60345 Wed May 19 10:18:28 -0700 2004 6 2 Los Angeles Area 0 319128 Hello LA hounds, I will be in town for a few days visiting a friend and am looking for a few relatively casual, not-too-pricey dinner recommendations. In particular, I'd like to eat at places unlike what I can get in DC. I thought I should maybe try Persian and eat as much Mexican food as possible, both of which are mediocre here in DC. Also, I'm a vegetarian (non-vegan), but my friend is not. In past visits, I've eaten at Real Foods Daily, Native Foods, the bad Mexican restaurant on the SM Pier, and Lola (?), all of which were fine, but I'd like to try something different. Thank you very much! Wed May 19 10:18:28 -0700 2004 0 Cat 1 319130 Not sure what "non-vegan" implies. What animal product do consume? Or, do you wear leather while dining? If you are around the Fairfax area, Eat-A-Pita will offer chicken, shwarema and falafel. It's very casual patio dining. Link: http://home.pacbell.net/dagravy/html/eap.html Wed May 19 10:43:02 -0700 2004 319128 0 Curt 1 319137 Shamshiri Grill 1712 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles 90024 310-474-1410 This place has had quite a few good rec's posted about it over the years for Persian food. Also a place in Santa Monica called Sham, 716 Santa Monica Blvd - (310) 393-2913 has gotten good postings. Wed May 19 10:56:02 -0700 2004 319128 0 WLA 1 319177 If you don't mind a lack of high-end atmosphere, you should check out the little Lebanese family joint Sunin in Westwood. Absolutely wonderful stuff, and they have plenty of vegetarian mezzes (not vegan). If there is a meat eater in your party who loves garlic, try the chicken kabob. It comes with an incredible garlic sauce. I haven't tried anything there that wasn't amazing. Prices are good and the service is very warm and friendly. If you were feeling cultural, afterwards you could head up the street to the Armand Hammer museum on the corner of Wilshire and Westwood. Sunin 1779 Westwood Boulevard (cross street Santa Monica Boulevard) (310) 477-2358 Wed May 19 13:54:01 -0700 2004 319128 0 LAmonkeygirl 2 319192 Thank you for all of the great recommendations! Sorry, I meant that I wasn't strictly vegan. No confusion intended :) Wed May 19 14:43:58 -0700 2004 319177 0 Cat 3 319225 My confusion comes from not being strict vegetarian, eating no meat or animal products. From there, people head off into ovo, lacto, pesco, I-only-eat-chicken "vegetarian". Many "avoid" animal products for health. "Vegan" is more of a "consciousness" and goes beyond diet. I was curious as to what you do/don't eat. Wed May 19 17:39:19 -0700 2004 319192 0 Curt 1 319196 My fave (and this is idiosyncratic) is Shahrzad on Westwood Blvd in the 1400 block, east side of the street. suggestions - kashk-e bademjan appetizer (hot eggplant with kashk - a type of whey cheesy thing), shirazi salad, the BREAD is great (made onsite in Persian tandir), fesenjan, the polos are wonderful, my fave is the estamboli polo, but the ones with sour cherries or barberries, zereshk, albalo, shirin (?) polo etc. If you like tahdig, it's pretty good here. I'm not a fan of the crunchy crunchy rice although others here are, esp. in re the dat sol (?) bibim bahp, stone bowl rice. Dugh comes in homemade and bottled carbonated forms. Mexican? Try La Playita (if you're in santa monica) or Juqulia, I like ONLY the serenata de garibaldi downtown, and detest the one on the westside. El Taurinio on HOover and 11th has good atole and tacos. The ladies at the sw corner of 8th and irolo (esp on the weekends) sell excellent tamales and alole and champurrado - across the street is a good gueleguetza oaxacan food. I even like Bronco in thevalley at Woodman and Moorpark for some seafood and excellent antojitos, and of course by fave, El Jerezano on Hazeltine just south of Burbank in Van nuys/sherman oaks, has a very good menudo Fri-Mon. Have fun. (Gallo giro, pollo a la brasa, india bonita, all good places - tepayec for burritos) Wed May 19 15:03:28 -0700 2004 319128 0 jerome