I need a couple of restaurants around Vine between Santa Monica and Melrose.
I see my sweetheart in a play near there every weekend, and like to dine before the show, after dropping her off.
Any ideas?
I often go to Lou, and find that wonderful.

sacrilegious. you are supposed to do that on christmas day.

You are in Pedro, then go to Neil's Seafood and Pasta House for dinner--best Italian in the area, on 5th street near the harbor
Whale and Ale has awesome burgers, too, and great tap beers..
Utro's for a tuna melt and pitcher of beer outside, Ports of Call Restaurant for happy hour with reasonable drinks and free hors doeuvres + a view.
Breakfast is the Pacific Diner, near 39th street.

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Utro's Cafe
73 Berth, San Pedro, CA 90731

Pacific Diner
3821 S Pacific Ave, San Pedro, CA 90731

bagels galore in san pedro. two locations on western avenue, one at 25th street.
genuine water bagels.
13 for $9.50.

get sour tomatoes.
hot dog is very fine.
teh cole slaw is terrific.

rye was seedless, when I had it. I got it to go, pulled over on the way to the freeway, and cant believe that I ate only two bites and then brought the entire thing home to the south bay, where I knew my wife was lurking.
I had to share.

I have had the Trader Joe's nova and it is fine. The spritzo is a cheap shot. In fact it is a bargain and very good. I had some today. it costs about $4 a quarter.
I dont buy the farm raised and I dont buy the pacific. I buy the sockeye nova wild caught.
I have also had the Barney Greengrass on west 87th street in NYC, alot. My college roommate lives in the building.
I had the western and the scottish and the eastern lox. It costs about $10 a quarter.
If you want good lox and dont want to voyage far and you want to be able to enjoy it all the time, which we do, go to TJ's. remember--the wild sockeye.
As to bagels, we like Bagels Galore in Pedro.
They have fine onion and sesame and poppy and plain. We dont mess with the chocolate or the blue berry. A shonda.

were they good??
I mean, if you dont want to eat like a seal, were they worth it as a dish?

they have this nice touch of serving the whole pie at the table by placing it atop several cans of whole tomatoes, instead of some specially made tableware.

latimes simply slaughters the place in its review as insincere, fake and a rip off; wine-list devoid of anything under $40, etc.
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/...

never found them in LA. Ghengis Cohen is close. But you can go to NYC and G'island and find places that dont measure up egg roll wise, too.

bonello's is on gaffey in pedro. it's good. tending to nyc style. but being born there, I hesitate to credit that fully.
ditto a recommedation of pavich, on alma.--good I mean.
also very fine is sorrento on 25th and western.
just had their half fresh tomato half sausage. excellent sausage.

i actually like Bonello better. But Pavich is definitely in the rotation. We have abundant great pizza in pedro. Sorrento's at western and 25th is also superb. thicker crust but wonderful cheese and sausage. not a ny pie but we prolly get it more often than either of the others--always half sausage half fresh tomato. they are so good, they do not deliver.

a dig all the taco suggestions. But i dont think I am going to SGV for a taco from South Bay.
What you got in WIlmas or San Pedro or Harbor City?

leading the list are Malbec and Daisy Mint.

Any hounds have a favorite restaurant in Pasadena or South Pas for an early dinner--I will find myself there today. Not pricey--so around $25 a person not counting alcohol.

I find that the organic sold at TJs is terrific and worth the few extra dimes.
I agree with all the cooking chat below. You gotta take the pasta out BEFORE it is done as it keeps cooking as you strain it. I usually put a tablespoon or so of good extra virgin olive oil on the pasta after straining, to keep it from sticking and to add some flavor and zest.
it is particularly helpful when I have that first small plate of pasta with just parmesan/romano and a touch of butter--and perhaps a shake of red pepper flakes.

shocking. I might have to rethink a tradition. if it aint hebrew national, it aint as reliable.

One of the best choices for kids and adults -- but avoid the pizza -- is Nikos on 6th street. good italian food and plenty of it. Chicken parm with veg and spaghetti and a big salad and garlic bread for $12, and it feeds two. Lots of other choices, too. Calamari is fresh and wonderful.
Neils is great but is more expensive. on 7th. Better prices at lunch time than dinner.
The Gypsy Way barbecue is good as is a new lebanese cafe with schwarma on Pacific near 18th.
Marie's next to the laundry on 22nd at Pacific is also good and real cheap Mexican. Not much ambiance.
Breakfast's best is Pacific Diner on pacific at 38th.
Pavich pizza is good as is Sorrento's at Western and 25th--also serves basic Italian.
Red Onion has fine, all-around basic Mexican--6th near Harbor.
Ports of Call Restaurant at POC has fine food, and free and plentiful bar food from 3 to 7pm. You can sit and watch the ships go by.
Utro's near POC has both indoor and outdoor seating along Sampson Way--best burgers and fries, as well as huge tuna sandwich. Beer by the pitcher.

bluewater grill does have belly clams from NE deep fried.
I had a real hunger for them last year. It was more the memory than the execution. but it was still the deep-belly clams.
also in redondo beach.

yes, pedro. 6th street and nelson.
porky's. ate the pulled pork. it was pretty routine.

the double-dip turkey was great. I had it today, with a fat tire. but the mustard is pure masochism.

ditto on neil's.
relaxed and linen, great fish.
superb cooking.
I swoon for the clams and shrimp any way or with pasta.
fish itself, done very well.
there is one thing you shouldnt miss among the appetizers.

really?

I was by there xmas day and it looked fine, except every place was closed.

every time I do it that way, I scorch my palate, and the skin flakes off the next day.

rockenwagner's or some reasonable spelling of the same. brews its own beer and the bar food is fine.
the clam BELLY place is Lawton's, which also has ripper hot dogs. Lawton's is at the pike.
Rocken'r is on harbor blvd, or whatever the main drag is called at that point.

Szwechuan on PCH seems to have changed ownership and some of the dishes have fallen off.
Does anyone else catch this?
The Shanghai dumplings and hot and sour soup were up to snuff, but the szechuan country-style bean curd and the black bean shrimp were off, the bean curd particularly so.

Does anyone have a good alternative in the Lomita area, which has been a hot bed for good Chinese for about 15 years.

filipino festival in san pedro at point fermin park....southernmost place in LA.

where gaffey meets the sea.

Need to find a sports bar with good food that has lots of Satellite TV prefer near BART in Downtown SF. At or near Montgomery would be wonderful.
Otherwise along bus or trolley toward Russian Hill.

I am traveling to see my daughters in SF. They live on chestnut on Russian Hill. We have no car and are looking for a dim sum place. Prefer good food to chi chi.
Any recommendations?

they have fried clams with bellies at Bluewater Grill, which is in Redondo and also OC.
They are fine. Not great. Will have to try Lawton's after hearing about it.