Sadly, Sammy's Woodfire's pizza is really not very good. Surprisingly, Tower pizza is pretty much the best you can do in Westchester. Unless you like CPK's "creative" pizzas, then Good Pizza does much superior versions. Speaking of CPK, I suggest all the haters try their Sicilian thincrust, well done. Really, really delicious -- even to this East Coast transplant.

Eastside Market downtown has its own charms. Largely limited to a sandwich menu (pasta available on Tu & Th), its pastrami won't make you forget Langer's any time soon -- it's somewhere btwn L's & Johnnie's. But the #7, an addictive mix of pastrami, roast beef & cheese, is worth the drive.

http://www.esmdeli.com/

The sublimely juicy patty melt at Fiddler's Bistro on 3rd has replaced Pann's as #1 in the Grubman's meatcentric heart.

Booyah. Grubs' current go-tos: spring lamb & three little piggies (not on menu, but available)

• Langer’s pastrami (a cappella)
• Mendocino Farms’ Three Little Pigs
• Houston’s French Dip
• Eastside Market’s #7 (roast beef/pastrami)
• Le Saint Amour’s Croque Madame

Yea, baby.

Esposa's choice & of course I am.

Ricky's melt had lotsa cheese & a proper patty. Only downside was it was grilled on really crappy wheat bread instead of good rye.

Happy to report we survived our Hotel Circle week. Thx one & all for your counsel. The pizza at Arriverderci was excellent. Nice East Coast crust, tasty tomato sauce, fresh generous toppings. Mozzarella kinda blah.

Bay Park Fish is a real gem. Steamers absolutely rock (in fact, we had to return for a 2d visit contrary to all Grubrules cuz Mrs G had to have her own bowl). Grilled halibut splendid & the 17-yr-old grandgrub loved his fish n chips.

What can you say about Albie’s? Button naugahyde! Gold-marbled mirrors! Nekked-lady paintings! Groaning happy hour munchies! Mutant carrots! & meat! Meat! Meat! Both prime rib eaters very happy. The Grubman’s sirloin very tasty if kinda, well, tiny. & the 17-yr-old inhaled his also-tiny filet in about 10 seconds.

Perry’s Coffee House is a roadside treasure. Bacon, eggs & righteous pecan waffle. Mmmm. Ricky's on Hotel Circle South actually turned out a marvelous club sandwich & a passable patty melt.

The grandgrub was selected mvp of his baseball tournament & wanted ribs to celebrate. Discovered line at Phil’s stretched to Point Loma, so he lobbied successfully for Chili’s. Ugh. Less said is best.

Oh, yes. Waterfront’s is a dive-bar burger at its best.

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Point Loma Cafe
4856 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92106

The fetching Mrs Grub & I are making an all-too-rare visit to the city from LA as an anniversary treat to ourselves. We’re staying at the Four Seasons & need recommendations in SoMa or a short cab ride away. I’ve searched the board & admit to feeling a bit confused & a lot out of touch w the SF dining scene. We need 5 days worth of lunches & dinners. All price ranges are ok … we’re all about the food & not about the scene.

Tadich Grill & Fleur de Lys are on our radar, but not much beyond that. Pls help Grubs in distress.

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Tadich Grill
240 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111

Four Seasons Restaurant
1163 S De Anza Blvd, San Jose, CA 95129

In case you missed it, Bernard Manzke, late of Church & State, is now in residence at Le Saint Amour in Culver City. This estimable brasserie now boasts the #1 pate & #2 sausage maker in the city -- Bruno Herve-Commereuc -- & the #1 sausage & #2 pate maker -- Manzke -- in the same kitchen. Charcuterie platter is smaller & pricier than Bruno's halcyon Angelique Cafe days, but still rocks the taste buds.

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

Le Saint Amour
9725 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Thx, Chick. Spot on.

The fetching Mrs Grub & I have apparently angered the gods & have been sentenced to spend (almost) a week at a fine Hotel Circle establishment. Pls provide some 411 on reasonably close restos where we can enjoy chow w a relatively high degree of deliciousness. No harbor, downtown, Mission Bay, beaches, or La Jolla please but Old Town, Hillcrest, & Little Italy will work. Thx.

The desert princess herself, the fetching Mrs Grub, & I will be spending next week at beautiful Horizon High School for a baseball tournament. Need good food/good value places for both lunch & dinner in or around Scottsdale (we have wheels). Most any cuisine w exception of Mexican & Chinese (we're Los Angelenos). Also prelim research indicates Vincent on Camelback may be the best choice for a spluge. Any & all recs welcome. Thx.

Good call, EB. Add the Grubs to the list of Fiddler's cognoscenti. Terrific um-I-don't-know-where-do-you-want-to-go? bkfst or lunch spot. Bkfst corned beef hash, benedict & pancakes are excellent. Among Greek specialities, the lamburger (I'm experiencing salivation even as I type) & salad are outstanding. If grazing w friends, the hummus platter is a good way to go. Adding to the fetching Mrs Grub's joy -- choices of sparkling wines!

Thot Masala Magic had closed. Anyone confirm or deny???

For years the ol’ Gruboni has extolled the wonderfulity of Pane e Vino’s bistecca Fiorentina. Prompted by this thread, the fetching Signora Gruboni & I dined at PeV the other nite after a too-long absence. In past, only Mr G has indulged in the beefy brilliance. This time, la signora & I shared the 32-oz bone-in ribeye Fiorentina with the usual result – the best steak in the city. Really.

Rubbed w a few simple herbs (thyme, rosemary?) & oil, cooked perfectly to our taste & served w/o ceremony tableside, it’s a steak lover’s dream come true. Accompanied by bright, fresh steamed spinach w garlic & by sliced potatoes & onions, this would be a bargain at $150; at $72, it’s a freakin’ steal.

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Pane e Vino
8265 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048

The fetching Mrs Grub & the ol’ Grubber himself just returned from a lovely getaway in Solvang (Yep, you read right, Solvang.) After years of periodic visits to the vineyards & serenity, we this time discovered that you can actually find Chow-worthy restos beyond the requisite wood-grilled beef-gorging at the Hitching Post II.

The Mirabelle Restaurant would be outstanding anywhere. In Solvang, it is soaring. Chef Norbert Schulz painstakingly presents delicious but not overwrought French dishes, some w German notes. Menu changes regularly depending on best ingredients available. NB: open Th – Sat only. Lovely room, blessed quiet, & attentive, non-intrusive service. Not to be missed. & if you stay there, you get an amazing included full breakfast.

Outstanding choice #3 is Bradley Ogden’s Root 246. Big, modern, yet friendly & laid back, the food is consistently & carefully prepared, with nothing but the freshest of ingredients. Inexpensive for Vegas, but dear for Solvang, Root 246 will not disappoint. BO’s signature bleu cheese soufflé, for instance, is the stuff of dreams. BO lives nearby in Buellton & when he is in the kitchen, he welcomes a cook’s table.

All three of the above offer splendid wine lists, featuring, of course, local wines. HP’s own label is damn good & Mirabelle & Root 246’s lists reveal great care in their selections.

Passing note or 2: DON’T be drawn into the Brothers Restaurant at Mattei’s Tavern unless is simply for an off-hours drink in the rustic setting. The food is solidly average & overpriced & the service is absolutely atrocious. DO stop for breakfast at Paula’s. When in Solvang a fix of Scandinavian pancakes or abelskivver is mandatory & Paula’s does it best.

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Hitching Post II Restaurant
406 East Highway 246, Buellton, CA

Root 246
420 Alisal Road, Solvang, CA 93463

Peruvian is the Grubman’s 2d favorite cuisine. Here’s my take:

Los Balcones offers the best overall Peruvian experience, esp for 4 or more grazers at a time.
Mario’s chupe de camarones is the best P dish anywhere outside of Lima.
El Pollo Inka’s roasted chicken is pretty wonderful if you are lost & alone in Lawndale.
Mo-Chica to go rocks the takeout category.

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El Pollo Inka
15400 Hawthorne Blvd, Lawndale, CA 90260

Mo-Chica
3655 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90007

At the risk of being like the skunk at the company picnic, the Grubs have had the misfortune to eat at George's (a fav of the Culver City branch of the family) many -- far too many -- times. Having worked our way thru much of the menu seeking a hidden delight, sadly -- there are none. Food consistently runs the gamut from mediocre to awful to inedible. Even the Korean "specialties" are far, far too dumbed down. We've taken to ordering juice & toast.

Over $25
Providence – perfection on a plate
Drago Centro – outstanding tasting menu
Lucques – comfort, sophistication, flavor
Jar – steakhouse for epicures
Babita – Roberto elevates Mex cuisine

Under $25
Langer’s – pastrami nirvana
Pollo ala Brasa – best chicken on earth (seriously)
Maria’s Seafood (GCM) – fish tacos & more
Tommy’s (Bev/Rampart) – slurpin’ great burger
Oki Dog – yeah, yeah, I know. just because.

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Oki Dog
860 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Lucques
8474 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90069

Drago Centro
525 S. Flower St., Suite 120, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Soot Bull Jeep
Langers
Noshi Sushi
Oki Dog
Spago
Guelaguetza (Olympic)
Sea Harbour
Taylor’s
Quality Seafood
Babita

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Spago
176 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Soot Bull Jeep
3136 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005

Oki Dog
860 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Quality Seafood
130 International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach, CA

Noshi Sushi
4430 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004

Best steak the Grubs have enjoyed in LA is at Pane e Vino. The bistecca alla
Fiorentina is big, juicy & blasting with flavor. Warm, dark, moderately noisy Italian where, if you want to up the romance level, you can also share their steak for 2 -- usually chateaubriand. Big spousal points available.

May the Grubman be so bold as to suggest the ultimate LA hot dog, the oki dog. This unforgettable paean to gluttony is whomped up at the Oki Dog stand on Pico, a bit west of La Brea. The grill man starts w two large tortillas on the hot grill to which he adds: two halved & grilled hot dogs of unknown provenance, a clunk of pastrami, a wad of chili (think Tommy's), a couple of his best American cheese singles, a plop of mustard, & a few pickles. Wraps 'er all up like a burrito & slides it your way. It is at once a monument to Tums & a streetfood culinary masterpiece.

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Oki Dog
5056 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019

The Grubs have lived in DTLA for many years, just a block or so from the Bonaventure. You’ve rec’d many great suggestions & my comments may be, sadly, more of a review than trailblazing.

For walking distance & non-eurocentric, do not miss the 1st recco you rec’d – Rivera. Cutting edge, Mexican/Latin small plates & flat-out delicious. Ciudad is also a good call – great drinking hole, excellent pan-Latin cuisine & across the street!

If you’re lollygagging about the hotel at lunchtime, by all means venture over to Grand Central Market. (Exit 6th floor overpass toward the YMCA, walk past the Y across Hope, upstairs (or escalator) across Grand, downstairs past the water plaza to Angel’s Flight (now open again, y’all) for $.25 funicular ride down to GCM’s doorstep. Do not eat before going & gorge on amazing Mex street food. Ck past posts for GCM reccos, but El Grubo thinks Maria’s Seafood’s fresh fish tacos are the stuff of dreams.

Not much great Japanese w/in walking distance, but pick up a DASH map from the concierge & for $.50 each way you can take the B to the A & find wonderful choices in Little Tokyo. Grub-san likes Izakaya Haru Ulala for pubgrub & Kokekko for all things chicken on a stick. Note DASH stops running at 6:30 or so.

For that last one-star meal, even tho it is Italian, you can do no better than Drago Centro, again across the street (5th) from you. While their regular menu is very good, their tasting menu is the best the Grubs have experienced since the Puck-Hefter heyday at Spago. Knocked our socks off.

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Haru Ulala
368 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Grand Central Market
317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Ciudad
445 S Figueroa St Ste 100, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Drago Centro
525 S. Flower St., Suite 120, Los Angeles, CA 90071

The fetching Ms Grub & I will be spending an overnight at JFK before continuing to India from LA. We should have plenty of time for a dinner, then lunch the next day. I’ve searched the board but found few recent or on-point responses. Need help w a dinner: relatively nearby (don’t wish to go in to Brooklyn), sit-down, can be small & ethnic or upscale; & a lunch: roughly same parameters, but faster service needed so prob not upscale. Obviously Indian restos need not apply &, being from LA, Mex is not a contender. Thx for the advice.

You'll have at least 1 1/2 hours for lunch. Exit courthouse onto Temple & take Dash B ($.25) east. De-Dash at Union Station & cross Alameda to Olvera St for splendid Mexican soul food served cafeteria-style at La Luz del Dia (top of Olvera) or good Mex at La Golandrina (mid-Olvera). Or ... exit at Philllipe's for a double-dipped lamb w bleu cheese lovely. Or ... exit at next stop in Chinatown & take potluck or have dim sum at CBS or Ocean (on B'way). Lots of quick-&-dirty choices. Dash back in plenty of time.

The Grubs believe Bilal (Manchester nr Aviation in Westchester) may be the best Indian in the county. Decidedly nondescript & halal (no pork or alcohol), Bilal ladles up splendid Indo-Paki comfort food at affordable prices. To the Grub palate, the classic Indian dishes like chickens vindaloo and tikka masala are better than any Indian-only resto. Paki dishes aare an adventure. Service (or lack thereof) in this family-run treasure can be spotty.

The Grubs stopped by Saladang Song the other day for the 1st time in a while. Long admirers, we Grubs have apparently not been visiting Pasadena as frequently as we used to. Quite simply, SS is one of the best drop-in-any-time restos around. The food -- kinda upscale Thai street food -- is very good to excellent across the board. Their "usual suspects" like pad thai noodles, curries, & satays are properly prepared & great benchmarks for other Thai joints. As a bonus, there are dishes to satisfy the more adventuresome hounds' palates as well.

The ambiance is post-industrial, but somehow comfortable (the little patio works even better than the DR). Service is relaxed (mostly a GOOD thing). Prices are moderate. Nice place.

Great work, Max. I greatly appreciate the time you spent dealing with the details. The list is a resource that every hound would be well advised to keep in their glove box. You are officially the Most Worthy Hound.