I'm looking to buy some duck legs for braising, but I'm not sure where I can buy decent duck. Ralphs on Barrington and Olympic has the whole frozen ducks with the packet of orange sauce, but I'd like to save some time by avoiding breaking it down and I'm also not sure how those ducks are raised. I'm assuming they're pumped full of hormones and steroids. Do you have any recommendations for duck vendors between Westwood and Santa Monica, or close to that area? What about places that sell other types of fowl like squab, pheasant, quail, guinea hen, etc.?

I'm meeting up with a girl coming into Irvine on business. She wants me to take her out on the town, but I'm not familiar with the city. Can you offer any recommendations on a place that has a really good vibe going? The ideal of what I'm looking for is someplace like El Carmen on 3rd Street in LA: Really solid drinks (margaritas are a plus), solid food, not too much of a sit-down place, not too casual, not too high-end, and has just that right amount of funkiness.

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El Carmen Restaurant
8138 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048