Los Angeles

[akila001]

Are there good restaurants in Los Angeles (Santa Monica, Venice, South Bay, etc)? I love French and Italian. If you have any suggestions on a great experience in a LA restaurant, let me know!

[phoebe]

There are lots of them. How much are you willing to spend? How fancy? How traditional or non-traditional?

[Jacaranda]

My three LA recommendations are:

• John O'Groats at 10516 W Pico Blvd; everything a family-run restaurant should be - efficient, clean and welcoming, with tasty, freshly-prepared food. It offers every breakfast dish anyone could ever imagine, served by solicitous waiting staff in a quirky, home-decorated restaurant. It's a success (dozens of customers waiting in line outside on weekend mornings) not because it offers haute cuisine, or a ground-breaking style of service or food preparation, but because it's brilliantly managed and its food is good.
• Sweet Lady Jane at 8360 Melrose Ave; bakery heaven. If you enjoy pastries, and can purloin one of the tiny tables at this bakery, I strongly recommend afternoon coffee and a cake. Choose from one of the dozens - literally - on display, from Chocolate Mocha Praline to Cherry Pie. Delightful, friendly staff.
• Moonshadows at 20356 West Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. Make a reservation well in advance and lounge luxuriously on a divan at a prized outside deck table, or sit inside and feel the waves crashing on the rocks underneath this wonderful fish restaurant. Not just built on the beachfront, but overhanging the sea. A delicious and imaginative contemporary menu - strongly recommended.

[pupon]

For a traditional, but casual Italian Food Experience go to the Appetizer in the South Bay. The gnocchi is great. Nook is a great place in West LA which has a lot of dishes with a mix of French and Asian Influence. I would also recommend Mori in West LA for sushi. Pricey but they do the real deal omikase and I hear their chef sits atop the peking order in the fish market. I would consider their sushi right up there with the best places I ate while staying in Japan.

[Stewey]

If you make it out to Marina Del Ray (not too far outside of the South Bay area), DEFINITELY go to Jerry's Famous Deli...as seen in a number of movies. It won't be a classical garrison of foods, BUUUUUT it will be a GREAT experience for New York style deli foods.

And yes, they serve a lot more than just sandwiches. Give them a try you will love it!

[shakeandbake]

I personally would pass on Jerry's, but there a quite a few other places to eat.

If you are in the Venice area, take a walk along Abbot Kenny Blvd. Primitivo is a great stop for a small bite and sangrias, primitivowinebistro dot com Pricey, but worth it. For a more formal dinning (in LA that only means pass on wearing flip flops), check out Joe's. Joe's is just a few doors down from Primitivo.

For dessert, Jin Patisserie is a very cool place to have tea and great handmade sweets. jinpatisserie dot com

Pratically nothing on Abbot opens before noon, so don't show up in the early AM. Sorry about the websites, the 15 post rule is a pain.

[Cheri]

I don't know when your trip is but a place called La Casita Mexican it's in Bell. Makes the absolute, best, most authentic Mole I have ever tasted, even in Oaxaca. Small, modest pricing, along the lines of Like Water for Chocolate.