Thanks very much. It's an interview, so I better pick Joe's. Wouldn't want any bad quotes in the piece cause of a loud restuarant.

I'm having dinner Friday in Venice. Which is better?

They've redecorated Taste of Hoboken recently and the food seems improved. Very NJ.

Anybody have any info on this place? My god daughter is in town for business and staying in Torrance. I saw that opentable.com was offering 1,000 points. Worth a try?

OK, it's clearly Stan's. Thanks everybody.

Hey, if you gotta have them once in a while, they should be good. Can anyone recommend the best donuts in the Westwood area, please?

I use it all the time and have never had a problem. It's especially helpful for a last minute reservation in a particular area of town.

Bobby's on Ventura Blvd. in Woodland Hills is an institution. Better at breakfast than burgers, but plenty of grease and the waitresses are right out of central casting.

I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear. I meant a steak, Italian or other cuisine that was safe for a guest you didn't know very well. I think I've actually been to The Depot. I know I've been to Chez Melange. Both visits were more than a decade. South Bay restaurants must have staying power. Thanks very much.

I know there are a lot of great Japanese restaurants down there, but, for this occasion, I think I should not take a chance and stick to a more standard menu.

Meeting someone this week who's staying in Torrance on business. Can anyone recommend a nice place for dinner?

I assume it's the same as the pickle dish at the Grill in BH. In about 100 visits, I've never seen anybody eat it. I've always thought it a strange appetizer.

Where is it?

The Grill in BH often has a delicous Dover Sole. Hard to imagine they're mislabeling it.

Well, I'll have a couple martinis and not worry about the food. It might be fun this close to the Oscars. Cheers.

I've been invited to have dinner with friends tonight at the Polo Lounge. I don't think I've eaten there in 25 years. Anybody been there for dinner recently? What's good?

"The service I find is a contender for second best in the city behind the Grill -- perhaps a bit fawning but better obsequious than obstreperous and certainly it doesn't rise to the level of Dimitrov."

Who can you possibly argue with that????? (Cut is better, BTW)

I tried it after the La Times wrote up the chef. It's still preety bad.

Dan Tana's is good only if you want to talk to the people at the next table.

What exactly is a "pork burger?"

No booths, but Michael's in Santa Monica fits the bill, too.

If you can reserve a booth -- and it's not easy -- The Grill in BH would work. Good fish. The Pacific Dining Car downtown also has a lot of cozy booths. Or you could to to Musso's in Hollywood, but on a Friday night the patrons look like they've stepped out of the Wax Museum.

Try The Grill in BH on Sunday. Prime rib is great.

My daughter loves the place. I called last week for a reservation. I was kept on hold for more than 10 minutes listening to a tacky recording of the general manager. I should have hung up, but I love my daughter. When someone finally picked up, I was told that despite calling a week in advance, the only reservation left was for 10 pm. I took my daughter to The Grill in BH that Sunday for it's prime rib a Sunday special. She loved it -- and they treated her like a princess!!

If you like The Palm and La Scala for dinner and Nate n' Al's on Sunday morning, it will feel like you're following Larry King.

Thanks very much. We decided on Panzanella. I hope it wasn't a mistake. We'll find out later.

Need a recommendation for a great dinner place, not super expensive, roughly between Westwood and Burbank for Wednesday night. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

Zucca has a nice Christmas vibe and good Italian food.

Zucca is great. I had lunch there today. Food is very good, service is excellent and the atmosphere is particularly warm right now with the Christmas decorations up. The Palm is a zoo before a Staples event. I haven't tried the Liberty Grill yet, but those mac-n-cheese balls sound interesting.

I don't worry about ambience at pizza joints, but this time I had it delivered. The wings were good, too.