west L.A.

[msbksleuth]

My brother is coming to visit. I was thinking of taking him to the Fig and Olive for lunch.
Any other suggestions?
Maybe a very nice but less pricey place.

[latindancer]

Plan Check on Sawtelle. The price is right and the food is outstanding.

[wienermobile]

I'll second that. The Pastrami nosh is one great sandwich and their Fried Chicken is outstanding.

[Dirtywextraolives]

I believe you were third. ;0))
The burgers are delicious too, but my favorite is the butter lettuce salad. I crave it now.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Sotto
Sonoma Wine Garden, in Santa Monica Place
Plan Check

[nosh]

Wilshire is a really nice restaurant on Wilshire about 25th in Santa Monica near the WLA border. If you can't get street parking they have valet. Their back patio space is wonderful for a pleasant weather day lunch. Their food is consistent and some dishes are great. They have a $28 3-course prix fixe advertised on their website lunch menu, and their regular lunch menu, with entrees in the low $20s, also fits the OP price point. Full bar.

My other recommendation, with a shared pizza from the woodburning oven, a salad, hopefully the pork belly, a veggie dish or two, and definitely the butterscotch pot de creme, is Gjelina on Abbott Kinney in Venice. Hopefully you can snag a table on the back patio, but the main room is sunny at lunch.

[msbksleuth]

thanks
Gjelina...the pod de creme got me! sounds good

[nosh]

Gjelina is my favorite SoCal restaurant the last few years. Note they will not modify dishes, but it is a large menu. I'd avoid the sandwiches at lunch. My favorite pizza is the lamb sausage. Split a salad, a veggie dish, and a small plate -- hopefully the pork belly. Definitely the butterscotch pot de creme for dessert. Probably too much food for two people...

[BSW6490]

The patio at Ivy.

[maudies5]

The patio at Lucques.

[westsidegal]

i don't see Lucques coming in anywhere near budget.
it seems to me that, Lucques will come in at about $100/pp for three courses and wine.

<<We will be having appetizers, entrees, dessert and wine.>>

[maudies5]

Lucques won't even come close to $100.00 pp for lunch.
Here is the lunch menu:
http://lucques.com/lunch.html

[westsidegal]

you're right about the food.
depends on the wine ordered.
also, i had assumed, incorrectly, that the budgeted amount was inclusive of tax and tip. (two hours ago mabksleuth specified that the number did NOT include the tax and tip).

this incorrect assumption blew my calculation out of the water. . . .
my bad.

[westsidegal]

BSW6490:
three courses plus wine at the Ivy is not going to come in anywhere near the $50/pp budget.

<<We will be having appetizers, entrees, dessert and wine.>>

[BSW6490]

I was thinking of a nice salad, a shared pizza and an Ivy Gimlet, but thats me.

[westsidegal]

it would help if you gave us some specific budgetary guidelines as well as geographic guidelines.

[msbksleuth]

something in the range of cafe Bizou. We will be having appetizers, entrees, dessert and wine.
Trying to get by for around $50. per person. there are 4 of us.

[westsidegal]

including tax and tip?

[msbksleuth]

no.

[PeterCC]

That is a very open-ended question. What kind of cuisine does your brother like? Fig and Olive is in West Hollywood, which I wouldn't personally consider West L.A. What are your geographic preferences more specifically?

[BSW6490]

IMO the service at Fig and Olive is reprehensible. I know several others that share that opinion.

[msbksleuth]

sorry about that!
He likes continental. California cuisine. Thai.
West. L.A, Marina del rey, Pasadena, santa monica

[wienermobile]

Gjelina in Venice for great California cuisine.
http://www.gjelina.com

[PeterCC]

You beat WSG to this rec. :-)

[PeterCC]

Didn't realize Pasadena was in WLA. ;-) Just kidding. Is lunch a requirement?

FIG at Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica. Everything's 50% off between 5 PM and 6 PM ("FIG at Five") if lunch is not a requirement, but good lunch options too. FARMSHOP in SM too. Both are somewhat less pricey than Fig and Olive at least as I compare the cost of entrees.

For Thai, Ekkamai or Thai Boom.