450869 Mon Oct 15 08:10:32 -0700 2007 12 2 Los Angeles Area 0 3035266 I'm meeting an old friend in Larchmont Village for dinner. Looking for a casual, inexpensive ($15-20 per person) place where we can sit and chat for awhile. I've read on the boards that Le Petit Greek and La Luna are places to consider (although I'm unclear whether La Luna is closed?). I'm vegetarian, my friend's not (but often orders vegetarian foods). Any and all recs are appreciated. Thanks! Mon Oct 15 08:10:32 -0700 2007 54256 kermit 1 3035581 i must admit, i haven't been impressed with any of the restaurants in Larchmont Village- though the Village Pizzaria is great, and the wine and cheese shop makes the MOST delicious sandwichs. - though Chan Dara thai is right there and its cozy and yummy. Great vegatarian dishes. its not right on the Larchmont strip, but it is literally 100 ft up from Noah's bagels on Larchmont. Mon Oct 15 09:37:44 -0700 2007 3035266 129912 Jaybay 2 3035976 Chan Dara may not be for you if you are an extremely strict vegetarian; I'm not sure, for instance, that they have "non-fish fish sauce". I've liked Petit Greek, La Luna, and Girasole (though since I haven't been over on Larchmont regularly in a couple of years, one or both of the latter may, IIRC, have closed; also not sure that for dinner you'd get out for less than $20 per person) Mon Oct 15 11:10:42 -0700 2007 3035581 11398 silverlakebodhisattva 1 3036416 Prado - Caribbean Cuisine 244 No. Larchmont Blvd., (near Beverly). (323) 467-3871 Plenty of easy to order Vegatarian options. Mon Oct 15 12:47:12 -0700 2007 3035266 11205 JBC 2 3036529 I second Prado. And their Sangria is delicious. It's next door to Pinkberry. Mon Oct 15 13:09:25 -0700 2007 3036416 134921 search_for_the_holy_gruel 3 3036708 Good lord, I KNEW I was leaving out something. Prado, definitely. You'll hit your price point if you're careful, even at dinner. BTW, it's not next to Pinkberry; Pinkberry's next to it. ; ) r gould-saltman no avatar Mon Oct 15 13:47:05 -0700 2007 3036529 11398 silverlakebodhisattva 1 3036947 I recently dined at Larchmont Grill and really liked it. It's comfortable, service was attentive and I loved the braised short ribs I had. It's at Melrose east of Vine; not quite the village... Mon Oct 15 14:46:56 -0700 2007 3035266 20504 hpcat 1 3037933 Thank you all for the suggestions! I'll update later this week on the restaurant that we choose for dinner. Mon Oct 15 20:02:51 -0700 2007 3035266 54256 kermit 1 3038340 As hpcat said, Larchmont Grill. Kind of a upper-middle class family restaurant feel. If that makes sense. But if you have to eat in the "village", Try Prado, if you can get through all the people who worship the powder based yogurt like substance, next door. ;P Tue Oct 16 02:32:25 -0700 2007 3035266 53063 skimrunner 1 3040001 Girasole is wonderful, I'm not sure about vegetarian choices there. Reservations recommended. Tue Oct 16 12:25:37 -0700 2007 3035266 11830 Food Good 2 3040024 Although I haven't been to Girasole since last fall, I remember they had a fantastic housemade butternut squash ravioli that could really compete flavor-wise with their wonderful osso bucco. It's a charming spot, and the food reflects a certain kind of consideration that's unusual for a place with such good prices. Definitely recommended!! Tue Oct 16 12:33:10 -0700 2007 3040001 123496 lunching_lady 1 3065263 Thank you to all for the recommendations. We chose Prado, and couldn't have been happier. It was a delight of a place to linger and chat, and not feel rushed at all. We ended up spending more like $30 per person, but it was quite worth it. We split the buffalo mozzarella and heirloom tomato salad (delicious). The wait staff actually split it for us in the kitchen - a simple, but very kind gesture. I had the plato sin carne (vegetarian plate), and my friend had the seafood paella (special). She loved the paella; I wasn't too impressed with my choice. It lacked a lot of flavor, but was definitely a healthy choice (a lot of steamed veggies). Next time (there is a next time!), I'll choose something with more flavor. However, the apple tart more than made up for the less than impressive entree. Do not resist...the apple tart is an absolute must! Over the course of the evening, we enjoyed the sangria (perfection) and house wine, tea and coffee. Last but not least, I cannot say enough about the service at Prado. They were so friendly, attentive, and were in no hurry to rush out the door. All in all, a delightful evening. Thanks again for the recommendations. I'll look forward to my next adventure to LV. Wed Oct 24 21:49:55 -0700 2007 3035266 54256 kermit 2 3069627 I'm thinking that a shot of their salsa negra (or is it "salsa diabla"? The stuff they make with black pepper) would amp up their vegetarian plate sufficiently, but I'm not entirely sure it's free of some sort of stock, possibly chicken stock. Certainly worth an inquiry. . . Fri Oct 26 09:31:37 -0700 2007 3065263 11398 silverlakebodhisattva