Detective work: trying to remember a specific French restaurant in Long Beach

Here's the deal: my friend had his birthday party two years ago at what he says is his favorite restaurant of all-time. That being said, he has no memory of the name of this amazing place (???), which makes it very hard for me to surprise him by taking him there this year. So, after leaving an extensive google search empty-handed, I decided to go to the experts... I'm hoping, even if the restaurant is closed now, maybe someone remembers it so I can at least have "closure" on this? Either way, any help is appreciated!

Here's what he does remember (aka, "the clues")
1. It's a French restaurant
2. It's on 2nd Street in Long Beach
3. It's a hole-in-the-wall kind of place: he remembers there being about 6 tables in the whole restaurant
4. The food is (according to him) amazing

Sorry - that's all I have to go on! But I'm hoping this sparks someone's memory...

Thanks in advance!

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

PLEASE POST YOUR VOTES HERE: Ultimate Los Angeles Restaurants 2008

Over $25:
1. Osteria la Buca
2. Akbar
... guess I don't eat at expensive places much. If I think of more in the next 4 days, I'll re-vote

Under $25:
1. Native Foods (I went to the one in Costa Mesa)
2. M Cafe de Chaya
3. The Griddle Cafe
4. Real Food Daily (I went to the one in Santa Monica)
5. Dino's (pizza place in Burbank)

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

cheap foodie date/activities?!

I second Scoops and Rahel's as great places to try something different and delicious. (Brown bread at Scoops is a classic favorite - tastes more like sweetened grapenuts in ice cream form.)

What about visiting one of the many Farmer's Markets around L.A.?

Or, if you make dinner, what about a themed night? The "flower gift" for a 3rd year anniversary is the Sunflower, so you could do lots of things with sunflower seeds... Or do your own version of the type of food you had on your first date (Italian night, etc.) Or a special trip you went on (seafood if you went to the beach, biscuits and pie if you had a fun trip to the South, etc)

Hope you find some fun inspiration!

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Father's Birthday Dinner Help!

I always enjoy Il Fornaio (there's a location in Old Town Pasadena - it's Italian), and it can work well for small and large groups.

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Dessert only in the SFV/SGV

Not at all upscale, but I love the selection of pies at Marie Calendar's (on Riverside in Burbank).

And if you really want a fantastic treat (though it's way up in Altadina) there's an amazing gelato place up there - Bulgarini Gelato. http://www.bulgarinigelato.com/
There are tables outside, though it's definitely not a "sit down" place. They do show movies on many Saturdays outside on a projection screen (all in Italian with subtitles), which can make a fun night of it. Also, the couple who started it studied gelato-making in Italy, and I believe the guy is from Italy, so it's the most authentic I've found anywhere in the L.A. area.

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Suggestion for weekday lunch outside in Santa Monica

Not sure if they have outside seating, but I LOVE Real Food Daily. Their specials are always worth trying (I don't think I've had anything from their "regular" menu, because I always order the special of the week/ month.)

Try their ginger cupcakes if they have them, too.

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Anniversary Dinner near Burbank

Thanks for the suggestion! Looks delicious...

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Old Town Orange

It's a ways away from L.A., but I just visited Old Town Orange over the weekend and loved it! My boyfriend and I ate at the old Pharmacy. It was so cute - it was built in the late 1800s, I think. Red barstools and other decor was great. The food was good, too.

I had a veggie-burger with caramelized onions and cheddar cheese. It was good, but then again it's hard to mess up a veggie burger. My boyfriend got the steak and said it was good, though it looked a little undercooked to me (he ordered it medium-rare and it was bleeding on the plate a little...)

But not to deter you. It's a fun place with good food and very attentive service. I had the cookies 'n cream milkshake, too, and it was very good. And, they have a unique selection of sodas that I've never even heard of the brands before. They're in the old classic glass bottles and come in a rainbow of flavors and colors. We tried an orange cream one, and it was made with cane sugar (not sure if all of them are), but so it was lightly sweet rather than gritty and overly-sugary like a Coke.

All in all, fun place that I'd want to go back to. Has anyone else been there? Or to any other restaurants in Old Town Orange?

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Anniversary Dinner near Burbank

I know, I know - people post about this all the time. But after searching previous posts, I didn't see anything that matched what I was hoping for...

This Thursday is my boyfriend's and my 3-year anniversary. We're hoping to go somewhere in or near Burbank, and it doesn't need to be dirt-cheap, but we are recent college grads. To make things more interesting, I'm a vegetarian and he loves meat :) But, we both love spicey foods (Akbar Indian Cuisine in Pasadena, the Thai place on Hollywood Way in Burbank). And of course, Italian (like Osteria la Buca) is always a good bet.

And, I always love places where the atmosphere is as fun/unique/different as the food is delicious.

Thanks!

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

First time at the Griddle

I LOVE the griddle cafe! I've had the banana nana, golden ticket, and a time to love as well. All great, but yes - the time to love is definitely a dessert. Good choice for a celebration!

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Chicago type pizza - Westside

I would not eat at BJ's for anything but the Pizookie (sp?). Although, with Diddy Reese across the street, why even do that? I was favorably surprised by Dino's in Burbank. I have never had "Chicago" deep-dish, but they had a deep dish pizza that I thought was very tasty.

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Santa Monica Recs - ISO restaurant for tonight!

I echo the doubts of little to no wait, but I love Real Food Daily. It's more cozy than upscale, and it's vegan... but it's delicious and I eat there every time I'm in Santa Monica. Any of their specials are always delicious. And if they aren't out, definitely get their ginger cupcakes- worth the trip alone!

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Los Feliz-ish area

wow - some delicious sounding suggestions. Thanks! I also appreciate the "warnings" for where not to try. I can't wait to venture to some new places :)

p.s. I love both Buca and scoops (usually do them as a pair, in fact), so it's good to know several of you and myself have similar tastes.

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Los Feliz-ish area

My boyfriend just moved to Burbank, with me still living in downtown. So, for the next month or so til I move, we decided to meet "halfway" for dinner as often as possible. "Halfway" means at about Vermont and Sunset (since it'll still be awful on the 110 N at dinner time, I thought I would try going up Vermont instead).

Anyway, I've searched the boards, and it seems Los Feliz is the perfect place to meet for dinner, as it is apparently a foodie heaven. But, most of the restaurants mentioned here seem a little "special occasion" /pricey... since we're recent college-grads and we'd like to do this a couple times a week, it'd be great to stick to the more inexpensive places.

Final notes: I'm a vegetarian (he's not), but we're both pretty open to any type of food. Also, anything in East Hollywood (Hollywood and Western) all the way down to East Melrose and over to the Griffith Park area is free game, too.

Thanks!

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Westwood challenge

So, I did end up going to Thai House, and the experience was wonderful. Delicious food, low prices (for a family of 10, that was important!) - AND they didn't get made when I changed the reservation time twice in two days (including the day-of when we wanted to stay at the Getty longer). Wonderful people, wonderful food!

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Breakfast downtown

wow - thanks for all of the great ideas! Much appreciated.

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Breakfast downtown

I would love to take my family (10 of us total) out to breakfast before they leave town tomorrow. They're staying in downtown Los Angeles, so somewhere downtown or near USC would be best. We've spent quite a bit of money on food this weekend, so preferably not somewhere too pricey... and, just to throw this out there because I'm sure it would be a suggestion, I personally think The Pantry is overrated.

Any wonderful ideas? They're much appreciated!

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Westwood challenge

I most definitely have a challenge for all you foodies of L.A.:
My family will be in town for my graduation this weekend, and I want to take them to Diddy Reese in Westwood for dessert. That said, I'd love to have dinner somewhere within walking distance of that. There will be 15 of us, and although it doesn't need to be a vegetarian restaurant, I am vegetarian, so preferably not a steakhouse. Also, nothing too pricey - we're casual folk (as the Diddy Reese might sugest).

We will be coming from the Getty, so if there are no good food recs. for in walking distance of Westwood Village area, any recs. for food between the Getty (N on the 405) and Westwood would be much appreciated.

Thanks so much!

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Graduation Dinner

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely check it out.

In the hopes of getting more suggestions, I will list a few places I love, but thought might be a little small for a larger group:

Osteria La Buca
Bollywood Cafe
Real Food Daily
Palms Thai (I guess this isn't really small, though...)
Joom Bangkok

If this doesn't spark any suggestions from anyone else, at least y'all will have some new great places to try at my recommendation! :)

theMeek in Los Angeles Area

Graduation Dinner

My family is coming out for my graduation in a couple of weeks, and I was wondering what suggestions the experienced-diners of Chowhound might have. There will be about 15 of us altogether, and I'd like to go somewhere outside of downtown L.A. (which leaves it pretty open - Pasadena, Santa Monica, Hollywood, or anywhere in between!)

Nothing over $20 per person, and something with vegetarian options (so, that eliminates the fancy-schmancy steak and seafood places). Italian, Thai, Indian, American... pretty much anything is okay.

So, foodies of L.A. - direct me and I shall go!

theMeek in Los Angeles Area