Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
114
in green mole sauce with O axacan cheese and hand-r olled corn tor tillas. To join in on
the nonstop fiesta, start with one of their superb margaritas or mojitos.
Tip:
The happy
hour menu (M on-Fri 4-7pm, F ri-Sat after 10pm) has tasty $3 tr
eats such as tacos,
empanadas, and tostadas; and margaritas ar e only $3.50.
1445 4th St. (btw. Broadway and Santa Monica Blvd.), Santa Monica.
&
310/451-1655.
www.bordergrill.
com. Reser vations r ecommended. M ain c ourses $12-$29. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 11:30am-
10pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm. Metered parking lots; valet parking $5.
Joe's Restaurant
Value
CALIFORNIAN This is one of L.A.'s best dining bar-
gains. Chef/owner Joe Miller gutted and completely r emodeled a tiny, quirky storefront,
adding a far more spacious dining room and display wine room (though the best tables are
still tucked away on the tr ellised outdoor patio complete with a gurgling water fall). But
don't let the upscale additions dissuade y our budgeted appetite—J oe's remains a hidden
treasure for those with a champagne palate but a seltz er pocketbook. For lunch, the three-
course menu is only $18—things like California sand dabs with cherr y tomato, ar ugula,
and Maine sweet shrimp, with
a fresh mixed green salad or one of Miller's exquisite soups.
Dinner entr ees ar e equally sophisticated: beet risotto with grilled asparagus, fallo w deer
wrapped in bacon (ser ved in a black currant sauce with a side of r oasted root vegetables),
monkfish in a saffron broth, wild striped bass with curried cauliflo wer coulis.
1023 Abbot K inney Blvd. (btw. Westminster Ave. and Br oadway), Venice.
&
310/399-5811.
www.joes
restaurant.com. Reservations required. Main courses dinner $18-$28, lunch $14-$18. AE, MC, V. Tues-
Thurs noon-2:30pm and 6-10pm; F ri noon-2:30pm and 6-11pm; Sat 11am-2:30pm and 6-11pm; Sun
11:30am-2:30pm and 6-10pm. Free street parking or valet parking in rear of building.
Locanda del Lago
NORTHERN ITALIAN In a sea of mediocr e restaurants
along Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade is this corner trattoria that r eminds you
that Italians are the world's best cooks. Locanda del Lago (Trattoria of the Lake) special-
izes in cuisine fr om Northern Italy's Lombardy region. On sunny days ther e's no better
place in L.A. to people-watch than at the trattoria 's outdoor patio, sav oring a glass of
chianti while tucking into the house specialty—
osso buco alla Milanese,
a veal shank slow-
cooked in white wine and vegetables, topped with traditional
gremolata
(a parsley, garlic,
and lemon z est mixtur e) and ser ved with saffr on risotto . O ther outstanding dishes
include the butternut squash risotto with sear ed scallops, and
tagliatelle Lago ,
house-
made tagliolini tossed with pink trout and escarole in a thyme-infused white-wine sauce.
Although it's usually a special, the house-made whole-wheat pappardelle tossed in a duck
ragout is one of the best pasta dishes w e ever tasted.
231 Arizona Ave. (at 3rd St.), Santa Monica.
&
310/451-3525.
www.lagosantamonica.com. Reservations
recommended. Main courses $14-$30. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs and Sun 11:30am-10pm; Fri-Sat
11am-11pm. Valet parking $5; public parking garages nearby.
Restaurant Hama (Hama Sushi)
Finds
SUSHI It's called a sushi “bar” for a
reason—a place wher e people gather to socializ e, drink, and hav e a good time. You'll
probably be greeted with a chorus of “Heeeyyy!!!” from the six jolly chefs behind the bar
(along with a few well-juiced regulars). Because everybody's a somebody at Hama Sushi,
it's only a matter of time befor e y ou, too, ar e cheering ne wcomers and buying those
madcap chefs another r ound of S apporos. The restaurant is usually packed each night
with r egulars, so expect to wait a bit befor e diving into H ama's melt-in-y our-mouth
(literally) y ellowtail, albacor e, unagi, and specialty r olls. S tandard J apanese hot plates
such as chicken teriyaki and grilled Chilean sea bass ar e av ailable as w ell (the grilled
marinated squid is excellent), along with a wide selection of pr emium, chilled sake. Pass
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