SHRIMP DIABLA!!!!! I have had it 5 times in 2 weeks, it is sooooo good!!
I order it with the heads off, gringo style, try this and you will fall in love!

I like Pastina, dont think its one of the best, definitely not one of the worst (ahem - marias italian kitchen on pico - ahem). I think they make pretty good food, reasonable prices and its pretty nice overall. It's a good choice for that neighborhood, if I could pick any Italian in the city, it wouldn't be in my top list though.

Thai Boom on Venice near Overland!! You will love it (especially the Pineapple Fried Rice!)

Fresh figs at Trader Joes when I was there on Sunday. Also, Compartes in Brentwood does figs that are stuffed with apricots and almonds, they taste even better than fresh figs, great on a hot summer day. I also saw the figs at Costco but they didnt look that great to me, so I didn't pick em up. Isn't there a free fruit map of Los Angeles or something like that? You can try googling that and seeing if you can find anything. Enjoy!

Where do I find it? Where is the BEST mac and cheese in the city...I am craving this dish and wondering where to go, heard its great at Nook, any other recs, let me know --- thanx hounds!

sharzhad most definitely...the lubia polo is my fave as well as the barg either chicken or beef, they make excellent persian cuisine, far better than shamshiri in my opinion.

clementine for all pastries!

nobu = celeb central and good sushi...my fave is malibu seafood, no celebs but amaaazing fish!

Went to the Red Mango in the California Roll earlier tonight, I thought it was a MUCH better deal than pinkberry at 2.00 for a pretty BIG "small" size cup, a lot more yogurt in there than the pinkberry small and i felt like it was very good overall, but i will say that the pinkberry one is more icy, there is something about the texture that makes pinkberry like a 'crack habbit/addiction' that doesn't translate to its competitors - red mango, bear naked and yogurt queen on melrose - they all have the taste down, its tart, its cold, its creamy, but i think that they are all CREAMIER than pinkberry which makes for the difference in taste...so far i think the best is YOGURT QUEEN on melrose after fairfax in the area with all the small stores, i LOVE the store's design and I think the yogurt and portions are wonderful...theres just something about the texture of pinkberrys that is less creamy that makes it more good, as you said pei, its weird that less creamy makes it more good, but thats how it goes!

i have never been impressed with hamburger mary's food - not worth a trip at all, even if u have to, in my opinion.

yes they are going to be opening 20 - 30 in LA, they even have a "real estate department" for planning new locations at the pinkberry office(s)...so fear not any hounds, there will surely be a pinkberry comming soon (if not already) near YOU! ;)~

APPLE PAN hands down the best apple pie in the city, i have yet to taste the one at susina but it is definitely on my food to do list...but so far the apple pan's apple pie just cant be beat, perfect crust and everything and ooooh that sauce they give you with the pie, warm it up and pour it on top, just delish!

LOVE URTH CAFE!!! wonderful coffee and i love the oatmeal cookie as well, i also love peets coffee on beverly drive but if you are in the area, may as well pop on over to urth, i love the beverly drive location and its a lot less crowded most of the time than the melrose outpost, defininetly worth checking out!

thank u for all the wonderful replies, we are going to definitely check out all the suggestions and made a killer one at home, some people seem to be mentioning a recipe of some sort, where can i find this recipe you guys speak of? thanks so much i think we're headed to la scala tonight to taste!

need some recs for my fave italian dish...any suggestions hounds?

love the lentil soup at carnival in the valley, cant get enough of this stuff...this place is on woodman just north of ventura blvd in a little strip mall, wonderful lentil soup with a lot of cumin its so delish!

i love the victor bene's gelato that they serve at century city, out of this world...want to try pazzo for sure though.

john o'groats makes the most perfect biscuits, absolutely stupendous, i dont even need gravy, maybe some raspberry preserves and i am set!

went there last week and had the most amazing spaghetti bolognese, so delicious, anyone else been and can suggest things from this place, i think they have such wonderful food...also any other recs for great bolognese and modeteraly priced italian would be much appreciated? :)

theres lots of threads about this already on the board...check a couple out here, everyone knows my fave already hands down! enjoy ur tastings!!

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/48208

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

so exciting i dont have to go as far for my fix anymore.

peets is my absolute favorite, i like the brentwood one cuz they are quick there as well as the one in beverly hills is very roomy to sit around in....the sunset one though is really slow and the parking is horrible, i suggest avoiding that one alltogether. peets is amazing, i think they definitely need some more locations like maybe in hollywood or west hollywood even, maybe the melrose area as well...the coffee is really so much better than starbucks or coffee bean, i have been spoiled.

i would definitely suggest border grill, fun and funky and great food and atmosphere, i also agree about mexacali, trendy but i think the food at border grill is way better, they also have a sister restaurant in ciudad which is located in downtown, mary sue milliken and susan are the owners of this wonderful place and i think they make some of the best mexican food around in a more fun and hip atmosphere.

i love border grill and the happy hour there, great deals! i also really like the chinois salad at wolfgang puck express, my fave chinese chicken salad in all of LA! i definitely second the recommendation for father's office, they've got you covered for the beer as well and such delicious hamburgers!

i was in there today putting together a 20 piece box for a meeting, they have a new hazelnut that is outstanding as well as mango with jasmine, peach with rosemary and a homemade peanut butter that is divine, i saw the bon apetit magazine on the counter, its in the new november issue, good write up with a big picture of the truffles and yes liu they deserve it, great stuff, oh by the way, my meeting went so smoothly due to the chocolates that everyone was devouring, they were gone in less than 10 minutes.

i was at pinkberry melrose/la brea last night around 730 and the line was very small...much less crowded obviously than the original location, i found it pleasant to finally not have to WAIT AN HOUR and STAND IN A HUGE LINE for my pinkberry experience, they also have a new thing bear naked (pinkberry copy) in the century city mall that is pretty good as well...i think gourmet yogurt that taste like yogurt is going to be EVERYWHERE sooner than we think! and also - did anyone see the pinkberry POSTERS around town? they are next to ads for music releases and movies, cant miss them!

i second the rec for vicenti and i also really like pizzicoto for the less high end, good price and amazing food!

ive said it once and i will keep saying it again...compartes chocolatier is the BEST CHOCOLATE in Los Angeles!! i use them for all the parties i have and catering, really amazing INTENSE flavors, high quality chocolate and great service!! can't recommend this young artistic bunch of chocolate people enough, i just came from san fran and had scharfenberger and rechutti and was completely unimpressed as i am also not impressed by boule which is completely overrated, compartes blows them all out of the water

Compartes
912 s barrington avenue
los angeles ca 90049
www.compartes.com

lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/compartes/CompartesCatalog2006.pdf

i agree, 30 is too many, and too close together...i saw one comming on south beverly drive and another one a couple blocks up by beverly drive and santa monica blvd, 2 in beverly hills both basically on beverly drive (a little bit off on the santa monica location, but that counts), i guess they think since jamba juice has two locations by beverly drive, so should they? imo - not a good idea!

love clementine's chocolate chip cookies!! mmmm-azzing