ErinB

Max in the east village. Pretty inexpensive southern italian, good. I'm pretty sure their pasta is homemade. Tight space, so you can hear everyone else's dinner conversation. Very fun, if you're into that. Haven't been in at least a year, but the last time I went it was great. They don't take reservations either.

Chocolate.

I have these pot holders that are made of a plastic that can be heated up to a high temp and won't melt. They have these grips on them and they are excellent for opening jars and what not. I got them at crate and barrel, but they have them at lots of other stores.

Moopheus, Thanks, I should have clarified my statements a little better. At most vegetarian indian places in NYC there will be vegan options. And, even most non-vegetarian, you just have to ask. Stone, it just depends on how picky your friend's wife is. I had a friend who was vegan, who wouldn't eat at any place they served meat. And, in addition to that, she preferred to eat at completely vegan places. Another vegan friend, didn't care one way or another and it was very easy to find food for her at most asian restaurants.

I would say avoid Quintessence, which is completely vegan, raw food. I had a bad meal there, but some other people have liked it. There's a thread on it, which I'm too lazy to link at the moment. There is a chain called Vegetarian Paradise or VP2, that has chinese food with fake meat, if you're into that stuff. I think a lot of indian food is vegan, or has vegan options like Madras in the East Village. Hangawi has vegan Korean food. Also, if you call in advance, I think Bouley will make a vegan tasting menu. Angelica Kitchen is another option, but I think the food there is really bland. There's the Candle Cafe which I've never been to. There's a place that has really good vegan pizza in the east village, but I forget the name. That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure I'll think of more. I would also suggest checking Zagat for vegetarian and vegan, since most vegetarian places have vegan options.

Sea Harbour on Sunday for Dim Sum is another place we've decided to go.

There will be a full and detailed report. The eating starts Friday. Definites are Udupi Palace and Ita-Cho, and some type of Chinese on Sunday. Strong possibility of dim sum.

I've heard there are some in the San Diego area, but unsure of where.

As long as we're adding descriptions, I'll put my 2 cents in. Cho Dang Gol: Korean, specializing in tofu. Good panchan. Easily one of the best Korean restaurants in the city. Midtown. When i've eaten there, my meals were always $15 and under per person. Also, I haven't seen any ethiopian restaurants mentioned. Queen of Sheba is one that i've eaten at, and it was pretty good and inexpensive, $15 and under per person. I haven't eaten at many others in the city, so I can't really compare. It's at 10th and 46th. Also here's a link to the NY Times best cheap restaurants.

Union Pacific is a classic example of a celebrity chef restaurant gone bad.

I had an average meal there in November. The combinations of flavors they used in dishes were too confusing and overwhelming. Dishes that should have been hot were not. My friend had gone about a year before I went and had an amazing meal there. I definitely think it has gone downhill.

I've never had Armenian food. What is it similar to, what are some traditional dishes. I'm planning on going to Ita-Cho, mainly because I love Japanese food, especially cooked food that isn't sushi (Honmura An is my favorite restaurant in NYC) and also because mixmaster b recommended it a while ago. We've figured out we can fit Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican into are schedule. The thing I'm having the hardest time with, is where to go in the San Gabriel Valley. I have general ideas, but what's the best for a novice?

Ok, based on posts, I'm now leaning towards definitely doing something Chinese. So, If anyone has any additional recs, let me know. Probably won't do Korean, on second thought, I've had a lot of it lately. And, probably definitely going to go to Artesia, but mainly for selfish reason, haven't had a chance to go down there yet, and I've really been craving Indian food.

Mongo_Jones, Thanks. Don't want to do Korean BBQ, would consider Korean. Ambience is not important, the food is most important. Ideally, i'd like casual inexpensive type places.

My friend is coming into town, and I want to give her a taste of the best LA has to offer. We have approximately 3 nights to go out to eat, and possibly one lunch. I wanted to do: Japanese, Mexican, and Indian, but am open to Chinese and/or any other Asian. Dim Sum is also a possibility. Here's what I'm thinking, so far: Ita-Cho: Japanese Guelaguetza: Mexican Udupi Palace or Woodlands in Artesia Possible backup includes Loteria Grill? For all of you who have been part of the NYC vs. LA debate, definitely let me know what you think. I’m especially looking to go somewhere that we definitely can't get anything comparable to in NYC. We’ve already done A.O.C and Jitlada.

Tissue, for what it's worth I don't think you're being nitpicky. Major faux pas to not bring the wine bottle out.

The ingredients I look most commonly for are Thai, Chinese, and Japanese. And, I really don't want to travel very far to get them. I was hoping for a one stop shopping type of place. In Connecticut, where I'm from, we have an asian market that carries Thai, Chinese, and Japanese ingredients, but I suppose that's probably less common here, given the more diverse and larger population. I guess I would probably go to Thai town, but ideally, I'm looking for anything around Westwood, Santa Monica, since I don't have much free time while I'm here, except on the weekends.

Bouley will also do a vegetarian tasting menu. The policy is, the whole table has to order the tasting menu, but if only 1 person is vegetarian, they will do veggie for just that person. My friend got it and said it was amazing.

I know the area, but wasn't sure which one to go to.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think the trick is that is was stewed for a long time. It tasted unlike any kale or spinach i've ever tasted. Usually i just saute it for a short period of time. Most of the recipees I found for it online had it in soup with white beans. We'll see how it actually turns out when I try to cook it.

I had dinner at A.O.C. in LA, and they had a dish on their menu called "Cavolo Nero." The explained it as black kale that had been stewed for a long time, but I'm sure it had other spices. It was amazing. Any thoughts on where I could find a recipe for something similiar to this or what cookbook?

Any recommendations for the closed with a good selection?

Ok, this could be another topic, but I'm sorry, a true foodie if that's what one calls them self (I do ...) wouldn't look down on a place just because it wasn't a Four Star Jean-Georges or what not. A true foodie will appreciate the place, regardless of the atmosphere, service etc. While those are nice perks for special occasions, it isn't a must. The most important thing is the food. And honestly, most of the regulars on this board, are here for the food. Clearly, if you are looking for a Four Star experience, there are more options in New York, but I always find one or two gems in every city. My favorite fine dining experiences include one restaurant in New York, one in Seattle, and one in the Berkshires. And, clearly, from my short time in LA, what LA does best is the Mexican, Thai, and other ethnic cuisines ... not to say that NYC doesn't have a few of those amazing restaurants as well. I would consider A.O.C. one of those restaurants that I haven't really found anything comparable to in NYC, and so far has been my favorite all around restaurant in LA.

I'm out too, my schedule has just gotten really crazy.

quesaxa, I just came to the area as well. Here's a thread with takeout type suggestions people gave me. In addition to the many other suggestions people gave, it's probably worthwhile to go through some of the old threads, since there's tons of recommendations, and none of them include the Cheesecake Factory. Check out the Thai thread, as there's some debate as to which is the best, although, I've been to Jitlada and loved it. Also for Mexican, which is close to where you are, check out Guelaguetza (Sepulveda & Palms).