Surfas, Bristol Farms, the poultry guy at the original Famers' Market, the specialty "live poultry" places, (who'll want you to take the rest of the duck, too...)

There's OK tomatoes to be had in LA in April, even ones grown in California, albeit not ideal ones. I assume Racion could make it happen.

Part of what I once described as "operating from the Los Feliz Fred Eric School of Restaurant Management". The underlying model seems to be "we are granting you the privilege of eating this. IF you don't like any aspect of the experience, how's that OUR problem?" "Part of your order not here yet? Why are you tied to that old dining paradigm?" "NO, you cannot have your salad without bacon. WE don't allow modifications."

OK, I'll bite, so to speak. What is "Mexicali style" Chinese food, and how is it different from other gringoized or semi-gringoized Chinese food?

Before you dump the shrimp idea forever, try weighing the actual meat you get from a pound of shrimp, and comparing it to the actual amount of meat you get from a pound of live lobster. I'm going to guess ('cause I ain't tried it myself) that shrimp yields 2 to 4 times as much food per purchased pound.

I gotta put a vote in for Versailles; the Venice B. original location, though it's NOT "elegant". . The food is "basic" enough that it may pass muster with her, and tasty enough so you're not suffering; the service is VERY fast, and the prices are VERY low, so you won't feel like you're spending for something that is going unappreciated. It's also where I went for my first date with my wife, some 27 years ago, so it has romantic potential.

Not even close, if you mean dinner AND drinks. Last I was there, their smallest steak was about $35, "non-meaty" salads were about $10-15, sides were 7-10, and I don't think there was anything to drink other than soda or coffee that would set you back less than about $15, so figure a minimum of $75 per person, without tip or tax...

Where "Frankie Moof" aka "Fat Frank" (Sr.) was ultimately busted by the Feds., and his non-mobbed-up son is still running the place.

OK, just to reply, I've now followed the original thread through 4 or 5 subsequent "locked" threads. To quote D. Duck: "What a way to run a railroad!"

I'm about to go to Europe, and for the first time since the Jim Leff "mimeo print" days, I am NOT relying on CH as my main chow-finding resource... count me as UNhappy....

OLD!

Hate it hate it, hate it. Don't even like the sign-in screen!

How do you feel about their widely heralded guava/cheese pastry?

BBoy, that's in my 'hood; I'll check!

Looks a lot like the pie we're talking about; do they make this in-house?

Actually, forgot to mention that I'd had SLJ suggested and that the Woman In The Hat and I tried it this last Sunday; it was good, but that's NOT the pie we're talking about; has sloped sides, for one thing...

Responding to myself, because I still can't find it! Any actual sightings?

Patout's was much shorter-lived of the two; came in after Orleans, and closed first. Orleans was working largely from Paul Prudhomme's play-book; I remember a pasta there with tasso and oysters in a cream sauce that was a true red-pepper/garlic/cholesterol bomb; wonderful stuff but dense as plutonium.

Still can't find it; been to four branches of Jon's, SuperKing, Ralphs, Vons, the Latino market on 3rd east of Alvarado. Is there a shortage? Saw that Cholula is now making a chipotle salsa; how does it stack up?

The strong, can't-get-'em-in-NY points would be Thai and Mexican. (Chinese, too, but that's out of your way, since the real Chinese in LA is over in the SGV.) Night #1 is closest to Thaitown. If you're pepper-tolerant, Cam The Man swears by LaCha Somtum's Som Tum, (and the duck larb) with Ruen Pair running a close second. Not walking distance, but a short drive.

Anyone have any thoughts about the comparable question for Orange County?

Seen it at Jon's city-wide, too!

I'm glad they wised up about their previous "NO, we will not only not cut your pizza, we will not give you a knife to aid you in YOUR sacrilegious desire to cut the pizza" attitude.

Those (Carousel and Adana) would have been my go-to suggestions. Never had a bad meal at either. Zankou is in my view unfortunately now wildly inconsistent, both between branches and day-to-day at various branches.