I love their tiramisu and their mango mousse.

Over $25:
Spago
Palate Food+Wine
Animal
Church and State
Providence

Under $25:
Park's BBQ
Langers
Umami Burger
Carousel
Ham Ji Park

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Park's BBQ
955 S. Vermont Ave, Suite G, Los Angeles, CA 90006

Providence
5955 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Spago
176 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Langer's Delicatessen
704 S Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Carousel Restaurant
304 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203

Palate Food & Wine
933 South Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204

Animal
435 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Umami Burger
850 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Church & State
1850 Industrial Street, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Ham Ji Park
3407 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020

Someone in front of us ordered the beef ribs and they looked positively Flinstonean! Hopefully, BigMista's will put them into regular rotation--though I'd be hard-pressed to stay away from their pork ribs. We got a taste of the smoked chicken too. Very tender and juicy. Looks like we'll have to expand beyond our standing order of pork ribs, brisket, greens and beans (oh, and the mac & cheese when the Mrs. makes 'em).

Great cold/hangover food--restorative stuff. Here's the link for the place.

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Mountain Cafe
3064 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005

I was just looking online for some options! Bottega Louie, which has gotten some love on this board, is open for lunch.

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Bottega Louie
700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017

I second the burger at The Oinkster.

Also, the cheeseburgers at Clancy's Crab Broiler are fantastic. Went there on a recommendation from mrshankly and was really pleasantly surprised. We usually sit in the bar area, watch the game and enjoy the meaty, cheesy goodness.

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Clancy's Crab Broiler
219 N Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91203

I absolutely love the bolognese at Madeo. I always have a hard time deciding between that and the bottarga. Very rich but oh, so good.

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Madeo Restaurant
8897 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Tried to link but that function isn't working.

4566 W Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90016

Though if you do a search on here, you'll find plenty of reviews.

Are you talking about Ondal 2? If so, it is really good.

I don't remember them having mac and cheese as a side. I remember BBQ beans, greens, pineapple slaw and maybe potato salad.

I made sure to get there by 11:00 at the latest today. Their ribs are just amazing. And the whole crew is so friendly. I'll be hard-pressed to stay away from them and their goodness next week!

The spicy chicken wings at Prince really are. Very spicy and garlicky!

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The Prince
3198 W Seventh St, Los Angeles, CA 90005

SNL featured a hilarious parody of the Whopper Virgin ads on last night's episode (hosted by Neil Patrick Harris). Looked for it on the official NBC site and Hulu but it hasn't posted yet. Here's a link to the skit on youtube. The quality is pretty awful and the picture is cut off on the right, but you'll get the gist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk4lma...

When we were there, we stuck to bar snacks--deviled eggs, fries, chicken wings and the like--and they were good as far as standard fare goes. Not "blow my mind" good but after a few cocktails, I wasn't complaining. What did blow my mind, however, was the space. It is just beautiful.

Maybe other hounds who have actually dined there can chime in.

How about The Edison? A friend had a birthday gathering there and it was great. There were only about 15-20 of us, so we didn't really make arrangements ahead of time. Maybe they'd be able to arrange something private for you and your party.

http://www.edisondowntown.com/

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The Edison
108 W 2nd St Apt 104, Los Angeles, CA 90012

We live fairly close to Nishi-ya, but even if we didn't, I'd like to think we would still frequent it (else that would mean we dined there as a matter of convenience, rather than chow-worthy fare!). I definitely prefer it to Nozawa. I haven't made it to Sushi Zo yet but it is on my list of places to hit this coming year.

We never brought in wine or ordered off the menu, but Shige-san would give us the occasional complimentary glass if the mood struck him. The first time he did so was after he told us about going to auctions to find wine and then showing us his menu/notebook/album. I pled ignorance regarding sushi and wine, and he was happy to oblige. There was one particularly big Bordeaux that was amazing, but I didn't think to write it down (nor did I think I'd be able to track it down at an auction/afford it).

We got foie gras once, eggplant parmesan another time, some sort of braised fish (almost like a stew) another. And desserts mostly consisted of various fruit tarts.

Hmm, I think maybe a return trip might be in order.

Love those Sapp noodles!

Though, I'm a day late and a dollar short, I love the Bo Kho at Mien Nghia in Chinatown.

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Mien Nghia Restaurant
304 Ord St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. How disappointing.

My husband and I used to frequent Shibucho a few years back when we lived close by. Shige-san was cordial but somewhat aloof and formal the first time we went. But we found it endearing how he'd present something and without fail, very carefully, usually out of the corner of his eye, watch our reaction. When we would react accordingly, with effusive praise or eye-rolling ecstasy (all sincere, never feigned), he would break out into a smile that seemed to transform his usually gruff visage into one of a delighted schoolboy!

The second time we went, he remembered us and became a bit more adventurous in his offerings. By the third time, it seemed like we had "proven" ourselves and were deemed worthy of being treated as regulars. We returned, maybe, five or six more times after that. The food was always spot-on, fresh and delicious. Shige-san was delightful (seriously) with a dry sense of humor we really responded to. We're pretty healthy eaters and I think we usually averaged $150-200 for the both of us. One blow-out birthday meal may have crept toward the $300 mark.

On the other hand, the female half of our closest friends and kindred spirits in food, hates Shige with a passion and has never returned after getting into an argument with him the first time they went--I think a year prior to our first time.

Interestingly enough, once we moved out of the area two years ago, we have yet to return. I couldn't tell you why. And after reading through this thread, maybe it's better for us to keep our good memories of Shibucho intact. Though, I still think about the ankimo.

Now days, we are regulars at Nishi-ya on the border of Glendale and Burbank. We've never had a bad experience there and, best of all, we never had to earn Kenji-san's approval. :-) Curious to know if you have tried Nishi-ya and what you think of it.

Great write-up, Abby (love your blog too). I've always been a proponent of Sokongdong but I have to confess, it's probably been a good ten years since I've been to Beverly Soon Tofu. Thinking the weather is a perfect excuse to try them out again. Thanks for the inspiration!

Mario's Deli has wonderful sandwiches. Though, if you are pressed for time, it would be best to call ahead. Their website includes a menu.

http://mariosdeli.com/

Porto's has great sandwiches, potato balls, meat pies, pastries, etc.

There is a plethora of wonderful Persian, Lebanese, Armenian cuisine to choose from. A quick search on the board will give you an idea of what hounds think are the best. I'm partial to Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine.

Haven't tried the new Tofu Village on Brand yet, but the K-town one is pretty decent. There's a little Korean restaurant in HK Market on Pacific. I don't know its name, but it's in the front, right next to the bakery. They make really good kalbi tang (beef short rib soup).

Sushi for me means one place: Sushi Nishi-ya on Western. It's on the border of Glendale and Burbank, but you won't regret the drive once you taste the quality of their fish. Be warned, it's omakase only.

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Mario's Italian Deli & Catering
740 E Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205

Elena Greek Armenian Cuisine
1000 S Glendale Ave, Glendale, CA 91205

Porto's Bakery
315 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203

H K Market
831 N Pacific Ave, Glendale, CA 91203

Nishi-Ya
1712 Victory Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201

Tofu Village
126 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203

Well, I would recommend Palate Food + Wine for the food and price range. It's on Brand, fairly close to Los Feliz Blvd., so you'd be in good shape. I don't know what time the Lights Festival starts, but I know Palate starts their dinner service at 5:30. As for it being romantic, I guess it's in the eye of the beholder. It's not romantic, per se, (though they do have candles and candelabras aplenty) but my husband and I have had plenty of romantic dinners there.

There's also Canele in Atwater Village. Great food, nice ambience, very cozy, fairly close to Griffith Park. But maybe not super-high on the romance meter. For me good food and drink + husband = romance, so I might not be the best judge of what's "romantic."

I'm sure other hounds will weigh in. Have a great time!

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Canele
3219 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039

Palate Food & Wine
933 South Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204

Piattini = small plates

Thank you for continuing this tradition, Maxzook.

Over $25

1) Spago
2) Palate
3) Providence
4) Madeo
5) Osteria Mozza

Under $25
1) Park's BBQ
2) Polka
3) Carnitas Michaocan
4) Langers
5) Makkah Halah

We had the goat confit this past Saturday and it was fantastic, as was the ribe-eye. Our vegetarian friend was more than happy with the celeriac soup followed by the squash.

We also sampled the Domaine Allimant-Laugner Cremant D'Alsace and ended up buying three bottles of it!

Don't know if this should be posted in Food Media and News instead....

Kudos to Chef Bercerra and his crew. We feel so fortunate to have Palate nearby. Since we rarely think ahead to make reservations, we usually walk in and have dinner at the bar. We happened to be there the day S.I.V.'s review came out and the phone lines were ringing off the hook. Hope this doesn't make snagging a seat at the bar more difficult.

http://www.esquire.com/features/new-r...

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Palate Food & Wine
933 South Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204

7. is San (Korean for "mountain") and you're absolutely right about their samgyetang. It is an elixir.

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Mountain Cafe
3064 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005

I really like their Bistecca alla Fiorentina. You can order for one, or get the bone-in cut for two.

Both the bottarga and the bolognese pasta are fantastic.

What a wonderful review, exilekiss! We were just there a couple nights ago but reading your review makes me want to return immediately! Thank you for a lovely read.

We love Palate and feel so fortunate to have something of this caliber close by. We've been averaging once a week since they opened their doors and have yet to be disappointed. Plus, the fact that their menu is constantly evolving, makes every visit fresh and exciting. While the pork belly and chicken (as well as a beef dish, usually skirt steak or short ribs) are staples, the accompanying sides and sauces are rarely the same. And I love it when they turn the lights down and bring out the tealights and candelabra later in the evening.

Oh, and Ryan is absolutely our favorite server as well.

We were there last night as well, Clare, and had yet another amazing dinner. We had the scallops, squash blossoms and gnocchi to start. All were perfectly cooked and sauced. We shamelessly sopped up extra sauce with the bread. In addition to the barracuda, we also ordered the canard and the pork belly. All three were winners. Our table was a flurry of activity, swapping plates, sharing bites, trading this for that. Last night was our fourth time there and I have a feeling there will be many more visits!