Pinging Mike Tommasi

Hi Tom

yes, sorry, forgot to acknowledge. Next time it is.

Any suggestions anyone for good places to eat in LA that are moderately priced and wine-aware?

Got 1 for you that's new "OJ and Blake's) Halfway House right across the street from the courthouse about 3 blocks south of the morgue. They serve bar food and a knockout rum punch, you may be disappointed dining in Kalifornia as the Governor has banned all :"girly food" from the State. Wolfgang Puck, Alice Waters and Thomas Keller are in shock but have launched "Free the Organic Truffles & Chanterelles Campaign" also if you hang around Michael Jackson's "Boyz to Men" Juice Bar is opening near Pismo Beach.

The always tasty (and not too pricey) Rockenwagner in Santa Monica is closing down & this is their last weekend. They have some great wines on their list, including a '99 Hirtzberger Rotes Tor GV Smaragd- who knows, maybe they'll be selling them off! I recommend the goulash, which is fully endorsed by my very picky Austrian husband. Also, they should be doing "stammtisch" seating.

Otherwise, Cobras & Matadors serves up great tapas & an all-Spanish wine list.

But maybe you want some California cuisine & wine?

e.

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It's a chain restaurant, but McCormick & Schmick's is pretty good for seafood. There's one in Manhattan Beach on Rosecrans, another in downtown LA and perhaps others. For not much more $ you might try that old classic on Hollywood Boulevard, Musso & Frank's Grill. They have a more varied menu.

For steak houses Arnie Morton's, Ruth's Chris and Pacific Dining Car are all excellent, but probably wouldn't fit your description of "moderately priced".

Frankly, I'm probably not the best person to ask about LA eateries. I seldom dine out because I prefer to cook dinner at home, and am not really well informed on the best new restaurants.

Tom S

Are you in DC? Somehow, I got the impression that you were south, in say the Tidewater Area(s). Drop me a line at snipped-for-privacy@huntphotoSPAM.com, obviously doing a bit of doctoring to the POP account name. I'm in DC about 4x/year, and my wife often has dinner meetings for her board, so I am out hitting the streets and dining alone several nights per visit. Don't have the upcoming dates yet, but would like to share a glass of wine with you and Murray, if you are available.

Hunt, getting even more off-topic

Mike, As you know, I am nothing like a resident of LA, but one place that's got quite a bit of buzz is A.O.C. on 3rd St. in LA. It's a wine bar that serves "small plates" and is supposed to be quite good on both food and wine fronts. Dunno what "moderate" prices are in your book, but you can check out their website:

(there's an online menu, but no online wine list, alas)

To eat well cheaply in LA, I'll usually go for sushi/Japanese, of which there are quite a few good options, but wine ain't generally their strong suit :(

Mark Lipton

Lucques on Melrose in West Hollywood near LaCienaga. Great good and good wine menu. They also allow you to bring your own.

Thanks all.

As it turns out, Tom S. not being available and discovering the price ofhotels in Santa Monica prompted me to reschedule my LA visit to nest quarter, so I will keep all the precious advice.

I am in San Diego right now and will find time this week to go and search for Tablas Creek Vermentino...

Cheers

Mike