There are probably good local joints that I don't know about, but there's a Hamburger Hamlet on Sepulveda and National that would be do-able from the airport. Also if more casual is OK I've heard good things about Ford's Filling Station in Culver City but I haven't been myself.

Ordering at the Palm is pretty easy which is part of the reason I like it. My standard is order is West Coast Gigi salad, bone in ribeye, half and half (fried potatoes and onions), creamed spinach, and sauteed mushrooms. Pretty hard to go wrong though.

Last month i ate at Peppone's in Brentwood.

The place was the bomb. Old school red leather godfather seats. Attentive service. Well-prepared food with stuff like "filet mignon meatballs" (that melted in your mouth)

But the main attraction is their winelist. They buy wine on release and then never change the price. I saw "Dominus- any vintage $89" They brought a 1990 and it rocked. Then tried a 1987 Mondavi Reserve cab for $69. There were probably a couple thousand wines to choose from, including some 1st and 2nd growth Bordeaux from good years and lots of Italians I had no clue about.

Check it out....

Can anyone recommend a good cheap place to get a haircut? In the general vicinity of LAX, but it doesn't need to be super close by any means.

Also, I'll be taking in LA for the first time this weekend. I've read a fair amount of this thread and will pick up the rest before I go.

All pretty much dead on, Sangria is a lot of fun, but pretty much that whole area is an awesome place to live. So much to do and all within walking distance.

As for the golf, in and around LA it pretty much blows, but if you head a little more inland you can find some pretty good deals, just depends on how willing you are to travel.

Trump blows. What a gimmicky course. What a joke that he compares that to Pebble Beach and says it is worthy of a US Open. Go ask the women who played an LPGA event there what they think of the course.

Best bet for golf is Rustic Canyon to the North of Los Angeles. Some good course in Orange County too.

In LA proper, you are SOL. Got to belong to a country club.

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/roundup/42562

This sounds so awesome. I am going to go to every single one of them and write a TR or something. Yum

It should be noted that both Bay Cities and Mario's are Italian deli's, but they are two of the best, comparable to good East coast Italian Deli's.

I thought lapdances were 20 everywhere. They're TEN at starz. wow. That has exciting/depressing implications
If I ever get the urge to wreck my bankroll, instead of playing 100-200, I could afford 65 hours of straight lapdances. That's good to know.

QFD (quoted for degeneracy)

There's nothing quite like having direct position on a guy who is playing 100% of his hands while simultaneously working his way through a six inch stack of lotto scratchers and averaging one beer per orbit.

After sifting through all the restuarant recs, I'm chiming in with the best that have been left out:

Steakhouses:

Top two are

CUT - Beverly Wilshire Hotel restaurant opened by Wolfgang Puck. Great steaks (kobe can be had here). Star power is huge here. I saw Keanu Reeves, Larry King, Ryan Seacreast and Lindsay Lohan here on the same night. Food solid from apps to dessert. Bring the Platnium card because it's $$$$$.

Mastro's - Originally from Texas, great steaks and prime rib. Pre-order prime rib ahead of time because they only serve a limited amount. This place skewers a little older and is also located in BH.

(BOA used to have the best dry aged steak but they've deteriorated a lot since they first opened).

Sushi:

For purists, there are two places to mention:

Sushi Sushi - small non descript joint run by a nazi style chef but he is an expert. Traditional sushi. No crazy rolls. Also in BH.

Sushi Gen - Little Tokyo (Downtown). Hands down the most consistent sushi restaurant. You will not have fresher fish then here.

Italian:

Mozza is hands down the best restaurant right now. Other bests:

Madeo's - Traditional family run Italian restaurant who make the best italian food. This is MY FAVORITE restaurant hands down. Located on Beverly Blvd. Swanky and reeks of old hollywood. Great pastas, seafood. Sole is to die for if it's on the menu.

Vito's - Best NY style pizza in LA. No competition. Went to Joe's in Santa Monica and was disappointed. Mulberry St. Pizza comes a close second to Vito's (on La Cienega).

Others:

Spago's - UNDERRATED. Tasting menu is the best meal in town.

Urasawa - I haven't been here but it's considered the best sushi place in all of LA. They import the fish from Tokyo and serve blowfish. Only problem is they charge minimum $300 a person for food (omakase style). Alcohol is additional.

Joe's - Shaniac mentioned this place and I just wanted to add that they serve the best brunch (3 courses) in town. Very reasonable too.

I've eaten everywhere in LA and if anyone wants a rec for a particular type of restaurant and in a certain area, just post and I will reply.

Major dissenting opinion here. I work around the corner from Vito's and every other week or so I will decide I want some appallingly mediocre pizza with fancy toppings and settle for the edible but forgettable meal that is Vito's. As far as I'm concerned there's better pizza right across the street from Vito's at the Stone Fire place.

Joe Peeps in N. Hollywood is the best pizza I've ever had in LA.

Snowball,

To clarify, the place downtown has 10 buck lapdances, not Starz. I can't remember the name but I'm sure my brother does. If Starz had 'em for 10 that would be the nutz.

Things NOT to do in L.A.- drive on La Cienega south to the 405 south when 3 lanes are blocked. Took me an hour and a half to drive ~10 miles to work this morning.

Oh yeah, checked out Sharky's on Cahuenga based on the recommendation in this thread. Shrimp burritos were pretty good too. Now I gotta move up to the nosebleeds so I can go to some of these balla places.

I go to USC and I don't have a car. What's a good restaurant to take a date within reasonable taxi distance? Budget is pretty flexible...let's shoot for under $25 entrees.

Joker - haven't been to the new location Vito's (only went when it was in Los Feliz back in the day, it was solid) but heard it's not that great anymore.

I just went to Terroni on Beverly (by the Grove) and thought the pizzas were very good -- nice thin crust, charred, high quality ingredients. Some of the best I've had in LA (better than Joe's though could be sample size issue). I've heard their pastas are good too. Here's Jonathan Gold's Review of the place.

Rest. Website (Interesting, looks like they're a Toronto multi-location restaurant opened up shop in LA.)

-Al

There's only two pies I get from Vito's: Plain cheese and the mediterranean veggie pie. As for Stone Fire, I wasn't too impressed. Everyone has their own preference. Note, I also tend to bring my pies home and reheat them in the oven to get a nice crispy texture. I think Vito's stands apart from a lot of the other places because of the chewy/crispy texture of their crust (which also is seasoned). This is only my opinion and everyone has their own taste/view. I would try Mulberry if you haven't had it yet. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.

If you're looking for a very light thin upscale pizza, I would recommend Mozza Pizzeria. It's not pizza in the true sense (NY style) but it's tasty, light and delicious.

I've also heard someone recommend a place called Pizza Bella located on Highland and Franklin. It's located (in all places) within a little market in the mini-mall. I'm going to have to venture out to there.

Hmmm. I think Downtown LA is your best bet. Here is a list of choices:

Water Grill - seafood oriented restaurant. Upscale and expensive (might be out of your range). May be the best restaurant in downtown. If money is no object, you may want to check out Patina in the Walt Disney Hall. Not my type of food but very popular among the foodies.

Zucca - Italian food. Solid, good ambience and within your price range. Part of the Patina group.

Engine Co. 28. - Firestation inspired food (think home cooking).

Sushi Gen - Best traditional sushi but can be expensive and also expect a wait.

Roy's - Asian fusion. Not my cup of tea but has a loyal following.

Take her here afterwards for drinks:

Edison bar (entrance from a back alley and located in a former boiler room makes it feel like NY)
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/pro...he_edison.html
'
Or, if you like hip divey bars, there's the Golden Gopher.


If you can reach out towards Hollywood/Beverly Center, it opens up a lot more as far as quality of restaurants.

I second the rec on Terroni's.

It's probably best for my diet that I don't live near one anymore.

so where is everyone taking his dates on v-day? i remember someone (possibly LFS) writing a tr about blue velvet and im considering that. anyone?

I've heard it's gone a bit down hill since it first opened. Beautiful space, unisex bathroom and high prices. I think you can find a better place for V-day.

these are things i do on a weekly basis (when in season) so they cant be that bad...

bet the ponies at santa anita
get a pizza at mozza
get a round in at los verdes
have a burrito deep in east l.a. at el tepayac
see a cross town rivalry (lakers v. clips or dodgers v. angels)
have a #19 at langers
play some mixed at commerce or bike til about 3am
take my massive win (lol) to Pacific Dining Car for a 330am baseball steak
get a godmother at baycities
smoke a ttt trinidad at the beach (very secretly)
chilicheese fries and arrogant bastard at barneys
out to broadway bar or standard l.a. w/ the wife
dan tanas for some of mikes special under the counter liquor and ninos chicken parm
back to my place to let the dog out

As Ice Cube says, "Today was a good day."

Now that's a great way to spend time in LA...

Pacific Dining Car at 6th and Union downtown is open 24/7. Steak joint, expensive but good. Old school. I've had a number of great meals there heading home from poker really late.

Synnister,

I disagree strongly on Sushi Gen. While the sushi is very good, I just don't understand waiting that long when Sushi Go 55 is just down the street for similar quality fish with MUCH better atmosphere and service.

Anyone judging NY style pizza in LA without having had Nicky D's in Silverlake doesn't have enough information.

RE: Steak, after another couple visits I reiterate that Nick & Stef's downtown is among LA's best steak coupled with an A+ dining experience. Not cheap, but what is?

hanster,

I think going out for a fancy meal on Valentine's Day is for n00bs. Only good "event" dining experience I've had in LA was at Patina in the old Melrose location. Most places are overpriced, they're making the food in quantity so it's not freshly prepared, etc etc etc. Also, I think it Aloysius likes Blue Velvet, I haven't been.

limon,

I dig the way you do business. Your recommendations are stellar, particularly Langer's and late-night at PDC.