had some super fresh oysters at Oyster House in Studio City the other night. $10/half dozen.
Can't recommend the rest of their food, though.

Yes, Mrs. Winston's.
Love that I don't have to source, store, clean and prep all those vegetables myself.

I used to love the macho salad at Bandera's as well. Again, not exactly a health dish, but hits the spot in the evening hours.

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Bandera
11704 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

When I l worked in Sweden, the locals told me they eat surströmming because the smell keeps people from coming around and asking for some of your vodka.

As far as their food goes, my recommendation is to enjoy the music. :-)

Make that 2 outliers. Service is usually good at the bar but have sat at the little tables in the bar area several times and never had what I would call satisfyingly attentive service.
Gotta love those flatbreads, though.

La Barca!
Cheap, good margaritas and a happy hour. Student tested and approved. :-)

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La Barca
2414 S Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90007

I teach music.
I think walk is the operative word. Staples Center is driving distance and even though the SC tram runs there, students go mostly for a movie, not to eat, too expensive as you say.

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Staples Center
1111 S Figueroa St Ste 3100, Los Angeles, CA 90015

So is La Flor Blanca on Jefferson near USC the original one?
It's the only place I've ever had pupusas but I think they are fabulous.

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La Flor Blanca Restaurant
4400 S Broadway Ste 105, Los Angeles, CA 90037

Also at Cloverfield is a good meat guy, local grass-fed beef. But he's not there every week.
I've deserted the sceney FMs for either Saturday at Cloverfield or Sundays in Mar Vista.

I was wondering why so many people come into Bandera with their own wine. They just didn't all look like serious oenophiles.

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Bandera
11704 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Cafe Bustelo - One cup and you want to start a revolution

Those are big ones! Glad you liked it.

Malibu Seafood. Steamed only and not cheap. I'm from New England and blanch at the prices so can't imagine what a Mainiac would think.

Near USC:
Bacaro wine bar.

La Flor Blanca - awesome, authentic and cheap pupusas. Just a block from campus.

Manas Indian Restaurant - 2 blks from campus. Good, well-spiced Indian.

There are food trucks at Jefferson/McClintock but not as many as during fall/spring.

In the food court of University Village mall across from campus, the Health Hut makes huge, inexpensive salads with tons of fresh vegetables and white meat chicken. Also fresh fruit and vegetable juices. My go-to lunch option when in a hurry.

Can you tell I teach at SC? Food options used to be really sad, now, not so much.

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Health Hut
3333 S Hoover St, Los Angeles, CA 90007

La Flor Blanca Restaurant
4400 S Broadway Ste 105, Los Angeles, CA 90037

Pitfire Pizza keeps chili olive oil on the tables.

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Pitfire Pizza
108 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Oops, just checked, my bad.

The Lobster's bar is pretty open and has a great view of the ocean.

LOL! I knew it!
Just had some and really, no different from Strauss from WF except cheaper of course.

Totally - Even the labels are similar. Taste the same too. I buy either or, love Strauss, faux or no.

Is that in the old Violet space?

Checked out Upper West Friday night. Beautiful remodel, I hope that they can beat the curse of the location.

Ate at the bar, made happy hour so got a great $6 cucumber martini. Tasty and generously sized.

Fried calamari from bar menu were good - crisp, good-sized portion sitting on top of some sort of too-sweet marinara sauce. By 2nd martini, was able to ignore the sweetness.

My friend and I shared a spinach salad and sea bass. Disappointing. Salad had too much vinegar and the sea bass tasted old and undercooked. It takes real talent to make undercooked fish taste both rubbery and dry. The mashed potatoes the fish sat on were tasty but for $22 for the plate - ouch.

The kicker was, they don't serve bread? We asked for it and the bartender said they didn't have that but they had potato chips. ??? Okay... the chips were great but a little weird to be eating with an entree.

I live pretty close so I could see going back for drinks and appies but will probably not order from the main menu again.

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Upper West
3321 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404

Good-sized chunks of meat fresh enough to taste sweet/briny, lightly dressed in mayo, salt, pepper and a little celery, heaped in a hot dog roll.

Hey, you don't find great mexican in every little town in New England so we have to let them have their superior lobster rolls.

They have them at the UCLA blood bank and, while not the greatest, hit the spot when you've just donated a pint.

You can get a burger on salad at the Arsenal, too. With a dry vodka martini, it's a fairly low-calorie meal. That's what I tell myself, anyway.

And that would be every night since there's a band 7 nights/week. :-)

Normally, their thalis can' be beat but I've gone there fairly late (for them) and stuff tastes a little cold and left out too long.

I find the preparation inconsistent - when it's busy, the fish is overcooked. When it's quiet, it's fine. Although the fries are rarely good.
Malibu Seafood much more consistent quality.

As Tom himself said in his ads, "It's a bee-yoo-tiful product".

Close to USC! Oh joy.