Go-to places - Westside

[chooks]

Hey!

I've recently returned to the Venice/Santa Monica area after a short absence and for some reason can't remember my old go-to places anymore. They must not have been that good! Now, I need some new ideas.

Where do you go for dinner in west LA?

[Emme]

trying to avoid repeating, so i'll just add a few that i like...

yu japanese tapas has good happy hour specials

warszawa

gaby's (not everyone likes it but i do)

fritto misto

caffe luxxe on montana has great espresso

acadie for crepes

abbot's

[glutton]

Agree with lots of the posts already... I'll add a few other choices and repeat some others that are particularly good.

Monte Alban for Oaxacan
Taco truck on Rose, between Lincoln and Main during the days
Taco truck on Lincoln, just south of Rose during the night (La Oaxaquena)
La Playita for ceviche
Pizza Antica in MDR for neapolitan style pizza
Father's Office for the burger and sweet potato fries
Sunnin for cheap Lebanese (you'll need to cross the 405 for this one)
Mizu 212 on Sawtelle for shabu shabu
Sasabune for sushi
Sushi Zo for sushi (once again, be brave and cross over the 405)
Lilly's for affordable french bistro in pleasant setting
Jin Patisserie for exquisite chocolates
Rose Cafe for great breakfast in great setting
Urth Cafe for good coffee, tea, and pastries
Josie for good, high-end American food, especially on Wed farmers market day
Agra for Indian
Bay Cities for Italian deli sandwiches and groceries
Musha for Japanese izakaya food
3 Square for Hans Rockenwagner's pretzel rolls and Austro-Californian food

[hrhboo]

We must unknowingly run into each other all the time! Second Antica, it's some of the best pizza in the neighborhood.

[glutton]

I think Antica is great. I know it won't make all those "I miss NY-style pizza" people happy, but taken on its own merits, it's pretty good. The location is ho-hum and I wonder if that hurts its foodie credibility. That's the only explanation I have for the fact that it does not get much press here or elsewhere.

You've also just hit on one of the more bizarre sensations of being a regular user of chowhound -- I go to a restaurant and I know there are other chowhounders eating there at the same time and I feel like I have a little insight into these people, but I don't actually know their names, what they look like, or very much about the person in actuality. Yet I'm still quite interested in meeting these people because we share at least one meaningful thing in common... It's bizarre. That's why I was so bummed that I missed the last chowhound event in Los Feliz. Maybe there should be a Venice chowhound event...

[a_and_w]

I really enjoy the pizza at Antica, though as you note, it's traditional Neapolitan style.

[Juji]

My absolute favorite dish at Antica is the penette alla vodka. It's delicious!

[kevin]

those cheese pretzel rolls are great, also try their heavy duty chocolate brownies.

the pretzel burger is good too.

library also has decent food. abbot's is ok for pizza.

bay cities overrated.

urth cafe is decent, nothing earth shattering, and of course everything there is egregiously overpriced.

[igj]

About the prices at Urth - I don't find everything egregiously overpriced. There are the bake sale specials (essentially day old pies, cakes) and those are usually as good as the ones that cost twice as much - in the past month, I have had bake sale pumpkin pie and cherry pie and both were wonderful, and at $3 per slice, still big enough to split with my GF. Even some of the regular items are not overpriced for quality/quantity... they have half salads that are enough for a lunch for me (they come with some delicious bread) and those are reasonable in price. I think the problem comes in when you factor in full servings (which I think are usually way too large) and the coffee drinks, which are $$$.

[nick_r]

Urth is also one of the few places that serves all-organic food. And the coffee is pricey but it's all organic, fair-trade, shade-grown, and incredible.

[Debette]

Baby Blues on Sunset and Lincoln is new, but the BBQ will kick your behind and make you slap your mama. it is great! Be prepared to wait if you go on most nights, but it is worth the wait.

[wilafur]

baby blues has been around for quite a few years already.

[Burger Boy]

2 maybe 3 years at the most. 4J's was there before Baby Blues and was much better, IMHO. Great chopped pork with slaw sandwich and that was the first place i had smoked chicken wings!

[westsidegal]

for very good, very cheap falafal: the hungry pocket (across the street from santa monica college).

for very good, very cheap indian food (unfortuantely served on styrofoam plates): samosa house on washington blvd and berryman (west of the 405)

for very good, very cheap mexican seafood (also, served on styrofoam): taqueria sanchez on centinela north of culver blvd. they close at 7 on weekdays and earlier on sundays, so check their schedule.

[kevin]

is hungry pocket really that good?

i keep on seeing notices about it, but i've heard from freinds it's not that great.

[a_and_w]

I think Hungry Pocket is good but not great. The falafel is freshly fried and tasty, but the pita and salad are decidedly ordinary. I like their hot sauce, but it's not very middle eastern -- more like a Mexican salsa.

[nick_r]

One of my favorite haunts is Lula on Main St. (sorta near Library Alehouse but on the opposite side). Solid Mexican food with pretty good breadth of cuisine and, most importantly, knock-you-on-your-ass margaritas.

[sherpa50]

Nook (had a yummy salad there last night: greens, thinly sliced persimmons, fennel, red onion, with a creamy mustard vinaigrette & pom seeds)
Pitfire Pizza on Westwood & La Grange
Da Pasquale (BH)
Jaipur (Pico & Westwood)
Metro Cafe (Washington Place & Sepulveda)
Nordstom Cafe (good salads & desserts)
Urth (BH & SM)

[hrhboo]

Mine are:
Sushi Zo
Echigo
Sakura House for Kushiyaki
Orris
Musha
Father's Office
3 Square Cafe
Abode
Tender Greens
Cora's
Rose Cafe
Beechwood
Abbot's Pizza
La Vecchia
Guelaguetza
Tacos Por Favor
La Playita
Mitsuwa
Baby Blues Bbq
California Chicken Cafe
Agra Indian
Tajrish

[omotosando]

What is good at California Chicken Cafe? I went once and was seriously underwhelmed. I know it's not supposed to be gourmet food or anything, but there was nothing that made me anxious to try it again.

[hrhboo]

It's nothing earth-shattering, just tasty rotisserie chicken. I like the Chinese chicken salad and some of their wraps.

[kevin]

call me crazy but i had sworn off ccc for years and then finally tried it, and the roast chicken is pretty good, esp that skin, and their roasted potatoes are good too.

[wilafur]

tacos por favor
don felix
monte alban
orris
musha
nook
terried sake house
izakaya sasaya
hide

[Burger Boy]

26 Beach Restaurant, Great Western Philly Cheesesteak, Bay Cities, Sorrento's, Taqueria Sanchez Market & now the have a restaurant, Taco Miendo, El Abanajo, Angel Maid Bakery for cream puffs and great fruit cakes.

[donnival]

This list is a random mix of nice and neighborhood joints:

Nook Bistro
Orris
Chandni
California Vegan
Beechwood
Joe's
Chaya Venice
Library Alehouse
Chinois on Main
Gulfstream

[mollyomormon]

I addition to these, I also end up at Musha, Father's Office and Ramenya a lot.

[paulfromla]

re GULFTREAM
is it any good?

[wilafur]

if you like houston's or bandera's you will like gulfstream. they all have the same corporate parent.

[donnival]

Their #1 Ahi Burger is really good. Everything else is solid, not amazing or inventive in any way.

[glutton]

There are hundreds of options. Help me out -- price, location, cuisine, etc.

[chooks]

Hey Glutton,

Cuisine- I'll eat basically anything.
Price- since I eat out quite frequently, what can you recommend that is in the moderate to inexpensive range?
Location- Preferably anything west of the 405, north of LAX, and south of San Vicente Blvd.

[igj]

In that range and in that location:
-Kiriko (for lunch, you can get away with $$ instead of the $$$ or $$$$ for dinner)
-Nook Neighborhood Bistro
-Il Moro (making a meal out of the free food for weekday happy hour anyway :) )
-Sawtelle Kitchen
-Yabu
-Il Forno (both for $5 take away lunch and for more pricy dinner)
-Ayara Thai
-Houstons

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Nook Bistro
11628 Santa Monica Blvd Ste 9, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Houston's Restaurant
202 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Ayara Thai Cuisine
6245 W 87th St, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Il Moro Restaurant
11400 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064

Sawtelle Kitchen
2024 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Yabu Restaurant
11820 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064