Napa Valley Grill + + + + 1/2 $$$

Who? Michellios+Wendy, Andrew
Where? Westwood Village, Glendon and Kinross

A beautiful restaurant in the middle of Westwood Village - great ambiance and decor, modern and upscale. A fantastic place to try as part of DineLA restaurant week. Foccacia bread is served with eggplant - unique and quite delicious. Best versions of dishes I've ever tasted: Sea Scallops on Hummus and Orange Blood Pudding. How good was it? Michelle said she'd never liked scallops at all, but the appetizer made her change her mind. Excellent: Rack of Lamb (very tender and juicy) served with the freshest peas-in-pod I ever tasted. The swordfish is also very good, I particularly like the braised vegetables that came with it - light and refreshing. Wine flights look cool. Pinot Noir 2005 Jekel is decent - bouquet>flavour. Parking next door $7.00. Server Jason was very good - order came out wrong but he fixed it promptly and without incident. Kitchen was slow in preparing entrees (long wait). Overall thumbs high up.

Takami * * * * $$$

Who? Themos, Dora, Gina, Stavros
Where? Downtown
How much? $52

This newly opened place is very unique. It is located in the 21st floor in a downtown skyscraper, with indoor as well as outdoor seating, hence the views are beautiful. It offers a one-of-a-kind choice from 3 different cuisines, namely sushi, fusion and robatas (the meat stuff), so it's like dining in three restaurants simultaneously! The food is very good, service is great and friendly, yet the prices are a little on the high side since the portions are relatively small. Therefore go for the taste, not to satisfy your hunger. All this in combination with an excessive wine list and a lounge next door makes this the perfect date place. Parking is valet only, $7.

The Sizzler * */ + + + $

Who? Howie, Jiesi, Andrew
Where? Wilshire and Western

Themos' Take: This is a chain of american-style restaurants. The hearty meals cost $10-$15 so you can get some (not awesome yet decent) steaks and seafood for that price. Great choice when there is nothing else around.

Andrew's Take: Agreed. It's decent food for relatively cheap. The bacon wrapped filets were tasty and the baked potato was mashedly soft. Medium-rare actually came medium rare. The service speed is very fast since you order first, sit down, and the food is then brought to you. Thumbs up.

Mel's Drive In (Diner) * * * * / + + + $

Who? Howie, Fesh, Irka, Andrew
Where? Hollywood and Highland

Very cool diner atmosphere, best I've seen. Service was slow - we sat at our table for a full 15 minutes before someone took our order. Strawberry youghurt shake was sweet, thick and tasty. Mushroom burger was decent but did not really stand out. Air conditioner blows cold in some places. I will have to return to try more of the diner fare. Parking is valet (leave $3).

Who? Themos. Dimitri
Where? Hollywood
How much? $15
Zagat: 15, $16

I am very excited for this place! Very cheap, no lines to wait, fast service, and one of the most juicy burgers I have tried in LA. It is very close to Hollywood and Highland which makes it convenient for a quick bite before or after another main attraction. The cheese fries were also amazing (or I was really hungry).

Musso Frank * * $$$$

Who? Themos, Ilias, Dimitri
Where? Hollywood
How much? $45
Zagat: 18, $39

Hollywood boasts an large number of excellent restaurants, and Musso Frank is the oldest one of them (est. 1919). The decor is great as it is old and it comes from another age. The people there are also pretty old for some reason. They have been awarded the best Martinis in LA for a number of years now, but we didn't have a chance to try them. We all gave a try at steaks and although they were pretty good, they are not worth the price tag, plus they were severely undercooked: even the "well done" porterhouse was bloody red inside. I would suggest trying the non-steak dishes if you visit them, they must be better treated!

BJ's Restaurant/Brewery * * / + + + + $$

Where? Westwood Village
Who? CASA
How much? $22
Zagat: 17, $19

Andrew's take: Pizza, pizza, pizza! Thick succulent Chicago style deep-dish slices fill you up quickly. The "Great White" was fantastic. The "Buffalo Chicken" was likewise enjoyable, but somehow there was too much spicy meat adorning the pizza (this was the pizza I really wanted to try when I first walked in). Excellent homebrew beers really complement the pizza - the Pale Ale was refreshing and went down easily. Spinach and Artichoke dip was good. Of course, get the Pizookie. I know it's a crime to say this, but the best brownie-type dessert comes from Yard House, a la mode. Sorry! Parking sucks in Westwood but either you know the "secret location" or you park in the structure opposite the theater. Thumbs up.


Themos's take: They call it Deep dish pizza but it's really not. An original deep dish pizza (which can be seen here) would have more ingredients, not more bread in the third dimension! It was tasty and fresh but I would still rank Village Pizzeria as #1 in LA. The good thing is they are always crowded and they are open relatively late , offering a large selection of items for every stomach. I would definitely reccomended if you are around Westwood, but don't travel from the other side of the town just for the food!

The Gumbo Pot + + $

Who? Andrew and Louise
Where? Farmer's Market (Grove)

Southern style fare, not a fan of the gumbo, but very cheap.

California Chicken Cafe + + + $

Who? Howie, Jared, Andrew (Jenn Jenn, VDam and Debbie - whoops!)
Where? Multiple, 1)Westwood Blvd between Olympic and Santa Monica

A nice place to grab some fast rotisserie Chicken that reminds me a lot of Swiss Chalet. I enjoyed the steamed butternut squash and the spinach and feta cheese pasta salad very much. The chicken was tasty but a touch dry. All in all, everything was pretty healthy and left me quite pleased. Simple, "food court" dining ambience. Located very close to the movie theater in Century City.

Island's Burgers * * / + + $

Where? Long Beach Village
Who? CLEO people, still

Pretty good burger chain. I like the Hula - sauteed mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, swiss - and add bacon. Onion rings need to be split between a few people - and the Ranch dressing is good. Decor is very... festive.

GameWorks + + + $

Where? Aquarium Way, Long Beach
Who? Andrew, Chris V, Shane, Haibin, various University of Southampton people aka. the Newport Researcher Party

Lots of arcade games + restaurant/bar = fun place for a really nerdy date. Or as the case is, a really nerdy "party" of optical engineers from the Conference on Lasers and Electro-optics. Shoot-em ups, beat em-ups, drive em ups - whatever your fancy, they got it. Props to Newport for throwing this annual party featuring free food and drinks. Wings are pretty decent and were the only food I really ate. They are even better served with the many beers on tap. Find the bartender named Fabby, she was awesome and took care of us all night - extra + for her.

Duke's Malibu * * * $$

Who? Themos, Dora
Where? Malibu (duh)
How much? $22
Zagat: 18, $30

Hail to the Duke! Originally opened in Hawaii for the surfers to enjoy an after-practice drink, Duke's Malibu offers excellent views of the ocean and its waves, and sometimes its surfers. Sunday Brunch was crowded, in a loud environment where chatter and laugthers fill the background. Oh, there is food, too, which includes various tasty burgers, hawaiian specialties, lots of seafood, or you can also try the buffet.

The Warehouse + + + + $$

Who? CASA in honour of Howie
Where? Admiralty, Marina Del Rey

Very nice atmosphere with a great view. Comfy seats. Super-strong drinks. Nice oyster appetizer. Atlantic salmon stuffed with crabmeat is excellent. Delicious portabellos. Steak is mediocre - cooked right, but burnt crust. Must valet.

Uncle Bill's pancake house * * * * $

Who? Frankie, Melania, Fotini, Dora, Themos
Where? Manhattan Beach
How much? $18
Zagat: 24

This is a very popular destination near the beach. They close at 3pm since they only offer breakfast and lunch, but even close to that time they are crowded. They have some of the best pancakes and omelletes around, plus you can always enjoy a walk at the beach and admire the houses there before, during (the wait!) or after the meal.

Cheebo * * * * * $$

Who? Themos, Dimitri, Hlias
Where? Sunset Blvd, Hollywood
How much? $37
Zagat: 19, $22

I loved this place from the moment I walked into it. It's not like the big LA restaurants. Rather, it features only 20 or so tables, a very slow service but top class food. Everything is organic, and these people bring only these first class materials for their food which makes the dishes undeniably delicious. They also feature orange(!) walls, live music, and a lot of handsome guys and pretty girls as customers. I tried the pizza and it was truly great, probably the best pizza I had in LA so far. It is unlike any other pizza I've ever tried.

The Counter + + + + $

Who? Sushu, Michellios, Howie, Andrew
Where? Ocean Park and 28th, Santa Monica

Burgers really done your way.

Rock Bottom * * $$

Who? Themos, Ivan, Dimitri, Alexandra
Where? Long Beach
How much? $10

These guys are serious about their beer (of course, that's my worst drink ever). I like American Style restaurants because they have huge booths and a good balance between noisy atmosphere, music, and friendly staff. The food was not great but then again, when did an american restaurant had good food? Or, who goes to american restaurants for the food anyway?!

Macaroni Grill * * * * / + + + + $$

Who? Rajay, Tatsuzo, Steve, Andrew
Where? El Segundo, Rosencranz & Aviation
Zagat: * * *, $22

Andrew's take: First of all, thanks to TATSUZO for suggesting this restaurant. A nice dining environment with both booths and tables (suitable for a date) and operatic singing waiters. You can snack solely on the bread appetizers, which are spongy and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, and then pack up half your dinner to go. Don't forget to soak the bread in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The sangria was very refreshing, but very watered down with ice - so even 1L of the stuff won't do anything to you. The key is to get the "Create your own Pasta" card: from this you can select your pasta type, sauce and vegetables all for about $9. I added spicy sausages and shrimp (for extra) and it was so very good. Not much of a wait on Saturday night and free parking in the lot across from the restaurant.

Themos' take: This is a nice place that is a mix of 2 type of cuisines: Classic pasta stuff, plus grill type dishes (mostly chicken), and then combination of these two. The food quality is impressively good, the service is excellent, and I have no words for the bread they bring for appetizer (I had 2 whole loafs myself). The audience comprises mostly of families and adults - not your traditional student hangout.

29th Street Cafe + + + $

Who? Ying-Hao, Andrew, Hidehisa

Hooters * */ + + + $

Who? Themos, Costas Z, Demetri... Andrew, Annie, Chris, Yao, Darren... Chief Steve
Where? Santa Monica
How much? $18

Themo's Take: Yeah, ok... Not impressed at all. The only reason the prices are down is that the food is fast food, so technically I wouldn't call it a restaurant. The environment was nice, the people mostly mexicans, and the waitresses just fine since Coyote Ugly in Las Vegas has set extremely high standards for my taste in "hot service".

Andrew's Take: It's a family restaurant! Good wings and beer is enough for me... They always carry the big fights so we don't have to PPV. That's all I go to Hooters for!

McCormick and Schmick's * * / + + + + $

Who? Don, Aly, Rajiv, Steve, Andrew, many, many times
Where? Downtown, US Bank Plaza 3rd St.
Zagat: * * *, $32

Themo's take: As downtown gets more and more popular, places like this will get more and more people there. The cheap cheeseburger is one of the best steals around.

Andrew's take: I only go there for Happy Hour (after 9 on Mon-Thu, all evening on Fri, I think). But like Themos' says: the $2 burger is the best steal around - juicy thick 1/2 pounder (or more) with fries. Also for $2: chicken drummettes (get the sauce on the side if you can't handle hotness - it's an option), quesidilla, zucchini sticks, and portabello mushroom. 1 drink mandatory ($3-5). The restaurant has a busy atmosphere but is relaxed enough for private conversation. Fantastic place to relax and unwind after a long day or a Kung Fu workout. Has large TV's for sports. Parking fully validated.