Diner Week: Tokyo 7-7 Coffee Shop

3839 Main St
Ste B
Culver City, CA 90232
(310)204-5728
Mon-Fri 7AM-3PM
Sat 8:30AM-2PM
CASH ONLY

Having the current status of being not as rich as I used to and figured I'd do a special week on the diners in LA. I have a tremendous love for diners being that on the East Coast they are places that are often stuck in time with cheap prices that rarely go up and a staff that'll often stay working there for as long as they live. The food, while rarely being mind blowing, is always consistent and you can count on a certain standard of coffee. Los Angeles really doesn't have too many of these places. I remember one of the last one's, "Tiny Island" on Wilshire, was torn down a few years ago. My heart sank, especially considering that nothing has replaced the spot. I think it's just an empty lot now. I've already written on some diners in LA that I feel are pretty stand out, but I wanted to focus on places a little off the beaten path and or maybe places that you have heard of but never seen.

A prime example of all I have just talked about is Tokyo 7-7 Coffee Shop in the alleys of Culver City. You won't find this place unless someone has told you where to go specifically. My best advice is to get on Main Street in Culver City and look for Bottle Rock wine bar. There you'll see an alley. Walk through the alley till you are in the heart of the intersecting alleys and you'll find Tokyo 7-7.

Though it's a very secretive spot, you'll find that the place is pretty busy pretty often. Don't worry though, the service is fast and at worst you'll only be waiting for a few of minutes. There's a center counter with about 14 tables surrounding it. It's got a certain charm to it that has been all but lost in our city with the ever changing "impress me now" attitude prone to LA.

The French toast is always rocking. Light grilled and pretty classic.

American breakfast with Portuguese sausage for flair. Their eggs are what eggs should be with very "familiar" home potatoes.

The pancakes were fluffy and chewable (some mass to them), the texture uncompromised by the butter and maple syrup.

The prices for breakfast make you wonder how they're making any money! Notice the early bird special!!!

Lunch is insanely cheap too even with Asian dishes on the menu!

One thing that made me smile was the cashier lady who was knocking it down with the abacus! Each bill that came in was calculated super fast with this thing. It reminded me that in school they had taught us how you could do just about any computation on an abacus that you could do on a calculator, you only had to know how to work the computations. She is most definitely a master.

This place is hidden from prying eyes, but has all the clientele it could ever need. They don't take card which is pretty unfortunate, BUT it's cheap enough that you might even have enough in pocket for your meal without having to make a special bank stop. Parking is a actually a whiz with the parking structures right next door that give (if I remember right) 2 free hours. Next time you're on the west side and aching for some breakfast find this alley and pull up a spot on the counter.

Free Refills: No, but the price makes it about what you'd pay anywhere for a soda with a refill if you buy 2 servings of soda.
Entree Price ranges: Breakfast is $1.70 to $5!!! and lunch is $2.50 to $5!!!

Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada...and LA (so far)

1650 Hillhurst Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Tue-Sun 11AM-8PM
(No phone number that I know of)
CASH ONLY

A while ago some one asked me what was my favorite fish taco was in LA. I really hadn't found one that I thought was worthy of mention until now. The Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada is a little shop on Hillhurst that has won me over in a big way. I'll keep it brief as there's not really much to expound on.

You hop in and order up what you want. The menu has 3 items. Fish tacos for $1.50, shrimp tacos for $2 and drinks for $1. Keeps things simple. They fry them up and you pay after you're done with your meal. Another thing is that it's BYOB (no corkage fee) for you people who love the combination of cerveza with your fish tacos this your place. When they've fried them up you get them bare with only a tortilla accompanying it. You then take them over to their dressing bar which has the cabbage, crema, and assorted salsas to fix them up. I love the spicy pineapple one!

The shrimp tacos are solid with the batter being super light and not soggy at all.

The fish tacos have a good amount of flavor, which can often NOT be the case when it comes to the white fish they use in so many fish tacos.

I can't find anything wrong with their tacos. The price is like seduction to your wallet...you always feel like it's cheap enough to grab another. They have indoor and outdoor seating and the place is super chill. I absolutely hate that they're not closer to me, but then again, I'd be a whole lot fatter if they were!

Free Refills: No but it's super cheap ($1 a can) so at least you don't feel robbed. Oh and they have Welch's grape soda which also scores a point.
Price: Cheap: Super duper cheap ($1.50-$2.00/taco)

The Spanish Kitchen ... midweek treat

826 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310)659-4794
Lunch: Mon-Sun 11AM-4PM
Dinner: Mon-Sun 6PM-1:30AM

With all this bustle to get ready for Thanksgiving I'm offering a reprieve right before the battle throwdown. A tradition of sorts, that for me at least is very Californian, is Taco Tuesday. Who designated this day of the week to offer up cheap tacos? The world may never know, but one such addition to the legions of taquerias is The Spanish Kitchen in West Hollywood.

For the size of the tacos and what's in them, their blanket price of $2 a taco is excellent. I mean, where else can you get lobster taco's for that much? Plus, they have some fun with their tacos. And hey, if you're going to have a selection of 13 tacos, you kinda HAVE to get creative.

Pictured above are the beer battered shrimp, shrimp with pesto (which ended up a stand out from the meal), grilled salmon and snapper.

Here's two of their steak tacos which we both loved. Nice quality meat and NO fat to chew on.

On this plate, first is the lobster (try it with the roasted pepper salsa), then beer battered white fish, two chicken tacos (the ONLY disappointment... please save yourself from blandness and don't order them, cause everything else was rockin), chorizo and potato (yum), and last but certainly not least the BBQ pork. The BBQ pork taco is rightly one of their signature dishes and is what I would go again and again to get by itself it was so tasty!

One tip I'd give as far as the ordering process. If you want to order a lot (max per person is 6), have them bring them to you 2 or 3 at a time so they don't get cold. That was our one bummer of the evening.

There's a bunch of salsas to choose from...none of them too hot and ALL of them flavorful, so be sure to mix it up. AND, if somehow the tacos aren't enough for you and you need some rice and beans, they've got you covered for just a little extra with a plate of good traditional Spanish rice and black beans. Plus, if you care to wash down your food with Sangria (or even go with friends and share a pitcher), theirs is quite nice(all flavor, no burn) and reasonably priced. So have fun guys and enjoy the holiday!

Refills: No, but they've got a great bar that's not overpriced
Price: $2 Taco Tuesdays

Joe's Pizza (of Santa Monica!)...bridging the gap between New York and LA for pizza!

111 Broadway (at Ocean Ave.)
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310)395-9222
Sun-Thurs 10AM-Midnight
Fri-Sat 10AM-3AM
CASH ONLY!

Joe's Pizza. Joe's. Pizza. A hole has been filled in me that I longed for ever since I moved out here.

After much buzz about Joe's Pizza (famous of Carmine and Bleecker in New York and just famous of New York period) and a bit of delay, are finally open in a great little spot in Santa Monica right by the ocean. Let me explain a little bit to the people of LA. Joe's to many in NY is the standard by which many New Yorkers set there level of quality for pizza. And while New York has many amazing pizza places Joe's really does have a certain something that you can't quite put into words. You can go anywhere in NY and get a great hot dog from any vendor and you can go just about anywhere in NY and get a great if not VERY decent slice of pizza but there is still one Joe's pizza.

Finding out the rumors were indeed true that they opened yesterday, I HAD to head on down there. Now let me explain, I'm in a play currently and was finishing up at 11 last night at Santa Monica and Vine and was compelled to go down there. That's what kind of hold Joe's has on me. I was past Mid City in the middle of the city, far from the 10, and headed all the way over to the ocean at midnight to grab a slice of this man's pizza. Upon arrival I see a super simple store front where they make pizza and that's obviously the main concern. A couple of tables with stools and that's about it but that's really all you need. Joe was telling me that earlier that day the place was a madhouse! Luckily for me, we went late, and LA people seem generally resigned to the fact that there isn't much nightlife out here unless you're clubbing or getting wasted some where. So this new location, while they still had customers popping in, was way more under control.

THE CHEESE!

THE PEPPERONI!

Citysearch was on-hand while we were there to "paparazzi" Joe in action

Stunning results!

In life, you hope that you find what you love doing and are able to make money doing it. Joe seems to be one of those fortunate of people of whom it's plain to see that he loves making people pizza, and feels a great satisfaction from making people happy with his craft. It's people like him that you want to be around when it comes to food.


So how's the pizza? Some of the best I myself have had the experience of tasting. Now I won't claim that this will be the best for you cause after all we all have differences of opinions when it comes to food, but I can wholeheartedly say that you'll at least like it...a lot. So many intangibles are involved from the sweetness of the sauce, to how the dough is thin and crunchy but has just the right amount of give to be able to fold. It's the consistency of the cheese and how all the ingredients interact with each other. It's the marriage of all things coming together, in the right amount of heat, where you get consistent results. Joe's Pizza has all this, not to mention the guy is just a sweet man who has got it down to a science. His pizza can only be understood by tasting it. Words fall flat when it comes to describing it.

I ordered up 2 slices, one cheese and one pepperoni and was very satisfied. And yet I was compelled to buy another slice to completely fill me up as if I was afraid Joe's wouldn't be there tomorrow. What profound pizza this is for me. Top it all off with the fact that they have bottled Coke and you have a meal that could become as popular in Santa Monica as In N Out and Fat Burger are in other places.

Oh, and did I mention the price? Try $2.50 for a slice. I think the idea is that he knows he can sell his pizza at such a great price because if you keep it at a price people can afford, they'll be more apt to come on back...with friends. So yeah he may lose a little at first on projected figures, but in the long run he's got you hooked. Sure it's worth more than that. At other places they they do in fact charge more, but it's hard to rationalize pricey pizza at anytime, because most people know what goes into making one.

As I pause and reflect on what we like and don't like, as people who just love food...and in the end isn't that what it should all be about? Just about what you like. Pizza is one of those things which should be based only on what you like, and not it's state of origin. But Joe, you make a mean pizza that is as New York as all 5 boroughs. But more importantly, you make a pizza that fits my idea of what great pizza tastes like. I welcome you with open arms and hope you never leave LA!

PS. They DELIVER! And here's the menu for download.

Free Refills: No
Entree Price Range: $2.50 to $2.75 a slice and pies range from $17 to $20

Westwood Burgers and Falafel...or should that be Westwood Falafel and Burgers

1945 1/2 Westwood Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310)475-4070
Mon-Sat 11AM-9PM

This may be one of my stranger posts. Don't let this deter you. Westwood Burger has been one of those locations that can't seem to survive and therefore changes owners and menus every couple years. My wife used to work directly in front of them for Monster.com in 2001 and ate there at least a couple times each week, and we had gone back to see if we'd be able to include it as a part of last week's "Tribute to the LA Burger Stand". Now, if my memory serves me correctly, Westwood Burger has morphed 3 times since she worked there. The new owner has had his version open for about a year now and though it's called Westwood Burgers and Falafel, I would highly push to call it Westwood Falafel and Burger.

We ordered up a lamb pita, a couple of cones of falafel (we started with one, which lead to another), and of course a burger. The lamb pita was pretty rocking with good sized chunks of tender juicy lamb of surprisingly high quality in a very fresh pita. The lettuce and tomato were equally as fresh. The overall eating experience was, to say the least, more than pleasant.

As stated just words ago we got a couple of cones of falafel. We originally ordered just one cone, ate those, and realized "Wow...these are pretty good...pretty darn good" (not to mention the killer sauces they served with them) . With that, we bought a second cone and devoured those as well. They weren't overly hardened and bland the way many many falafel are in LA. These things kicked serious butt, and heck, with their barely crisped exterior and flavorful well textured interior, they could possibly just sell these and do quite well for themselves.

How can you come to a place that says burger in the title and not get a burger? The burger, while done well and tasted pretty solid, didn't have much to it. Yeah, it was fresh, but the meat flavors didn't jump out at you. Don't get me wrong, it was still a good burger, just not up to the standards we held for last week's burger stands. And that's ok, because where they really shine is in their Mediterranean dishes.

Parking is street parking but there's also a parking lot connected to it that they give validation for, so you're completely covered no matter how you want to do it. The owner, who by the way is a totally sweet guy, was really enthusiastic about everyone who came in, and really, why shouldn't he be? He seems to be doing what he loves, making people great food that reflects his culture. I love LA.

Free Refills: No
Entree Price Range:$2.75 (those amazing falafels), $4 (those tasty pitas), to $8 (plate combos)

Tribute to Burger Stands Week On What's To Eat LA: Molly's Charbroiled Burger

1605 Vine St. (At Selma and Vine)
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323)462-8005
Mon-Fri 7AM-10PM
Sat 9AM-10PM
Sun Closed
CASH ONLY

Well it took me long enough to start this post. The joys of time management have turned into the curses of not enough time to do all that needs to be done. Now, let me preface this by saying that there are tons of "burger places", but few are stands. And, by "stands" I mean little hut like places that scream I ain't going nowhere anytime soon (unless I forget to pay the health inspectors off). These are places that have a food essence history on their grills that pay off with each burger or hot dog that's placed on it. We start off the week with Molly's Charbroiled Grill on Vine that's been there since 1929.

What can set apart one burger stand from another really? Good freaking meat, done well, that packs in loads of flavor. Molly's has probably changed hands more times than I don't know what, but from what older friends of mine have told me, the meat that they use has always remained the same. Thick and juicy and slightly tangy special sauce that really brings the onion on it to life. Not horribly drippy but trust me, that patty is a sponge of beefy goodness. Whatever you do...get it with onions. The onions on their burgers bring the entire thing to life.

Another item of note is their polish sausage (usually made of pork for you who might not know) . Now here's where I may throw some controversy out there. If Carney's were not around, this would be THE polish dog to beat. The dog itself is a testament to how a grill can add so much flavor to what's being cooked on it. The smokiness that gets inside of this dog is a bit of "wow". We're not talking burnt flavor were talking intense smokiness that invades the very crevices of it. It's about a 4 to 5 on the spiciness scale and is super meaty without any elasticity. A wonderful "street" dog that is good just about anytime of day especially when you wash it down with your favorite beer (or rootbeer ;) .

The stand itself is cozy with seating inside and outside the hut area. Though street parking can be hectic in Hollywood especially this close to the Pantages theatre and Hollywood Blvd. in general at least they're pretty fast and cheap to boot. If you've passed by this place and have wondered...wonder no more and go chow down on some goodness.

Refills: No, but discounted
Entree Price Range: Burgers are $2.75 to $4.60 and that killer Polish dog is $3.95

Rae's Restaurant...workingman's breakfast to soothe the soul

2901 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310)828-7937
Daily 5:30AM-10:30PM

When I was growing up on the East Coast we had (and they still do for that matter) diners that served up food that was super inexpensive and packed with people who know that diners should never cost a lot. These people weren't cheap but they knew that there's no reason to throw away hard earned money. Rae's Restaurant has been around since 1958 and has seemingly stuck to being a diner of the old school. God bless them for it.

You won't see too many places like Rae's left in LA. They're around but you have to really look hard for them. Sure you could say Norm's is like it, but they don't have the magic like Rae's. The magic isn't in the orange cushioned booths or the long counter with it's monochromatic blue chairs. It's more like the place is just a living entity that houses all the good that people have brought in with them over the years.


While they do offer lunch and dinner as well, breakfast is really what diners are all about and this one is no different. The breakfasts here shine (not just from grease) and have prices that would stun LA. Here's a snapshot of their Hobo Breakfast that has a ham steak, 2 sausage, 2 bacon, 2 eggs and a 3 stack of hot cakes...and the staggering price? $6.25. If you think it looks good, it tastes even better. Their griddle is old and all the years of use have likely added to the killer taste of the meats and the consistency of the pancakes being what they are. It's a hearty breakfast for one or a lighter breakfast for 2 that will have you thinking about when's the next available time you want to go out for breakfast.

We grabbed some of their biscuits and gravy last time we went specifically cause I wanted to show you their simplistic and yet terrifying beauty. Behold. Oh and the price...$1.85.

Though we went for breakfast, we grabbed a shake, cause dang it...lactose intolerance is for wimps (and for people who can't smell). Their shakes are smoothe and tall with lots of chocolate but not on overkill thankfully (so many shakes are ruined tasting like melted chocolate syrup soup).

Their 2+2+2 (2 eggs, 2 bacon or sausage and 2 hot cakes) goes for $4.50. They have a Bacon Tid Bit Waffle that has bacon bits in it (fresh bacon bit from the grill...waste not want not I always say). Their lunch time burgers stack up well to most burger stands in LA. They are always packing people in, and though a line is never unusual to see, the turnaround is super fast. Heck, as far as diner's go, this is one place I'm proud to eat at.

Free Drink Refills: You bet
Entree Price Ranges: Breakfasts cost from $4 to $6.50, burger plates for lunch $3.25 to $6.25, dinner specials are $8 but they have steaks that only top out at $10.50 for filet mignon.

George's Coffee Shop (For those early morning runs to LAX that I do so often)

5439 Sepulveda Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
(310) 737-4238
Mon-Sat 6AM-3PM
Sun 6AM-2PM

As I hustle off from my desk I wanted to let you guys in a on little spot I hit when I have to head towards LAX. George's Coffee Shop has been at the same spot for about 30 years or so and the prices seem like they've barely changed.

It's owned by a cool older Korean couple that just serves up great breakfasts to the regulars who seem to have been going there for quite some time (most of the people chatted with them). Such a small thing to mention as well, but I loved the counter in the center of the room. Just cool.



What you are looking at above cost us $12 and some change and came out in record time (another plus for heading to the airport). Their 2+2+2 (shown above as well) was only $3.65 and was as close to home cooked as you could make it. My eggs and spam (I grew up on it... so sue me) was tasty and not too heavy either. Something about this place just makes me want to go back. Probably a culmination of price and homeyness. Possibly due to the fact that I grew up on the East Coast (Connecticut and New York) and places over there like this flourish so widely and are super affordable... just like this place. You can quote me as saying this place is a little "Nostalgic". My post wouldn't be complete without saying that they also bring some Korean plates to the menu that are very welcomed such as a Bulgogi Omelet and stir fried veggies. They also have a pretty darn good cup of coffee. Now, after all isn't that what should be pretty darn good at a coffee shop?

Free Drink Refills: No (unless of course you get the coffee)
Entree Price Range: Thinking off the top of my head I remember that nothing was over $6...how could I forget something like that?!

Empanada's Place

3811 Sawtelle Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90066
(310) 391-0888
Tues. - Sun. 11AM-8PM
Mondays Closed

For those of you who don't know what empanadas are...it's basically a stuffed pastry plain and simple but it's oh so much more than that. How can it be more than just that? It's what you put in the thing that can blow your mind. Many different countries from around the world have their versions of empanadas but most of them generally look like this.

This little shack that is just steps away from Venice Blvd. on Sepulveda is a welcome addition to my list of places you should hit for sure at least once so that you can become addicted to these tasty little delicasies. You walk in and it reminds you of an old coffee shop that sells pastries on the side. Quaint and with tiny tables. I wouldn't say bring a huge group of people but 3 or 4 could grab a great plate of food. They have a plentiful list of fillings for their empanadas such as chicken, beef, both spicy beef and spicy chicken, potato and cheese, corn, spinach, ricotta, tucumana (chopped beef w/ hard boiled eggs...so stinking good!), and the classic criolla style which is beef, raisins, green onions, eggs and assorted spices just to name a few from there menu. Now for the blow you away part...only $2.75 a piece and they are of substantial size (about the size of my hand in length and pretty well filled). The place is real deal with actual Argentinian owners and actual Argentinean customers (sometime...I'm not Argentinean and most of you aren't either, but I swear they came in and talked for days about everything and then left with a dozen empanadas). And speaking of a dozen, you can get a dozen for $27.50 and let's not forget that they reheat wonderfully if you have leftovers, but I doubt you will.

The 2 small things you need to remember about coming here is that's it a cash only place and that parking is only the surrounding streets. Don't let that stop you...this place rocks and is worth it even just to swing by and grab some takeout from them. I want to say more about this place but my mouth is watering so I'll stop.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range: $2.75...man it feels good writing that!

Duke's Coffee Shop

8909 Sunset Blvd.

West Los Angeles, CA 90069

(310) 652-3100

Mon-Fri 7:30AM-8PM

Sat & Sun 8AM-3:30PM

I go to Duke's to bring lots of people to an LA grease spoon. You walk in and there are long table rows like when you were at camp and the staff are just friends. I would say catch breakfast there as it's some of the best in town. It's great also becuase say you want to bring 20 people into their you can all sit together and it's no big issue. I can totally recommend the Idiot's Delight (an omellette with sauteed mushrooms, green peppers, onions, diced ham, fresh spinach, seasoned with curry, blended with 3 scrambled eggs, served with sliced tomatoes and sourdough bread) (named after the original owner's son beleieve it or not)which is something special indeed or how about the Revenge plate (3 scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes, serranos, green pepper, seasoned with chili pepper, topped with avocado and sour cream) which is a favorite for many. They have something that I've had that's just weird enough to make you think did they actually do that and if they did who thought up that plate. Check it: a peach chutney and walnut omellete. Sounds weird and it is weird but something about makes you curious enough to try it. I did. It's pretty stinking good. I would recommend a bagel with cream cheese on the side just cause the sweetness of it can get to you after awhile so it's nice to bite into something that can balance it out. The food here is good in general and though not the healthiest it is worth it to pop on by. It is located next to not one but 2 venues...one being the Cat Club and right next door to the Cat Club is the world famous Whisky A-Go-Go. I don't include it as venue food though cause Duke's isn't open that late.

Duke's was also a favorite drop in point when actors and rock stars didn't mind being seen by normal people. There walls are covered with so many famous people who dropped and thanked them that it's not even funny. I mean Quentin Tarantino likes this place...come on now.

I wish I had taken more pictures of this place especially from the inside. To be honest I'm writing this edition and I feel like I can't say enough about this place. In all honesty I don't care if you like this place as much as me but I absolutely love this place and would heartbroken if it ever dissappeared. There's a little bit of me in this place. On a Sunday at around noon or so you wouldn't be surprised to see me in there with about 10 other people. It's a restaurant that's a sort of an old soul.

Bottomline is that Duke's is a great place that's been around for a very long time in Hollywood and has good food at decent prices with a great staff that seems to have been there forever (there's one female waitress (only that I know of there) that in my opinion is one of the best waitresses in LA). If you see her tell her I talked about this place and her.

Free Drink Refills: Yes

Entree Price Range: $6 to $9

PS. Sorry about the delay in writing...sometimes I get caught up in life and I forget that the same hand I eat with needs to stop for a moment to write about eating as well.

Merkato...I agree with everyone else in LA

1036 1/2 Fairfax Ave.

Los Angeles, California 90019

(323) 935-1775

Everyday 11AM-11PM

Here's some cheap, amazing Ethiopian food in Little Ethiopia. If you haven't eaten Ethiopian you're in for a real treat. No utensils. You eat with your hands by tearing off a piece of buckwheat spongey bread called injera. The meal also comes out family style on a huge piece of injera. Lots of savory meats flavored in ways you forgot your mouth could taste.

Merkato is located in Little Ethiopia just south of Olympic on Fairfax. I'd have to recommend you trying the Tibbs (cubes of beef with onion, tomatoes and green chillies), the lentils which are seasoned to be a little spicy and tenderly flavorful, the Yedoro Wot (chicken stewed in red pepper sauce with an assortment of spices served with hard boiled egg), and the Yebeg Alicha Wot (mild lamb stew, delicately spiced with garlic, ginger and other assorted spices). These dishes are absolutely to die for and are healthy servings as well! Before I forget, they also have some great vegetarian dishes (of note are the cabbage dish and the collard greens dish both flavored on the mild side) that also satisfy the vegan in you who loves cows but not the way McDonald's does.

A story, if you will, about the first time we went to have Ethiopian goes like this... One day coming home from work we just up and decided to go have Ethiopian. We had passed by the area plenty of times on our way home and thought now's as good a time as any. We picked out Merkato just cause it looked friendly and was open. We went in, got our table and started looking over the menus that were... if you'll excuse the pun, very foreign to us. We ordered a couple of items, some veggie and some carnivore, to get the full experience. After a couple of minutes we see another table's dinner coming out... and the plate was basically what appeared to be large cubes of uncooked beef! We got a little worried cause we realized that we didn't check to see that our food was cooked... we just assumed it would be. It was nice that some of the people at the table saw us getting worried and laughed it up a bit as they chomped down on the cow flesh. Come to find out later that they were eating a dish called Tere-sega. If I'm ever bold enough to buy it I'll let you know my thoughts on it.

In the end I remind you that this place is cheap... really cheap. You can have a bunch of your friends out for family dining and all eat off the same plate with your hands just like when you were a kid and spent the night at your friends place.

Free Drink Refills: No (but once again I'll say try the Ethiopian beer with it...they pair very well together and I do beleieve they have their food in mind when they are creating it).

Entree Price Range: $7 to $10

P.S. They are attached to their own market so if you want to attempt such delicasies yourself you can buy the ingredients right there!

Sultani Restaurant

1535 N. La Brea Blvd.

Hollywood, CA 90028

(323)876-3389

Mon-Sat 11-11PM

Sun 12-10PM

I was going to a study last night when I decided that we should go to a new place all together. We happened upon this little hidden treasure that is tucked away in a little strip mall just North of Sunset on La Brea. Sultani Restaurant has been in the same location since the mid 70's and must be doing something right for being there that long! The place is a humble little spot tucked away so that you could blink and miss it but if you do miss it you'll be missing a great deal on some down home Persian food (for those shying away from Middle Eastern cuisine, please don't...you'll thank me later). The menu had tasty perfect size plates that satisfied that spot in your mouth for something a little off the beaten path. We had the Mini Koobideh plate and the Chicken Shawerma plate and both were just delightful. The Koobideh meat was absolutely to die for. Let's not forget the prices which were aimed at people who don't spend more than $35 for a pair of jeans.

The guy running the place who gave me some background on the restaurant seemed happy to see new people in there who weren't ummm...Middle Eastern. Great service and by the way they deliver (mini. $10.00 order for free deliver)! While dining, we heard more to go orders than in store orders which just goes to show you that you can't judge an empty restaurant by it's in-house customer volume.

This is the kind of place that you can walk to after taking a stroll down Hollywood Blvd. and don't desire all the chain restaurants that litter the area.

Free Drink Refills: No

Entree Price Range: $7 to $8

Buddha's Belly

7475 Beverly Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90036

ph: 323-931-8588

M-Th 12-10pm

Fri-Sat 12-11pm

Sun 3pm-10pm

This is precisely what I'm talking about! Last night I drove around for about an hour and a half in LA looking for a place to eat! I have driven by this place countless times in search of food and thought..."hmmm, looks a little pricey for me right now. For this part of town and having valet...yeah has to be expensive. Maybe I'll catch it some other time." I WAS WRONG!

Let me start by saying the prices are shockingly affordable! The food, which is glorious Pan-Asian, was dynamite! The service was exceptional! This place is deceptively excellent. We had these Albacore andAvocado Spring Rolls that were crafted by masters!

(Had to take a pic with the camera phone)

The Har Gow (steamed dumplings with chinese hot mustard soy dipping sauce) was large and well balanced. Celeste had the Wok tossed vegetables and I had the Ahi Tuna Burger with Sweet Potato Fries. Everything was just great. We'll DEFINITELY be returning there for more of there amazing food.

The staff was friendly and the cooks looked like they love what they were doing:

By the way, we parked on the street and didn't do valet though valet is cheap enough if you want to use it (as can be seen by the top picture).

Free Drink Refills: Yes

Entree Prince Range: $8 to $16 (only one dish was $16 most were way less)