50761 Thu Jun 27 15:30:23 -0700 2002 22 2 Los Angeles Area 0 257348 Can anyone recommend any restaurants at the Grove for a Saturday night dinner? I did a search; all I found was a thread from March about whether the Grove would ruin the Farmers Market. Thanks. Thu Jun 27 15:30:23 -0700 2002 0 felix 1 257349 I wouldn't eat anywhere AT the Grove, per se, unless you like the nasty huge portions of Maggianos-type places. Why not go to the Farmer's market and get gumbo, crepes, falafel, etc. Or else walk down 3rd street and try Doughboy's or any of the other great restaurants down that street. Or if you walk east to LaBrea, there's Sonora Cafe that is also excellent. So many options better than what's on offer at the Grove! Link: http://www.farmersmarketla.com Thu Jun 27 15:59:00 -0700 2002 257348 0 AKMartin 2 257352 I agree. The Grove is in a neighborhood chock-a-block full of good and unique restaurants (and some more that are one or the other but not both of those); they are strung along Melrose, some on Beverly, some on Fairfax, and some on LaBrea. Even if you're walkin', there's options... rfgs rfgs Thu Jun 27 16:55:22 -0700 2002 257349 0 Richard Gould-Saltman 3 257357 Yep, I agree with all the posters so far. I live just up the street from the Grove and Farmer's Market -- I was disappointed when I saw the bland chain-restaurant nature of the Grove's offerings. Nothing that looks outstanding, at all. (Though the new movie theater is nice) Stick to the Farmer's Market, or check out Beverly Blvd... Thu Jun 27 17:59:09 -0700 2002 257352 0 Scooter Pie 4 257372 I was in the neighborhood and decided to pick up a couple of Patsy's pizza's (my fav- at Patsy D'Amore's in the Farmer's Market. I used to park right outside the entrance on the east end. That area is now closed and the parking is a horror show. The pizza is still great, though.. Fri Jun 28 05:59:06 -0700 2002 257357 0 G 2 257384 Maggiano's isn't really THAT nasty ... granted it's not the best Italian place in town, but then you aren't going to take your kid's soccer team to Valentino, either. For casual Italian with a group of famished friends, you could do a lot worse (O***e G****n, for instance...) Fri Jun 28 13:04:28 -0700 2002 257349 0 Bradbury 2 257467 I love to eat at Puran's on La Brea. Great food, take your own wine!! Sun Jun 30 01:12:48 -0700 2002 257349 0 Carla 1 257354 The Grove has ruined much of the charm of The Farmer's Market. And last time I was there I didn't see anything that looked worth the trouble, as far as food goes. The parking lot now gives me hives. You definitely would be better off eating at The Farmer's Market or elsewhere in the neighborhood. It's not that far from Cobras and Matadors on Beverly. Thu Jun 27 17:00:14 -0700 2002 257348 0 Vanessa On The Town 1 257358 Maggiano's actually can be fun if you have a bunch of big eaters looking for an all-you-can-eat place with a little style and above the average ayce restaurant. But its not gourmet Italian (for that go down the street to Angelini Osteria - my favorite). Definitely, definitely, don't bother with Madame Wu's - even if you do it for old-time sentimental reasons. The food is quite bad, the service is horrible, and even the atmosphere is surprisingly bad for a newly built restaurant. This place wont last (again) and I hope something good comes in its place. Thu Jun 27 18:01:27 -0700 2002 257348 0 Michael 1 257368 Generally, The Grove is the antithesis of The Farmer's Market. It's a combo of an open air mall and Main Street USA in Disneyland. FAO Schwarz usually has obnoxious music playing loudly that simulates "It's a Small World After All." There are 2 rides--a trolley that runs down the middle of the "street" and the parking lot. The latter with turning allowed from 2 lanes is an accident waiting to perpetually happen. The displays indicating the number of parking spaces would be helpful, but they fail to count the valet spaces. The signage is everywhere on the lot but individual spaces are not numbered so locating your car on your level becomes problematic. That said, there's a pretty nice Barnes & Noble (which will validate even if you don't purchase) and a nice Nordstom's if you want to spend money. The theaters look nice but everything else is strictly chain stuff. Thu Jun 27 19:27:37 -0700 2002 257348 0 mc michael 1 257374 Eat at Farmer's Market next door... The Gumbo Pot on the west side, or the new Malasyian place next to Kokomo's on the south. There's also a Brazilian place on the north side that has several cuts of meats roasting on a spit, and good sides. You serve yourself (everything but the meat), and pay by the weight. Not bad. (not great, but not bad) My kid fell in love with eating steak a few years ago in Paris, so we're waiting for the French steak house to open at the Grove. (And yeah, the movie theater is terrific, stadium seating, comfy) Has anyone tried the new wood-fire place that just opened next to Maggianos? Fri Jun 28 11:25:37 -0700 2002 257348 0 Sandra W. 2 257377 I agree with you on the movie theater. It's really great. >>Has anyone tried the new wood-fire place that just opened next to Maggianos? Yes, I happened upon it one night when they were still in "tryouts," and my friend and I got free dinners. I had a chicken salad that was OK, but my friend's chicken pasta was way overspiced -- much hotter than it should have been, going by the description. They served some garlic rolls that were OK, but way overbuttered.... The pinot grigio was NOT among the best I've ever had... All in all, nothing special, but for free, I didn't mind. Fri Jun 28 11:50:41 -0700 2002 257374 0 Scooter Pie 3 257425 Pinot Grigio ? Sat Jun 29 05:39:03 -0700 2002 257377 0 jed 4 257438 What about it? Not sophisticated enough for you? Sat Jun 29 14:56:59 -0700 2002 257425 0 Scooter Pie 5 257440 Jed -- If you were just asking what pinot grigio is, I'll apologize in advance for the defensive posting a few minutes ago....Couldn't tell what the spirit of your question was (bad pun there, I know) Sat Jun 29 15:23:52 -0700 2002 257438 0 Scooter Pie 2 257390 Is the wood-fire place the Wood Ranch? If so, it's one of a small chain of BBQ restaurants. We usually get their BBQ as take out when the shole family descends upon my parents. On the whole, it's very good. Good quality meat and sweet/tangy/slightly smokey sauce. The cole slaw is delicious, and a bit different, with peanuts in it. No, it's not Phillips or Woody's, so no comparisons, please, but good nonetheless.(And Scooter Pie is right: the rolls are way overly greasy, and nothing special. But you don't eat BBQ for the bread anyway, right?) Fri Jun 28 15:05:30 -0700 2002 257374 0 LBQT 3 257466 We ate at the Wood Ranch, on the recommendation of friends, and were thoroughly disappointed. The meat was overdone no matter what (I sent it back twice and then gave up). The atmosphere was nice though. Like the Brazilian place in Farmer's Market and the soupat the Malaysian joint. Sun Jun 30 01:07:38 -0700 2002 257390 0 Carla 1 257380 Let's be honest: nostalgia aside, the food at the old Farmer's Market is not great. The place had/has many charms but the eating is at best so-so (peace to all the Gumbo Pot lovers out there--it wouldn't wash in N'awlins.) So the advent of The Grove has not been a culinary desecration (architectural is another matter). If you want genuinely good food, as others have said, you have to get back in your car and tool a short distance up Beverly to Angelina Osteria and Ita-Cho (perhaps the two best ADJOINING restaurants in LA, in my book) or Cobras and MAtadors. Otherwise it's just about shoveling in the calories. Fri Jun 28 12:17:09 -0700 2002 257348 0 Lord Lipitor 2 257387 Otherwise it's just about shoveling in the calories.>> That's Mister Shoveling to you. Gumbo Pot ain't bad. Neither is the nearby sandwich place. Or Du-Par's. Or Kokomo's. Or the French place. Or, the bar where you can watch sports and get good reasonably priced beer & wine. And there's an interesting mix of folks from all over. I even saw Shannon Dougherty there eating breakfast. It's not Cobras and Matadors, but it's a lot more human than The Grove, which reminds me of "Oh plastic people, baby, you're such a draaaaag." Fri Jun 28 13:36:59 -0700 2002 257380 0 mc michael 1 257385 I have dined at The Farm twice (next door to Barnes and Noble and the theatres) and enjoyed it very much. It is an offshoot of The Farm on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. Nice atmopshere, good service, and good quality food. Fri Jun 28 13:18:03 -0700 2002 257348 0 Tom P 1 257397 For something a little less Grove-like, try driving down Fairfax a bit to the Ethiopian food corner between Olympic and Pico (Messob, Nyala, or Rosalind's comes to mind). Fri Jun 28 16:41:16 -0700 2002 257348 0 Eric Eto 1 257399 Thanks for the advice. The person I'm going with said that there is music there. Guess we will eat elsewhere beforehand. Fri Jun 28 17:02:40 -0700 2002 257348 0 felix 2 257400 From my limited observations, a band is sometimes set up in the outdoor area, say on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Fri Jun 28 17:33:15 -0700 2002 257399 0 mc michael