L'Escargot and Quo Vadis both look good to me. Which do you think would be more casual - that is, where would I stick out less as a solo female diner on a Saturday night?

I was about to post nearly the identical request - I'm staying in Piccadilly Circus for 24 hours and need someplace close where I can eat solo on a Saturday night without feeling too weird about it. When I made this same stopover 2 years ago Chowhounders sent me to Bocca di Lupo on Archer Street, where I sat at the bar and had an excellent meal without too much fuss; I might go back there, but would love to try somewhere new...

Just curious, what's wrong with the Moana management? I picked the Moana over the Royal Hawaiian because I've generally had good experiences at Westin hotels, but would love to know if there's something I should watch out for.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Sorry, just saw the earlier thread, so feel free to ignore my Thanksgiving question, but still curious about only-in-Hawaii joints that would satisfy two non-seafood-eaters, one adventurous and one not.

My mom and I are going to be staying at the Moana Surfrider for Thanksgiving weekend. Neither of us eat seafood; I'm otherwise a pretty adventurous diner, but my mom's a roast-chicken-or-steak kind of gal. So two questions: 1) What's our best bet for a restaurant serving Thanksgiving dinner? We want someplace that feels a little special-occasiony, but not overly formal. 2) We have two other nights in town - what are the restaurants you suggest we try? Looking especially for places with an only-in-Hawaii vibe or neighborhood-y feel, not places that could be airlifted into LA or Boston without missing a step. We're flexible on price.

Any guidance appreciated!

Thanks for the tips!

I've seen various posts on eating in Istanbul, but can anyone point me towards the places that are the friendliest/most user-friendly for a solo female diner?

(FYI, for the first half of my trip I'll be staying near Sultanahmet, the second half near Taksim Square.)

I'm spending a weekend in Portland, and need suggestions for two restaurants for dinner. Here are the criteria: 1) I'm traveling with my mom, an incredibly picky eater who gravitates towards bland basics like roast chicken and steak, though my palate likes things that are a little more adventurous, 2) we're staying in downtown Portland, near Pioneer Square, and won't have a car, so we need places that are easy to get to from that area by public transportation or taxi, 3) no seafood/sushi joints, 4) flexible on price - we're from NY/LA and so are kind of inured to spendy joints.

What restaurants meet those guidelines and serve creative, quality food that won't scare away a timid diner? Any help appreciated!

Any input on Saxon & Parole, which looks intriguing?

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Saxon + Parole
316 Bowery, New York, NY 10012

No specifics in mind, and it's just the two of us. I don't live in the city anymore, but the friend I'm meeting - who actually does live there - still relies on me to introduce her to cool new restaurants. The Redhead's no-rez policy is a nonstarter for us, but Kafana looks interesting...

I'd like to keep entrees under $30. Was thinking of maxing out at $70 pp w/ 3 courses and one glass of wine, including tip.

Looking for tasty creative food anywhere between Gramercy and the LES. Here are the rules: no seafood-centric menus, and it needs to be possible to get a table on a Saturday night (12/17). Fave restaurants in the area are Momofuku Ssam, Perbacco, and Union Square Cafe, but looking to try something new. Suggestions, anyone?

Playing hostess to friends in from out of town with a toddler in tow - we're looking for a tasty restaurant in Beverly Hills/West Hollywood/Mid-City that has creative food but won't look askance at a baby. I'm single and generally AVOID kid-friendly restaurants, so I have no idea where to go. Help! (BTW, we're flexible on budget - nothing super-spendy, but mid-range stuff a la Animal/AOC would work.)

It's not Midtown but for years Union Square Cafe has been my go-to (when I worked at the MetLife building it was just a few minutes away on the 4/5). The food's always good and occasionally great; the bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable; and I've always had interesting conversations with other solo diners when I've eaten at the bar, for either lunch or dinner.

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Union Square Cafe
21 East 16th St., New York, NY 10003

I live in LA but I'm from NYC, and get back there a couple of times a year. I'm meeting a friend for dinner on a Sunday night, and would like to try someplace that's opened in the last year or so. Ideally, it'll be on the East Side, 23rd St or below. No seafood joints, no steak places, but otherwise totally open in terms of type of cuisine, and pretty flexible on price (though I obviously don't want to spend, like, Per Se money). It would be nice if it had kind of a casual-chic vibe along the lines of Perbacco or Momofuku Ssam. So, anyone have any ideas?

Both Hamersley's and Rendezvous look very mom-friendly... Thanks again to all you Chowhounders for the tips!

As the title says, I'm spending next weekend in Boston with my mom, and am looking for restaurant recommendations. One night she wants to go to a North End Italian, so I booked a table for Mamma Maria. But I don't know where to go on the other night. My mother is a very, very picky eater - not the least bit adventurous, and prone to just zeroing in on whatever on the menu is closest to a plain roasted chicken. On the other hand, I like my food to be a little more creative. Can anyone recommend a restaurant that'll satisfy both of us? Additional considerations: because we're already set for Mamma Maria's, I'm not looking for anyplace Italian; and neither of us eat seafood. Also, we're staying in the Back Bay, but wouldn't mind taking a taxi to another part of the city if the food's worth it. Any help appreciated!

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Mamma Maria Restaurant
3 North Sq, Boston, MA 02113

I ended up sitting at the bar at Bocca di Lupo - that was a good suggestion. Thanks!

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Bocca di Lupo
12 Archer St, London, England W1D 7, GB

Damn, I was worried that there wouldn't be a lot of good options, but now it looks like I have too many to choose from! You Chowhounders are making me wish I had another couple of days in London...

Sounds tasty - I'll check it out, too...

Haven't tried Syrup yet, but thanks for the suggestion!

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions! (And I know Wagamama ain't great, but I get nostalgic for it from my student days - plus, they really do have good edamame most of the time...)

Susina makes great pies. At work we had an office competition to find the best apple pie in LA (don't ask, it really was for legit work purposes), and the Susina apple pie won hands down. Second place was the Apple Pan.

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Apple Pan
10801 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

The Liege waffles at Shaky Alibi are great - their gruyere-and-ham waffle is the perfect combo of savory and sweet. For more traditional waffles, I love the strawberries-and-cream waffle at the Griddle when berries are in season (they sometimes go a little overboard on the sour cream topping, but it's easy to scrape off).

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Shaky Alibi
7401 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

I have a 24-hour layover in London in a couple of weeks and will be staying at the Meridien in Piccadilly. I'm looking for a tasty, not-too-expensive place to get a good dinner - this will be my one decent meal sandwiched between two long-haul flights. I also want someplace where I won't feel self-conscious as a solo diner on a Saturday night. Any ideas? (I know Wagamama's an option, but I'd like to try someplace new.)

I need a dinner joint on the East Side, preferably near Gramercy... I used to live in the city and ate my way through the east side but now only get back a few weeks a year, so I'd like to try someplace that opened up in the last couple of years. Thing is, it can't be Italian or seafood/sushi-oriented (the no-Italian rule is my dining companion's preference, the no-seafood thing is mine). We're pretty flexible on price - nothing Per Se-level, but we'll get spendy for something that's really worth it. Any ideas? If there's nothing in Gramercy, we'd be willing to venture up north to midtown east or down to the East Village.

Thank you!

I'm going to be in town - solo - for business Sunday night, and am looking for a good dinner place to get a late-ish dinner close to the Trump Hotel. Ideally, someplace with tasty food and a cozy bar area designed for eating - like Union Square Cafe in New York. Any suggestions?

I live in LA, but I'm coming into NoVa to take my mom out for a 65th birthday dinner. I'm looking for someplace within 40 minutes of Reston, rather than the city. My mom's the kind of gal who generally just orders whatever on the menu looks most like plain roast chicken, but she'll still want someplace with a "special occasion" vibe for the evening. Normally we'd go to L'Auberge Chez Francois, but they're closed on Mondays, which is when her birthday is. So any suggestions for a conservative eater who still wants to feel like dinner is a special event? Given the importance of the birthday, I'll splurge on the bill, so price isn't too much of an object.

Thanks for any help!