elspie

Duke’s is named in honor of Duke Kahanamoku, the father of surfing, and was begun in Hawaii. The food, as well as the laid-back atmosphere are as authentic as it gets! At dinner, it’s “nice casual” dress; for lunch, you’ll be fine in jeans. They also serve a glorious brunch buffet on Sundays.

The Barefoot Bar is very popular with singles and young couples, and their drinks are all wonderful. Don’t miss their mai tai!

Though the bar is usually buzzing with youthful energy, the dining room is pleasantly quiet and relaxing. The decor reflects its Hawaiian roots, with plenty of surf memorabilia. The entire wall facing the ocean is glass and the views are incomparable on a clear night. Seagulls land on the rocks outside the window; their antics are often quite amsuing. On weekend nights, you will be softly serenaded by a strolling ukelele player with a lovely crooning voice. Be careful, though, his sidekick may try to get you to stand up and hula with him!

This is not an inexpensive meal, though not exorbitant (last time I picked up the check there, dinner for 3 adults and a kid, with 3 cocktails was $140), but sooooo worth the price. If I remember correctly, the menu is a la carte.

Wonderful, fresh, flavorful food, and friendly service. We have yet to eat anything we didn’t love there, and the staff treat us like old friends. This place has ruined us for other thai restaurants. Every time we go somewhere else, we find ourselves wishing we could be at Soho, instead! My boyfriend and I always leave Soho with smug “food-gasm” smiles on our faces!!

The Black Cow cafe makes some of the most wonderful brunch foods ever! Their waffles are divine, and everything they serve is fresh and beautiful. Their coffee is delicious, and they also have an espresso bar. Be prepared to wait up to 45 minutes for weekend brunch, but the wait is pleasant, and the food is worth it. Service can be a little slow but again, it’s a relaxed, laid-back experience, not a quickie meal.

They also make wonderful sandwiches and very creative and tasty salads (beware, these are HUGE!) and baked goods. The gelato counter has a world of temptation!

My follow-up review for this restaurant. Read my previous review for this restaurant here

Hawaiian Plate Lunch at its finest! If you’re not familiar, “plate lunch” is basically Hawaiian fast food, and it’s DELICIOUS! At L & L, plate lunch includes whatever entree you choose, fragrant jasmine rice, and their very unique and yummy macaroni salad. I’m not sure what’s in it, but I think it may have tuna and some cheese…it’s soooo creamy! The Northridge store usually has malasadas (Hawaiian beignets), manapua (BBQ pork buns, very much like the Chinese cha siu bau), and haupia (they call it a coconut pudding, though it reminds me more of coconut jello…soooo good when the thermometer is topping 90 degrees!), but they aren’t on the menu. Not all L & L stores make these items, but be sure to ask for them, they’re all wonderfully authentic Hawaiian junk food!

This particular L & L store has limited seating, and the lines can be long at peak hours. You can call in your order ahead of time and/or do takeout to avoid these issues.

The “full” order plates are quite a lot of food. Most people will find the “mini” (which has less rice and mac salad) plenty. If you’re a very hungry carnivore, try the Mix Plate, which has chicken, BBQ beef, and ribs. This is a very inexpensive meal, comparable in price to other fast food, and much more interesting to eat!

If you’ve been to England, you know that most “English pubs” in America are sorry excuses for the real thing. The Whale & Ale is a definite exception! When you walk in, your nose is filled with the tantalizing scent of hot, fresh bread (which is delicious beyond description!), and your ears are filled with the happy buzz of conversation and music.

The staff are friendly and professional, and another nice-but-rare-feature in southern California; they accept reservations!

The food is brilliant, and, for the quality, it’s quite cheap. Their bartender makes a very good Pimm’s lemonade, and they have an interesting selection of excellent beers.

The Omelette and Waffle Shop does some very creative and yummy things with their omelettes and with good ol’ Krusteaz waffle mix. The place is old, funky, cramped, and sticky. The service is slow and mildly surly, and you will need to be somewhat…um…proactive, if you want your coffee refilled. Often, there is a long wait, and parking is very limited. Our rule of thumb is if we can get a parking spot, and there’s no people lined up outside, we’ll eat there. If there’s a big line, we drive on.

The food is plentiful, delicious, and fairly inexpensive. If you can forgive the atmosphere, it’s certainly worth an occasional visit!

The food here is awesome. The service is a little slow, and the wait can be quite long, but you can call ahead to be placed on the wait list for a table. The good news is that once you have a table, you can have a nice leisurely meal, and they never rush you. This place is popular with families, so if you are annoyed by small children’s noise, you should probably skip this one. This is a bustling, energetic restaurant, not a quiet dinner. It’s sawdust-on-the-floor-casual, delicious, fresh, and friendly.The fresh, hot cheese-garlic rolls they bring when you order are addictively good, and it’s difficult not to stuff yourself on them before dinner arrives!

Brent’s is really good Jewish deli food. The portions are GI-NORMOUS so plan to share dishes! I’ve never met anyone who could finish one of their sandwiches alone, and I know some pretty hearty eaters! The place is usually packed for weekend breakfast, and almost every night for dinner, so if you’re going then, expect a wait, but normally, not more than 30 minutes. The service is a little slow; if you’re in a hurry, this is not the place for you. Don’t miss the yummy baked treats for dessert, and they also have carry out and local delivery before 8 pm (I think the minimum order for delivery is $25).

It’s hard to explain why I give this restaurant 5 stars, because it’s old and funky, and sometimes, the hash browns taste like fish. The first time we went there, my boyfriend remarked that it was like having a meal with his Italian family. It is run by an Italian family, and the patriarch, Joe Canetti (a WWII veteran, who opened Canetti’s in 1957), often makes fresh doughnuts on weekend mornings. Joe is a treasure, and is often out on the floor, chatting with the patrons and feeding people samples!

Seat yourself wherever you can. The menu is on several chalkboards around the dining room. The walls are charmingly covered in interesting things, such as vintage calendar pages, newspaper articles (“Sub Attacks California”), photos of planes and sail boats, and other memorabilia. The place is often buzzing with the pleasing frenzy of the old San Pedrans sitting together in groups of 10 or more, talking over politics, family, sports, etc., and it just has a wonderfully comforting and homey atmosphere, and gives you a sense of “roots.”

The fish here is literally right-off-the-boat-fresh (it’s about 100 yards from the commercial fishing dock), and always cooked to perfection. Last weekend, we saw one decadent fellow eating lobster and eggs for breakfast! Not my cup of tea for breakfast, but the (fresh California) lobster looked delectible, and I plan to eat it for dinner ASAP! If you’re eating healthier they also make wonderful, steel-cut oatmeal (none of that instant junk!) and beautiful bowls and cups of fresh fruit, nicely assorted and always ripe.

Canetti’s is my favorite way to begin any weekend morning, with their good and plentiful coffee; Joe’s doughnuts (get there early, or the regulars will eat them all!) and warm, friendly service. They are open for breakfast and lunch every day, but only open for dinner on Fridays, at present.

I really look forward to weekend breakfast at Rex’s. It’s a welcoming place where the locals gather for breakfast. Many of us walk there because parking can be a challenge, but once you’re there, it’s all good!

The friendly staff will keep your cup full of the best coffee in town. The food is made with nice, fresh ingredients, with baked goods mostly made from scratch. Even in Winter, you’ll get a lovely bowl of fresh fruit with your breakfast!

The chorizo scramble is delicious, especially with the brown rice! The pancakes are easily a foot in diameter, so only order one, unless you’re a really big eater!

They make their own granola, which is a yummy way to do a healthier breakfast, with or without yogurt on top. If you’re really hungry, try the bowl that comes with granola, steel cut oatmal, and hot multi-grain cereal all in one.

They’re open til 2pm for lunch daily, too!