I really like Raymond's Deli in Bishop. I think it is a lot better than Schat's and not as crowded. They have over 30 sandwiches to choose from and they were running a beer special for around $2 a draft.

Gjelina

I really like their boneless chicken in a mustard sauce.

In Santa Monica on Main St is Manchego. It is spanish, but it is BYOB and is very intimate. Sorry, not very knowledgeable when it comes to Orange County.

In Seal Beach, don't miss Nick's for a breakfast burrito. The line can get long, so if you call ahead you will save yourself a lot of time.

My gf always says she has never seen anybody eat like me ... Hopefully my metabolism doesn't change or I might be single! Thanks again for your help.

Sorry for the delay, IIRC it was 16 or 18 Euro's. I started asking about antipasti and he kind of gave me a frown, so I got the hint this was going to be a 1 course affair!

Thank you so much for your reply. I just got back from Venice last night and had an amazing time ... Largely due to a lot of your posts. I did not get a chance to hit any of your suggestions above because the premiere started later than expected and the water taxi dropped us off right by the hotel. I was getting ready to make my way up to Bancogiro and I walked passed Quadri and convinced them to keep their kitchen open. I had a great meal and caught the orchestra right as they were playing "My Way" by Frank Sinatra.

In regards to rest of the trip, we went to the following ...

Thursday:

Lunch-Il Ridotto: The highlights were the risotto in a scallop cream sauce and the best tiramisu of the trip. I also really enjoyed their warm salad of fish.

Dinner-Da Fiore: My favorite item was the spider crab gnocchi, but my girlfriend could not stop talking about their shrimp stuffed with bacon cooked in pork fat

Friday:

Lunch-Al Covo: We really enjoyed their fritto misto and their zucchini stuffed with riccoto. I liked their lobster pasta, but it was too strong a flavor for my girlfriend.

Dinner-Al Fontego dei Pescatori: We shared a mixed seafood antipasti, gnocchi primi(My girlfriend absolutely loves gnocchi), and a flounder done for two that was filleted table side. Everything was great and the people could not have been nicer.

Saturday:

Since I was going to the premiere at 5:30, I wanted to eat a lot during the day and I think I accomplished that ...

Lunch- Fiaschetteria Toscana: Turbot grilled simply and filleted table side, alla Vedova: Meatball cicchetti, La Cantina: mixed seafood plate of raw and cooked, al Bomba: cicchetti Baccala Mantecato on polenta, & Do Mori: another meatball cicchetti and a type of eggplant parmesan that had what tasted like an arrabiata sauce. Everything was great, but La Cantina was by far my favorite. Everything was so simple and the people were so nice.

Dinner- Quadri late night: Spaghetti Bolognese and a nice glass of red wine. I know this was not a very venetian order, but it really hit the spot.

Sunday:

Lunch-Osteria la bottega ai promessi sposi: la frittura mista and Fegato alla veneziana. This was one of my favorite places. The waitress read the entire menu to me and was so attentive. I don't like liver and onions and theirs was amazing.

Dinner-Grand Canal restaurant at The Hotel Monaco: we had a table on the terrace so the setting was very nice, but waiter was very rude. We tried to go to Da Pisis, but it was all booked up. My girlfriend was tired of seafood at this point, so we had a salmon and swordfish tartare, ravioli with a tomato and mozzarella cheese filling, canneloni stuffed with spinach, and veal escalopes in a light gorgonzola sauce. Honestly, the ravioli and the canneloni were the best apect of the dinner. I would go back here for lunch, but not for dinner.

We also hit a lot of gelateria's and ate breakfast every day on the Terrace of the Danieli. The terrace is a great place to grab a drink between 3:00 and 6:30 and their tiramisu was phenomenal.

Thanks again for all the prior contributions that really made my trip fantastic.

Oh, and I am on an expense account so I am open to any price range.

Hello,

I am currently in Venice and I am going to a movie premiere for the festival at 5:30 and I won't get back from the Lido until 9:30. There is an after party at midnight and I would like to eat in between. I know restaurants close early, but do I have any options? I am staying at the Danieli and the party is close by.

On a side note, PBSF I know you hear this a lot but your post have been so helpful.

Thanks in advance.

I was there last week

Ham Ji Park in K-town has a few flat screens that go really well with their pork neck soup and bbq ribs.

I think the sandwiches are really good and you are correct, no grocery. I like their signature sandwich(turkey), but The Godfather is more in line with an Italian sub. Also, their bread is very similar to Bay Cities and I very rarely can eat a large by myself.

In addition, next door is M Cafe. If you like veggie burgers, theirs is fantastic.

I also highly recommend Tere's for Mexican on Melrose between Vine and Cahuenga. it is a little more expensive than most, but their pork chile verde burrito is ridiculous.

Lastly, I am not sure if anyone mentioned this but Oaks Gourmet on Franklin and Bronson is pretty good. They have a small market and I liked their short rib french onion dip, but apparently they have a really good cheeseburger also.

I hope that helps.

Thank you to everybody who chimed in, but there was a last minute change and we ended up going to Cliffs Edge in Silverlake (I know, pretty much completely opposite of the original plan). We had a nice dinner and the two stand outs were the chickpea fritters appetizer and the skate wing. I don't eat a lot of skate, but everybody agreed that this was by far the best dish of the night. Thanks again for your help.

It's All About the Bread makes a similar sandwich to Bay Cities and it is on Melrose just a little West of La Brea.

Thanks, I have been doing a lot of searching and La Casita seems to be the best option. I also found Golden Triangle in Whittier, but it seems like La Casita has better reviews.

Hello,

My friend is in town and is staying in Fullerton, but I work in Hollywood. We have agreed to meet in the middle, but I am not exactly sure what would be a good halfway point. As of right now I am leaning towards La Casita Mexicana in Bell, but I think that is closer to me. I am open to all kinds of cuisine and I would like to keep it to less than $50 per person but that can be adjusted. Thanks in advance for your help.

Thank you so much. Messina's was very accommodating and my friend's family was very touched. We wanted to send the smoked salmon and the smoked whitefish platter, but they were all out of the whitefish ... So they put together a sampler platter for the same price. Thanks again.

hello,

My best friends father passed away last night and we would like to send his family food or some type of care package. Could anyone please recommend a restaurant or deli in oyster bay that could fulfill this type of request? Looking to spend around $100. Thanks in advance.

I am sorry, I go it wrong. She said Vons, not Pavilions. I hope you did not buy any yet.

I have not tried it, but my co-worker who is from NOLA says that Pavilions French Bread is the closest she has found to the real thing in LA.

Manchego on Main St is BYOB

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Manchego
2510 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405

Main St Cafe
450 Main St, El Segundo, CA 90245

If you want to eat on the boardwalk, Figtree Cafe and Grill is pretty good. I have had some excellent breakfasts and I have had some so so, but the real draw is their 50% off deal from 8 - 9am everyday of the week.

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Figtree's Cafe
429 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291

Sauce on Hampton is on the casual side, but they are open until 11 everyday and you get free cookies.

How about Manchego on Main Street? It is not as casual as The Galley, but it does meet your candle flame request and it is BYOB. It is open until 10 on the weekdays and 11 on the weekends.

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Manchego
2510 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405

Main Street Cafe
12939 Main St, Garden Grove, CA 92840

If you go to Mario's, get the Lomo Saltado. If you want Mexican, go to Tere's not Lucy's. Tere's is excellent with standouts being their guacamole and the pork chile verde burrito. Osteria Mamma is walkable for Italian. If you want to go to Larchmont, the Dash runs roughly every 15 minutes from 11 - 2 in front of the Bronson gate and drops you off on the corner of Beverly and Larchmont. Larchmont Wine and Cheese has excellent sandwiches.

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Osteria Mamma
5730 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Thanks for the recommendations, but we already left. My GF's family lives in Tampa, so I will definitely try Skyway Jack's at some point. Thanks again.

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Skyway Jack's Restaurant
2795 34th St S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33711

Hello,

My girlfriend and I are flying into Tampa and driving down to Boca Grande. We are looking for a good breakfast place in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. My GF has become an omlette freak as of late, so any place that specializes in such is a plus. Also, if there is a unique/must-try place along the way, I would love to hear about it because we will have to make the drive back :) Thanks in advance for your help.

Unfortunately, she can not have soy sauce. I might sneak over since I love ramen, but the tofu and the soba won't work either. Thanks anyways.

Thank you for all of your replies. These places are exactly what I am looking for. My GF gets sad when we visit cities known for their restaurants and her diet does not allow her to enjoy the local cuisine. Thanks again for all of your help.