Everyone loves Italian food and pizza and Bottega Louie has some tasty dishes that are combined with beautiful décor that you’ll have a hard time believing that you’re in LA. You simply have got to try the Portobello fries that everyone is talking about. And you can’t forget the onion soup either. It’s a perfect side dish for any entrée. As far as main dishes go, you can’t go wrong when you order the pizza. The pizza comes straight out of the oven piping hot and the ooey, gooey cheese is fantastic.

The décor is breath taking. The ceilings are high and elegant and the simplicity of the design adds to the ambience. It mimics Italy with the white marble, glistening bar and white walls. But it’s not one of those little Italian cafes, it’s huge and is loud, so don’t plan on having important conversations. The wait staff is attentive and knowledgeable about the dishes and restaurant.

They’ve got a full bar, so you can get any drink that you want or have a bottle of wine to go with your romantic dinner. You definitely have to try their desserts. The chocolate peanut tart is a perfect blend of chocolate and peanuts. Overall, four stars and a nice place to go to escape LA.

Bottega Louie
www.bottegalouie.com
(866) 418-9162
700 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Mon-Sun 6.30am to 11pm

Souplantation is a tried and true buffet. True to their name, they have lots of soups and salads. Their clam chowder is especially popular. You’ll get your greens and eagerly go back for more. The Won Ton Chicken Happiness salad is delicious and crunchy. Souplantation is a popular spot and often gets very crowded during the lunch and dinner rush. So go early so that you have first dibs on all the food and don’t have to wait for anyone.

It’s cheap to eat there, and you can often find coupons in your mail, making it even more of a bargain. They’ve got such a variety that you could go back a couple times a month, or week, and find something new. They change their soups and salads on a weekly basis. They’ve got restaurants all over California and in many of the western states, so you can always find a location near you.

You can eat just about all you want and not have to worry too much about calories, which is great news for those who are trying to get into tip-top swimsuit season shape. If you go to their website, you can find nutritional information as well. Though don’t get too carried away, because they have excellent desserts.

Souplantation
www.souplantation.com
(626) 458-1173
2131 W Commonwealth Ave
Alhambra, CA 91803

This is a great restaurant to go to for fine dining. You can treat yourself to authentic Brazilian food and they have a buffet for people like me who have a hard time making up their minds what they want to eat. They’re tech savvy as well. You can make a reservation online and even view a video of their restaurant and get a snake peek at the food cooking in the kitchen.

Porto Alegre Churrascaria is a Brazilian steakhouse, but they also have a fantastic salad bar. Beef, steak, chicken, pork, quail, turkey, lamb, and duck are just some of the meats on offer. Prices are a bit steep, but the quality more than makes up for it. If you’re on a budget, go online and look at their exclusive offers. Never hurts to save money. They have a great ambience going that will make you reluctant to leave. You’ll fall in love with the décor the moment you step in the door.

The salad bar deserves a rave of its own. Gotta try the salmon. It’ll melt in your mouth. There are heaps of choices and with four rows full of salad goodies, you’ll definitely find something you like. The asparagus is sweet, there are clams, calamari and other seafood, as well as the unexpected, such as fried bananas. It’s $35 a person, but money well spent.

Porto Alegre Churrascaria
www.portoalegre-churrascaria.com
(626) 744-055
260 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101
Mon-Fri 11.30am to 2.30pm
Mon-Thu 5 to 10pm
Fri-Sat 5 to 11pm

Food, drinks, ice cream, and a bakery can all be found at Milk, a young, hip restaurant that constantly gets rave reviews. They’ve had their share of write-ups in newspapers and have even been on Cupcake Wars, so you know that they know what they’re doing. Reminiscent of an old-fashioned soda shop, you can find just about everything you want for a quick lunch.

If you’re hungry, then grab a soup, salad, or sandwich. They even have a couple of pasta dishes. Got kids? No probs. They’ve got a special kids’ menu just for them. As far as drinks go, they’ve got the regular coffee, teas, and juices, but they’ve also got a rocking dulce de leche latte. And if you need a pick-me-up, then try the caffeine rush. Coffee with a shot of espresso is guaranteed to knock your socks off.

Best of all is the desserts. They’ve got a gorgeous signature cookie basket with iced spiced molasses, snicker doodles, and more. And of course, you can’t forget the cakes. If you’ve got a birthday coming up, you should try the ones they have on offer. You can’t leave without trying their ice cream: shakes, ice cream cakes, and sundaes all add to the soda shop mindset. Next time you’re looking for something to do on a lazy afternoon, come to Milk.

Milk
www.themilkshop.com
(323) 939-6455
7290 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Mon-Thu, Sun 9am to 10pm
Fri-Sat 9am to 11pm

Good food, great atmosphere and they even deliver. Vees Café has it all. Small and cozy this coffee shop offers tradition coffee shop fare such as chai teas and espressos as well as food with a Mexican twist, such as their spinach tortillas and green sauce. There are also hot and cold sandwiches that you can eat with a delicious smoothie or freshly squeezed juice, even veggie juice. Their wide selection of coffee and teas guarantees that you’ll go home happy. They have loose tea leaves as well if you’re looking for something more natural. As if that’s not enough, they even have milkshakes.

It’s artsy and you might see people playing guitar or looking through their camera lens. It’s a relief to find a coffee shop that’s not geared towards yuppies or dinks. True to its artsy nature they offer vegan options as well. Want soy milk? No prob, your wish is their command. Green and down to earth, they’ve got friendly service and value their customers. They even have those punch cards that will get you a free drink.

Don’t forget dessert. After all, coffee shops are just as famous for their pastries, cookies and other sweets. Their red velvet cupcakes are absolutely divine. The only downside is that on weekends they close a bit early. Yet it’s for a good cause, they want the staff to be able to go out and party. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

Vees Café
www.veescafe.net
(323) 931-8337
5418 W Adams Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Mon-Fri 7am to 8:30pm
Sat-Sun 7am to 8pm

Salads galore is what they have to offer, best of all they’re fresh, eco-friendly, and locally grown at Greens Up! Salads. You can build your own salads and choose from a variety of ingredients such as onions, grapes, corn, and even chow mein noodles. There’s meat and cheese that you can add if you’re not vegetarian. If that’s not your style, no worries, there are nuts and dried fruits to choose from as well. And that’s not all, there are dressings to top it all off. If you’re not sure what ingredients to choose, there are set salads, chosen by the chef. The portions are large whether you eat in or get it to go, so you’ll get your money’s worth.

There are sodas to take you back to your childhood, such as root beer, and cream soda. If you’re looking for something that’s a bit more grown-up, they have teas to cater to your tastes.

The wait staff is helpful and friendly and the service is efficient, so you can go in, out, and back to work. The possible downside is the fact that there’s not much on the menu besides salads, so everyone you go with better like their greens!

Greens Up! Salads
www.greensupsalads.com
(310) 479-8818
11301 W Olympic Blvd, Ste 103
Los Angeles, CA 90064

The pizza and salads here are pretty good, but it’s not the food that makes Nagila’s stand out, it’s the service. They have a separate meat and dairy section of the restaurant, so there’s no chance of mixing the foods. As if that isn’t enough, in the middle of the restaurant, you can request separate tables for the food.

The falafels are constantly a popular choice around customers. The cheese pizza is traditional, but delicious. Their crusts are crisp and you can order pizza by the slice if you don’t think you can finish a while one.

Featured in LA Magazine’s 101 Cheap Eats, you know it’s a good place that has to be tried. Even if you don’t keep kosher, you’ll still enjoy the food. The servers are polite, nice, and knowledgeable, and you can’t beat the restaurant atmosphere, with the separation of meat and dairy.

Nagila Kosher Pizza & Salad
(310) 788-0111
9411 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035

Located at 15500 S Broadway St in Gardena, this little café has a lot going for it.   It’s located near warehouse, but this hidden gem will have you going back for more.  The food is delicious and the prices are fantastic.  Their pizza is famous and rightly so.  While there are many Italian places out there, Eatalian is one of the best. Try the thin crust version and you won’t be disappointed.  There’s more than just pizza to be found at Eatalian, you can also get fresh, made-to-order salads, pasta dishes, and honest-to-goodness Italian desserts such as gelato.  The owner Antonio puts as much love into his food as he does his customer service.

The décor mixes the old and the new and because of this you’ll see many cheeses along one wall, an old fashioned espresso machine, and a huge overhead projector set up to watch the games.  Due to rave reviews it got in the LA Times, the place has been packed and as such, don’t expect a quiet dinner.  You’ll hear the friendly chatter of other customers and the staff preparing the food.  The hustle and bustle of Rome is right here in LA.

The owner and staff work hard on their customer service skills and honestly want to listen to suggestions on how they can improve things.  The restaurant is new and as such has some kinks in it.  While the service is slow, the food more than makes up for the wait.  If you’re going to go to Eatalian, make sure you’re not pressed for time and can enjoy a leisurely meal, Italian style, complete with cappuccino at the end.

Eatalian Cafe
15500 S Broadway St
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 532-8880
Mon-Sat 7am to 9pm

Second location:
14842 Crenshaw Blvd
Gardena, CA 90249
(310) 516-0121