.html

If a Sam Woo location has takeout, their takeout is very good and inexpensive. The restaurant part can be inexpensive to expensive, depending on what you order. The live seafood is terrific but costs more.


Los Angeles is sushi-land. Lots of great sushi restaurants. Also there are some South American restaurants like the Brazilian churrascaria, Fogo de Chao (Beverly Hills, expensive) http://www.fogodechao.com/locations/ to neighborhood SA restaurants where one can get a plentiful platter of steak or lamb for under $15/$20 (pay by weight).

I give up! Too many good places to eat in LA!

"I think Phillipes was closed down for filth this year for a short time. Some people think that means it's probably cleaner than ever, others of us wonder if it signals other problems with the operation? "

Philippe's (note spelling) was closed for two days in February 2010 when health inspectors found a family of uninvited cockroaches. I didn't see any a few weeks ago, although my French Dip was a bit crunchy (just kidding). Still has an "A" rating, so I really have no concerns. The place is always packed at lunchtime, so to avoid long lines wait until about 2, if you want to go.

Cole's in L.A. is the other restaurant in L.A. that says it invented the French Dip. Here is my little review (with photos) of that restaurant.

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...3_Entry_1.html

((H))

Las Fuentes on Vanowen in Reseda has consistently good Mexican food. It's clean and not expensive. I eat there whenever I am in the area, today included.


http://lasfuentes.com/

Aaaaah, our favorite spot has been mentioned! My husband would rather eat here than ANYWHERE. Marvelous yummy food.

Beware of crowds at peak weekend dinner times, you seat yourself at any open table, and often have to hover about and stake out a table where someone's almost done. No waiters, you stand in line and place your order at a counter, then wait for your number to be called. Weekdays are the least crowded, Sunday dinner is the worst.

Sea and gig...thanks for the Las Fuentes reco. Sea, you really get around, almost as if you're the undercover Zagat girl! Jut kidding. This thread has come up with dozens of interesting recs. The OP deserves accolades for coming up with the idea! Who says L.A. can't compete with the old over-rated standbys?

socialworker, if you go south on Beverly Glen, you'll find the road ends at Pico Boulevard. One long block west on Pico, on the south side of the street, is John O'Groat's. Great for breakfast and lunch. I haven't been there for dinner. There's a second location in Encino.

http://www.ogroatsrestaurant.com/

Why thank you Tower. You should see the dust that was kicked up when I tried to start a similar thread about the SF bay area.

We are not locals in LA--yet--that may change next year. However, we have spent quite a bit of time there over the last 10+ years that our son has been living there.

One of the places we really like--have only gone for lunch, but have gone multiple times--is Hal's on Abbot Kinney in Venice. There is just something about the place. A great vibe and really good food. We stumbled on it by chance, as it is directly across the street from Hair Venice, where both DH and I go for haircuts when we are in LA. We thought of it as our own private find, but DS says that it is a popular spot for many locals.

Totally agree with socialworker about the Hal's "vibe" and food. They have live jazz one or 2 nites a week as well.

Also love Lilly's just down the street.

Hal's has American nouveau comfort food. Lilly's has trad French bistro food.

tower, I guess having grown up here in LA and having a car since I was sixteen and wanderlust to boot, I don't think anything of driving across the city for a good meal. I can find something to do in the local area and make it an outing.

Another little place I like is Eduardos on Westwood at Little Santa Monica. I was so addicted to their Border Burritos for the longest time when I worked in the area. Not much atmosphere, clean and cute, sometimes a star sighting and fun atmosphere, sitting on stools. The crew has been there for years which says something.

http://www.eduardosbordergrill.com/home.nxg

Funny but when I traveled a lot and just before landing at LAX the first thing my family, friends and I would think about would be stopping at Eduardos for some good Southwest/Mexican food as a welcome home. I can't even remember how many times it was our first stop right off the plane. After our meal, we were home again!