Here are a few LA downtown restaurants I have eaten at recently that I would return to:

Coco Laurent-French
Mo Chica-Peruvian
Drago-Italian
Perch-Bar
Chaya-great Happy Hour
Baco Mercat-small plates

I recently had a very good dinner at Maccheroni Republic in downtown LA. On Broadway between 3rd and 4th. It is owned by
Jean De Mori who has a very good reputation, brother of Silvio.

It doesn't have a liquor license so they uncork yours for free. I had the tasty bianchi and neri pasta.

Maccheroni Republic is on my short list. Thanks.

I also like Chaya and have been eating there for over a decade, but the L.A. one that's located between Robertson Blvd and Cedar Sinai Hospital. It's on Alden Drive.

http://www.thechaya.com/beverly-hills/

Happy Travels!

For those who might be interested, here is Pasadena's Claud & Co. Eatery's partial May menu featuring Spain. We have our reservations made.


http://www.eateryonallen.com/food.html

That place looks great, very original, maitai

I had been going to Chaya on Alden for years and I forgot about it when my company switched locations. Thanks.

A little reminder that in San Gabriel Valley we have

Beard Papa's
http://muginohointl.com/

and

Lee's Sandwiches
http://muginohointl.com/

best iced coffee in the world

Lee's seems to be a fairly large chain. We have one in Torrance. They are great!

Went to Claud & Co. (Eatery) last night for Spain. Tapas excellent. Great steak. In June…the theme is…Brazil (menu out late next week). This place has me hooked.

Just ate at Faith and Flower. Small plates, over priced, food so so. Will not return.

Maccheroni Republic is on my list too.

Yesterday we went to Echo Park for some great tacos at Guisados (1261 W Sunset Blvd.)

We had two steak tacos, two chicken tacos, a Chorizo taco and two vegetarian tacos (the Chiles Torreados taco will burn your lips off). Those along with a box (quite inventive) of water and a tall cantaloupe drink (terrific) came to $24.

For Mexican, in Long Beach, this place in Bixby Knolls is really good. I wish I had not waited so long to try it.

http://patricias-restaurant.com/menu.php

Many of the tables had a "molcajete" with a thin steak which I want to try next.

Isn't that always the way? Not a place to eat, but we found the most wonderful little local "indie" theater just in the last few months before we moved away and I was regretting that we had not gone to it much sooner!

Our favorite is Beckham Grill. http://www.yelp.com/biz/beckham-gril...urant-pasadena

Abbots Pizza on in Venice.

bookmarking

I saw a lot of locals in the McDonalds on Sunset Boulevard. Free parking was a plus.

HTtY

Contributing another inexpensive treat, the Fish Grill
http://www.fishgrill.com/index.html

We've been to the original, which is a very low-key, funky place with real good fish.

This looks cute, Tab! Very moderate prices and just a short trip from our new digs!

socialworker, you just moved back to CA, or am I confusing you with another Fodorite who moved to Orange County?

Notice that they close on Saturdays, in observance. The original location is swamped with takeouts around 6pm. Supposedly Fish Grill is a favorite of film crews for lunch, too.

We recently moved after 40 + years in Boston to Santa Monica upon DH's retirement, Tab. We never lived here before but we have spent several 3 month stints here in LA in the past in "rehearsal" for someday moving here.

Momddtravel is the poster who is from here and recently moved back to Orange County.

Re: Fish Grill, thanks for the info…..we are not close to the original one, so it is the one on Wilshire that we will try when we do.