I am DYING for some pho today, and the best, most reliable place I know of downtown is Pho 87. However, I'm having lunch with a colleague who doesn't eat beef or pork. Is there anything on the menu for her to eat? If not, is there another place near downtown serving pho that also has non beef and pork options? Thanks!

My guy and I like La Louisianne on Overhill in Inglewood. It's dive-y and there is NO AMBIANCE, but the food is good.

What about Il Cielo over on Burton Way? It's touted as being a "romantic restaurant," but in the daytime, it's just a really cute, charming and sort of unexpected place. The food can be uneven in that I've had some really great meals there and also some merely ok meals, but my girlfriend and I always have a good time because the maitre'd likes to make a fun fuss over a group of women and it's such a pretty setting.

Ok, so one of my girlfriends and I decide to try out Blue Velvet (downtown, in the Flats residential complex) for dinner last night. We'd been forewarned that the portions were quite small for the prices, and we figured we knew what we were getting ourselves into. As it turned it, we didn't, really.

We started off with 2 appetizers, and we told the waitperson in passing that we intended to share them. When we said "share", we meant that we would both be tasting each dish. The waitperson thought we meant "share" more in the fashion of "splitting", and so she told us, very clearly and very diplomatically, that the plates at Blue Velvet were too small to share. She didn't use these exact words, but she was definitely very clear. We thanked her for her honest comments, but since we were going to order entrees and dessert as well, we figured we'd be fine.

The appetizers were the fried yogurt and the marinated sardines. The fried yogurt, which arrived in 2 small rectangles about the size and shape of chicken nuggets, was absolutely delicious, with perfect accompaniments of golden currents and pine nuts. We were not so impressed with the sardines, which came on a bed of carrots, another vegetable (which I've forgotten), and lentils. The sardines, indeed the whole dish, was nearly devoid of flavor and badly, desperately, in need of seasoning. Salt, at least. Both starters were $12, which wasn't exactly a good deal, but didn't seem completely ridiculous.

But here's where things do get ridiculous. For entrees, we had a hard time deciding between 3 dishes. Ultimately, my friend ordered the hangar steak and I ordered the "duo of squab" - essentially squab breast cooked one way and squab leg cooked another.

My friend's steak ($28, I believe), perfectly cooked, gorgeous and fabulous, could have fit easily into the middle of the palm of her hand - nothing hanging over and nothing piled on top of itself. I forgot what came with the steak, but some sort of veggie, in amounts suited solely for decorative value.

My "duo" (also $28), however, was bar none the smallest, most outrageously skimpy entree I have ever seen, anywhere, in any restaurant, in any country I have ever been in. Basically, I'd been served the breast and leg of a squab. ONE BREAST AND ONE LEG!!!! OF A TINY SQUAB!

It was absurd. I finished my entree (which was, admittedly, full of complex, innovative flavors and was delicious) and sat there for 10 minutes while my friend finished her meal, and I was still hungry. Literally hungry, not just "not full".

About 2 minutes after my friend finished her meal, she said to me, "So what the heck? Are we going to order that other entree or what?". We ended up ordering the tempeh ($22), which we split (it too, was delicious).

We ended the meal with a "cherries and cream" dessert and the "almost a sundae dessert" (both $10), which were also both quite good, and reasonably sized.

I should mention that the restaurant itself is gorgeous, and the staff were very attentive. In all, we had a terrific experience except for the fact that 2 women, a size 2 and size 4 respectively, had to order 2 starters, 3 entrees and 2 desserts just to feel reasonably satiated. That is ludicrous. In fact, it's so ludicrous that despite the great food and pleasant service, I will probably never be back there again. Our meal, including one cocktail and a glass of wine, was $165 after tax, before tip.

Yes! It was Awash! Thank you. I really just didn't get it - my Ethiopian friends had just raved about it, but when the boyfriend and I tried it out, we were so sad and disappointed. Everything tasted similar to everything else and everything was bland. Now, because boyfriend doesn't eat beef or pork, we didn't have the kitfo dish. Maybe that is where we went wrong.

I'm wondering if something is wrong with my tastebuds, or if I'm a victim of flavor dumb-down. I've seen several times on this board that Nyala is bland, bland, bland, and that Messob, Rahel, Meals by Genet or Rosalind's are all better. I don't get it.

Well, I've been to Messob and I've been to Rosalind's and I've been to another one around the corner from Fairfax (recommended by Ethiopian friends), and I've been surprised by each time by how much less flavorful everything is compared to Nyala. Everything at each of those places just tasted subdued.

What could be happening? People can debate about who has good food, or better food, but it would seem we can all agree on whether something is strongly flavored. So, I'm wondering if the waitstaff in these restaurants is taking a gander at me and running over to tell the chef to tone things down for the American chick. I mean, does this happen?

I was particularly surprised by the food at that restaurant whose name I can't recall (actually, with my sense of direction, I might not even have the location exactly right) because I'd been told by several Ethiopian friends, separately from each other, that that place serves the most authentic food. But, after a nearly 90 minute wait, the stuff that came from the back all seemed bland, and definitely bland compared to Nyala. I've had Ethiopian in different cities in the US, and I'm not calling Nyala the end all be all. I'm just saying that their food seems to be more strongly flavored than the other places I've been to here in LA. To be even clearer, I'm saying that Nyala seems to have more spices in their food. Not that the food is hot (meaning, spicy), but it's got more flavor. I'm beating a dead horse and I sure hope I'm making sense...

ANYHOO, I'm asking - 1) what's the MOST FLAVORFUL Ethiopian restaurant here in LA. And 2) do you think it's possible that restaurants are changing up their dishes based on who orders them?

Not sure if you wanted to put in this much work, but there are always turkey ice cream molds available (try Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma. Target is a cheaper option for seasonal items, but only close to that season). If push comes to shove, you can make your own gosh darn ice cream turkeys!

I bought one of those Cozmo decks late last year, thinking we'd try out some places we'd never visited. So far, we've used a total of 2 cards this year. We gotta get out more!!

So, we're thinking of using either the Michi or Towne cards tonight (both places are fairly close to home for us), and I was wondering if anyone's been to either of these places and can offer up commentary or suggestions on what to order. I'm an omnivore but the boyfriend won't eat beef or pork.

Thanks!

Spaghettini's in Seal Beach has Copper River Salmon every year, and does a pretty good job with it.

Just a few days ago I was at McCormick and Schmick for an office lunch, and they also had it on the menu. I didn't have that dish, but M & S tends to do a pretty good job with nearly everything, as well.

We recently went to Providence for the first time, and we were WOW'd by the chowda. All the incredible tastes and textures. The richness. Even the incredible aroma. It was a revelation.

Hello 'Hounders!!! So, I had the party, and it was an absolute blast, and a huge, huge, happy, happy success! Truly heartfelt thanks to all of you for your suggestions and well-wishes. Here's my post-party report:

First off, thanks again to DanaB for suggesting Taix Restaurant. I know it gets mixed reviews here on Chowhound, but phooey on that!! It was a perfect suggestion for me, and I would recommend it over and over again. Not only did I end up well within my $1800 budget, but the staff there was friendly, accommodating and cheerful. Those wonderful Taix folks were helpful and accommodating at every step of the way, including suggesting a "secret password" to use at the reception desk so that they could let me know when my boyfriend had arrived and we could get ready to yell,"SURPRISE!!"

Even on my limited budget, it was important to me to have a private room for my party, and the banquet option at Taix allowed that. We had the Champagne Room, which is the last room at the end of a rather long and darkish hallway. Since this was a surprise party, this last fact sort of worked in my favor, depending on how you look at it - we could hear my boyfriend coming down the hallway behind his friends (my co-conspirators) complaining, "What IS this place? Why is it so dark? Where are we going?", which we thought was hilarious. Clearly, he was REALLY going to be surprised. And he was!

One of the best things about the Champagne Room was the incredible bar inside it. When I was planning the party, Jill of Taix told me that there was a $75 set-up fee for the bar, which is waived if $200 worth of drinks are purchased. She went on to say that $200 is basically 40 drinks. FORTY DRINKS!! Those of you quick with math realize that that means drinks are approximately $5, which has to be the bargain of the century in LA.

But, the incredibly reasonable cost of the drinks wasn't the only amazing thing about the bar. When Jill talked about a set-up fee, I pictured a portable, podium-style bar that would be set up in a corner of the room somewhere, with a guy in a vest popping caps off beers and pouring generic vodka into a plastic cup. The guy in the vest was indeed there, but that was the only accurate thing I pictured. Far from being an insubstantial little podium, the bar is a full-on room attached to the Champagne Room, with a walk-up counter, and featuring pretty much any liquor you could imagine or want, served in appropriate bar glasses. I'm pretty sure the guests hit the 40 drink mark long before the birthday boy even got there.

Taix's banquets start at $18.95 per person and include a relish tray, bread and butter, salad with house vinaigrette, soup du jour, choice of 2 entrees, ice cream, coffee and tea, and complimentary cake cutting (NOTE: I just looked at their website, and soup is no longer listed as part of the banquet menu, so maybe things have changed). For an extra $3 per person ($21.95/person), you get a dance floor in your banquet room, which we did.

I was not at all impressed with the bread, which was cold and ordinary. I was, however, impressed with the soup, which was lentil and very tasty, with a hearty, almost split-pea-like flavor.

For my entrees, I choose the famous Roast Chicken, and the Beef Bourguignon. Because there were a few vegetarians in my group, Jill allowed them to choose the Pasta Monegaque without charging extra for a third entree choice, which was really nice, and very appreciated.

I know you guys aren't going to believe this, but I got quite a few compliments on the food, and even several RAVES!!! Honest to Pete!

The roast chicken came with butter-sauteed vegetables and mashed potatoes. The chicken was well-cooked and moist, although, honestly, I thought it could have been better and more seasoned. The vegetables, however, were perfect - simply prepared, crisp tender, with beautiful color and just the slightest, perfect taste of butter. The potatoes were also simply prepared - stiffly mashed, as opposed to creamy-textured, and lightly seasoned with salt, pepper and butter. All in all, the chicken and accompaniments was simple, familiar, comfort-style food, prepared well.

The beef came with the same butter-sauteed broccoli and carrots, but a rice pilaf instead of the potatoes. In my opinion, the beef was a tastier dish than the chicken - the burgundy wine/mushroom sauce was nicely flavored, if not particularly nuanced, and had a nice texture, consistency and color. The rice pilaf was a bit bland, but isn't pilaf usually? Besides, the pilaf was jazzed up considerably by adding a bit of wine sauce. Interestingly, while the roast chicken seems to get the most nods on this site, it was the beef-eaters I heard the most compliments from.

I did not try, and forgot to ask about, the pasta dish, which certainly looked and smelled appetizing.

Because the birthday boy loves lamb, he was the only member of the party to get the lamb chops. I asked for them medium-well (although if I were eating them I would have preferred medium-rare), and they came cooked perfectly medium well, and beautifully seasoned. I was worried about them, but these were lovely chops, thickly cut and perfectly prepared. They arrived with a layered potato casserole type of side dish (the boyfriend initially thought it was polenta!) that was probably scalloped potatoes or something very like it, and of course those ubiquitous veggies. Birthday boy was quite pleased with them (although, in fairness perhaps I should mention that he'd been on the receiving end of several drinks by then).

Those wonderful Taix folks also did a great, unusual job of cutting the cake (which I brought in, meaning, it wasn't a Taix dessert, and yet there was no cake-cutting charge!) by cutting the slices DIAGONALLY. Maybe I'm behind the times, but I'd never seen that before, and it looked beautiful and impressive. Again, I had several guests comment on the beautiful presentation.

Following dinner, I turned up the Harmon Kardon Go + Play iPod boombox I bought for $350 (pricey, but only slightly more so than a dj, and INCREDIBLE SOUND, and the birthday boy got to keep it) with the dance party playlist I previously created, and we commenced to tearing the dance floor up! Really, a great time was had by all.

This is so long, so I'll wrap it up. I just want to reiterate that Taix did a fantastic job, made even more amazing by my tight budget (under $2000 total, for the entire party). For others on a budget, I'll briefly outlay my costs:

Dinner for 50, incl tax and 18% gratuity approx $1375
Festive, non-alcoholic punch for 50 approx $ 50
Fresh strawberry birthday cake (from Albertson's) $ 60
"DJ services"/birthday gift (boombox, plus tax) $ 380
Photo centerpieces, flowers, balloons, etc. $ 90
Miscellaneous $ 40
---------------
TOTAL $1995

Really, a good party CAN be thrown on the cheap! It just takes good advice and lots of planning.

Thanks again, everyone!

I am probably going to be laughed at mercilessly for this, but the Mongolian BBQ in the Chandler Dining Hall on the CalTech campus is surprisingly good! It's got a good selection of very fresh ingredients, including lamb and shrimp, and lots of great vegetables; good choice of oils, sauces and other condiments, and it's really reasonably priced. No, wait - it's flat out CHEAP. But let me make it clear - I'm not saying the Monglolian BBQ was good for the price; I'm saying it's out and out good. That it's cheap is just a nice addition.

CalTech was one of my clients and when I was on campus, I'd often eat there. Not sure where Larchmont is, but if it's near Pasadena, I'd definitely check out the Mongolian BBQ on campus. MUCH better than 3 Flames, IMHO.

We've been to Derrick's a few times, and every time we went, my main thought was that the place is overpriced. It's not that their prices are so high - it's just that they're more than what most Jamaican costs in LA, and I couldn't see any reason to pay the premium. Portions were smaller than average and they just weren't exceptional.

We've not been there in a few years now, but I believe the entrees all ranged between $15 and $20, and they were pretty standard stuff. I definitely don't recall any outstanding dishes. As a matter of fact, after the first time, we only went because other friends wanted to go.

Derrick's does have great fresh juices, but for Jamaican I prefer Naturaliart. Unfortunately, with my bad sense of direction I have no idea where it is, or even if that is the correct spelling. It's a total hole-in-the-wall (which suits me fine), but they've got great Jamaican. I'll find out where it is and re-post.

There used to be a great place in that little strip mall on Manchester in Inglewood, across from the high school and basically next door to the library - Rick & Will's. They had great Jamaican, but they're gone now and I think that place is a Chinese restaurant.

Everyone also seems to like Milton's (2415 Slauson at Arlington) but I just thought they were ok.

I'm chiming in on Al Noor. They're essentially down the street from us, in the LA way of being "down the street", so we're there whenever we're too lazy to make the trek to Artesia for the India Restaurant.

Jhulla, have you ever tried any of the Indian restaurants in Cerritos/Artesia? Far from the Westside, I know, but I've had good luck with a few places. In particular, I love the India Restaurant.

I don't think they have a website, but here's the address and phone:

17824 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701
562 860-5621

Alright! We have a winner! I went to check out Taix today, and the private room they're putting us in will be just fine. I'm going to fill the place with balloons and photo blow-ups of the birthday guy and run a nostalgic slide show/video and play party music and I think I'll be able to make it really festive in there.

By the way, the room they're giving me is the Champagne Room, and if any of you ever watched the Chris Rock show, you'll know why I thought that was a crack-up. I'm pretty sure my guy'll get a kick outta that, too, so that's a nice freebie. :)

I also had lunch there - the coq au vin - and it was fine, too. No, not spectacular, and not earth-shattering, but completely fine. I looked at some earlier postings on Taix, and the place has definitely gotten very spotty reviews on the food, but for a party where half of the invitees rave about Chilli's, I'm pretty sure this will work out great. I'm so happy and excited to be able to move forward with the rest of the planning!

Everyone's been so great and helpful with suggestions! I'll do a review of the event - food, service, etc - in late March after the party's over so other folks can see how Taix does a party.

Ha! Note to self: more careful with the typing. Taix is the place.

I'm so thrilled! I just spoke with the folks at Traix, and I think we have a winner! I can do a seated dinner AND a space for dancing - all within my budget! I'm going to go check out the space but from the website it looks like it'll do just fine.

I'll post more when I get back from scoping it out!

Hi Tom P,

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, the birthday boy and most of the relatives don't eat beef or pork (imagine that!!). So, Taylor's Steaks won't work for this event.

I, however, am always up for a good steak, so I'll have to check them out on my own one of these days!

Huh, that's funny - I posted a reply last night, but it doesn't seem to be showing up.

Anywho, DanaB - I think you might be my hero! After a terribly disappointing day yesterday, where I found out that Maggiano's only available room on my requested date is far above my minimum, among other assorted bits of unhappy news, I hop on this site and find out about Traix! I'm so excited! Their website looks wonderful.

Your friend sounds like my kindred spirit - people must have thought she was nuts to try to do a wedding for $2500. I'm glad she just considered it a challenge. I'm inspired!

I've been in class all day and this is my first chance to hop on the board. My! Y'all have been busy! I've got a lot to check out tomorrow.

I'm going to have to give Maggiano's a call and see what the deal is. I got my info off their website, but it sounds like I need to speak to a human! The location is certainly convenient and it looks quite pretty, and, ShelleyKelly, I like the numbers! Besides that, quite a few of the guests will be older, rather conservative relatives, and they aren't too adventurous. No one is scared of Italian food.

And C&O is another great idea! I've been there, and it's a fun place.

You guys are the best! I'll let you know what happens next.

Somehow missed this post, and so glad I saw it now. Larchmont Grill looks really intriguing to me and the man with whom I spoke today was just so nice. Plus, I happen to love breakfast foods, and the birthday boy loves french toast! This might be just the ticket after all.

Can I ask you how many your friend will be hosting?

Thanks, westsidegal. This is something I never realized! It's vital to treat the servers well. I fully feel that if you can't afford to tip, then you can't afford that restaurant.

SauceSupreme, I hope I haven't offended you (or anyone else) with my outburst against Maggiano's!!

I absolutely realize I'm working with a really tight budget. I was just hoping someone out there would come to my rescue with a super-secret low-cost option. I do appreciate all the ideas.

Alright! You guys convinced me to take another look at Maggiano's. So,I went to their website and was APPALLED to discover that their banquet menu is $36 per person! Is it just me, or is that just too dang much for chain restaurant pasta? And I know, I know - they serve more than just pasta. But still.

I remain hopeful. I'll post anything interesting I find, and I'll keep following up on the suggestions given. And you all don't give up on me, either!! Keep those ideas coming! :)

So interesting that you suggest a brunch! That was one of my ideas to keep the costs down, and all of my near 40 male friends just pooh-poohed the idea to pieces. Don't know what age range you're in, but it doesn't sound like you'd be opposed to a brunch. I might have to go that route, because I still haven't found the holy grail I'm looking for. But, since the event's not til end of March, I have a little more time to look.

Ok, so I spoke with Larchmont Grill, and they don't have a room big enough for my group. I'd have to rent out the whole place at about $3000. Barefoot's minimum is also over my budget. So is Zucca. So, these places will have to wait until I reach higher salary heights. Hopefully that will be after the February bar exam!

Good news is that Koutoubia's website looks like they'd be a blast, and might be right in my price range! So, I've left them a message and am waiting with bated breath to hear back.

Keep the suggestions coming, though, folks! I'm learning about so many great new places! It's always good to have a few options, too.

I just checked out Upstairs 2, and you are so right. They have a fab menu! They're perfect - but private parties can only be had Sunday - Wednesday!! Wah! I need a Fri or Sat!

I know, I know - you're all thinking, "This new chick is a pain in the booty."

So, I'm waiting on a call back from the Larchmont Grill, and I'll try to talk to Barefoot, too. If either of those work out, I'll be golden! Thanks once again for everyone's advice and suggestions.

Any more ideas? :)

You know, I appreciate the positives about Maggiano's, but I'd rather not do a chain, if possible. I know I'm asking a lot with my budget, but it's hard to imagine that in Los Angeles there isn't some little individually-owned restaurant - maybe someone's vanity experiment, or someone's spouse's hobby or something - that the neighborhood knows about but is still a little bit of a secret to the LA universe. Maybe it's just that with 50 people, most of those neighborhood places are TOO little.

Anyway, I'm calling up Larchmont Grill and Barefoot today (both of which sound lovely). I might have to increase the budget a bit. It iS a 40th birthday, after all!!!

But I'm still SO open to any other thoughts. I'm new to this community and I appreciate everyone's suggestions. Thank you, everyone!

Oh my! Off-vine LOOKS so perfect! Thank you for the suggestion. The only bummer is that the website says they can only accommodate 36 guests, and I can't possibly cut that many folks from the guestlist without making some enemies. I'll have to have some other event there another time.

Any other ideas? I could really use some help on this. I want this to be a really nice night.