Los Angeles, CA Olive Garden Locations

We made a reservation at 6 p.m. on Sunday and when we got there, it was already packed. The place is very small (can probably fit 30 people or so) so reservation is a must on weekends. We had an amazing Travelozoo deal where 2 glasses of wine, 2 appetizers, 1 pizza or pasta, 2 entrees are only $65 for two! For appetizers, we tried Baccala (whipped salt cod croquettes. salsa rossa) and Fichi (figs. whipped sheeps milk ricotta. saba). Baccala was good but a bit too salty and wasn't my favorite. Fichi, on the other hand, was amazing. I loved it. The next course was pizza; we chose Margherita D.O.P. (tomato. mozzarella di bufala. basil.). This was our waitress's #1 recommendation but it was very disappointing; it wasn't good at all. For entrees, we had Agnello (colorado lamb chops. potatoes. artichokes. black olive) and Port Braciole (neapolitan ragù. swiss chard). Both are very good but not the best Italian dishes I've had. The restaurant was packed so it took forever to bring the food; we didn't mind since we were not in a hurry but I saw two separate guests that night complaining to the manager. Our waitress was very apologetic and checked on us many times and they gave us free dessert so that was nice. I didn't see any self parking space or valet but you can find paid meter parking; but only 1 hour max so we had to leave the restaurant to feed the meter again while waiting for the food. Overall, I liked the restaurant and its ambiance and because of the Travelzoo deal, it was very good deal. But, I'm not too sure if I would come back here again anytime soon (I would rather want to check out other Italian restaurants in the area...)

I miei fratelli e sorelle! It's been awhile and I've been pleasantly adrift Lord knows where but when I finally resurfaced, I was craving a quick Italian fix. The stupor caused by mind numbing days at the office caused me to forget about the dirty old neighborhood friend (shoot, you know we all have 'em, okay) in Di Vita's. Old dirty Di Vita's. My ex-supervisor used to order from this place ALL THE TIME. Calzones - he swore by them. There used to be a gi-normous blond gal behind the counter there and she was feeling my ex-boss something fierce. Why, there were days when he went down there and I thought he might not make it out alive. Forgive me but I digressed. Anyhow, we were craving quick-fast-and-a-hurry eats...cheese pizza, chicken alfredo and something for dessert was what we ordered. Well, you probably get the idea here - it's never that memorable but it gets the job done and gets it done on the cheap. BONUS! - they deliver. It's been awhile since I been to the spot but I drive by there all the time. It's not much on decor but sometimes, you don't need to dress up to stuff the pig, capiche? Anyhow, keep this place in mind when you're in a bind (or just desperate and need something easy and quick). Dunno about you but I ain't too proud to beg - even for Di Vita's. Ciao for now! Good eating to you!

I recently moved to the area and this place is just a few blocks away. Happy to say, it's become one of my neighborhood joints. I typically stick with the small plates since they're great to share with my significant other. Our favorites so far have been the fried oysters, the chicken and waffle croquettes, the spinach pierogi, the pumpkin ravioli and of course, the kaya toast. I'm all about the kaya toast and we've been known to get two orders on occasion. Also, and to pretend like we're being healthy, we'll order something green, such as the (crispy) brussels sprouts or the house salad. They have a terrific drink menu with cocktails that are too difficult or time consuming for me to make at home, (which is what I look for in a drink list). I can make my own, great old fashioned. I like trying a new drink every time I go. They also have a nice wine list when I'm in the mood for a glass. The service has always been great and the staff has always been friendly. I would recommend making a reservation before going since seating fills up pretty fast. Otherwise, get there once they open for dinner, like we usually do, and seating shouldn't be an issue.

We were doing a little pub crawl down Vermont last night....but it stopped here. We sat at the bar with Heather from NYC. She was great fun. This place takes me out of LA. Very unassuming, charming...like my boyfriend said, it reminds you of the place you went with the family for your 1st Communion. (You Catholics know what I mean!) As soon as we sat down at the bar, we had a few slices of pizza in front of us. We grabbed a table for dinner, and split the veggie lasagna. The cheese pasta sauce ratio was perfect, and the sauce is great. To his dismay, it was full of mushrooms. But, I enjoyed those, he picked them out, and LOVED this dish. Plenty to split. The traditional garlic bread and house salads are a great start as well. I wish they had a better wine by the glass selection, next time I'll order a bottle. And we'll get the pizza next time. The sweet bartender got us a slice of tiramisu to split, maybe to welcome me to the neighborhood? It was a really nice touch! Overall, we'll go back again. On a cheat day. Heavy delish traditional comfort food. Glad we walked home.

Second time at Bestia and we enjoyed our time at the counter. If it's just two of you, you should really try the counter and watch some of the appetizers as they're being prepared. We ordered the calamari to start with, mostly because it sounded really good on the menu, but the cooks were preparing the tomato salad over and over again. My wife and I just stared. Over. And over. Again. And again. Obviously almost every table was ordering the tomato salad. Mind you. We walked in as soon as they opened the door and we were waiting behind a line of 20 or so customers. We ordered the calamari, a pasta w/ homemade sausage, and the ribeye. Before the ribeye made it out, we gave in. We ordered the tomato salad after watching the 20th salad plate go out. With burrata and other things on the dish that we couldn't figure out... We absolutely loved it. In the end...Happy birthday to me! PS. Parking isn't easy. About $8 if you want valet. Also, reserving ahead of time is HIGHLY recommended.

The San Antonio Winery Is The Only One Left In Southern California! Anthony DeGoede and I were finally able to visit the San Antonio Winery back on Sunday, August 21, 2016. I have been living in Los Angeles since 1994 & I was Not sure if the winery in business or Not & I did some research & learned that they are still around & paid a visit! The winery started back in 1917 & tours are offered daily which will include showing you the wine kept in barrels, the fermentation area & where they process, pack and box up the wine & after you can taste many delicious wines. I also met Stefano, the former owner who is now 95 years old & his uncle is the one who actually started up the business. Thank You to Arturo, our Tour Guide who gave us a wonderful tour, as well as to all of the people, including Rosemarhy who served us the wine. You Are All The Best And We Hope To Visit You All Very Soon! Howard Paul Shore, Customer And Tourist Anthony DeGoede, Customer And Tourist

We went to Clifton's tonight and found it really underwhelming. The atmosphere is interesting - the faux woodland diorama thing makes it like a hipster Rainforest Cafe. Some of the place was clearly renovated with care, while other parts appear half done. Most of the floors were not open to the public tonight, so we were stuck on floors 1 and 2 (got to go up to the front of 3 for about 10 minutes before it closed for evening set up). The decor in the center by the giant tree is cool, but it looked better on the higher floors. The food is...fine? I guess? Not bad, not great. We originally wanted to get into the new Tiki section, but it was invite only tonight, which wasn't advertised anywhere - and only some of the staff knew about it. The basement bathrooms were so bad: one stall out for busted (overstuffed) toilet, one stall closed with a laptop on the floor of it, a third stall working, and a fourth with no toilet paper. Overall, not super impressed.

I love this place. We go here at least once every two weeks or so and try our best to get one of the large booths by the front windows. Great place to have one of the best Bloody Mary's in town on a warm Saturday afternoon. I love the menu - it's not huge, but what they do offer is usually fantastic. I dream of their mussels with bread sops, the brussel sprouts with bacon would make a few vegetarians go back to the dark side and the savory pies take me back to London. They also feature a great beer menu plus all sorts of interesting cocktails. My favorite drink is the Ginger Top - a glorious amber beer topped with ginger beer. I had my 40th birthday party here a few weeks ago in the back room and the chef, managers and staff went above and beyond in terms of helping me plan and prep. It was the best bang for our buck and our guests had a fabulous time. In a nutshell: great food, great staff and never a negative experience.

I have been there 3 times and plan to go again. With each visit, the staff was very friendly and cordial. My first visit was alone and I noticed each time I have been there, there are people who also enjoy doing the same. I think that speaks volumes about the food and service. Who would go to a bad restaurant alone, right? Their 3 course special is awesome and appropriately portioned so that you are not stuffed when you reach the dessert course, which is delicious as well! The wait staff work as one team and you don't have to look for "your" waiter as they all willingly respond to your request. I have not tried their hot meals to-go because I can't imagine a steak or seafood plate reaching my door in the same searing quality it would reach my table. There's microwaveable fast food for that. I recommend this restaurant for a casual evening in LA with friends. You'll like it!!

I grew up in France where millions of people of Italian background eat and make Italian food, so I'm usually pretty disappointed in Italian restaurants around here, because they are not authentic. After 11 years in LA of overpriced or bland Italian food, I finally found it! I went last Monday with wife and kid and had a real spaghetti carbonara. You CANNOT find better. For that alone, the restaurant deserves 10 stars. My wife had a Cioppino, seafood . I had a taste of it, pretty good too. For the kids they make half orders (thank you for making parent's life easier!). They also have a healthy menu, but that's not for me (HAHA!). For desert we shared a tiramisu, you cannot go wrong. Almost forgot about the special bread and the tapenade they offer, nice way to start. I also liked the top Italian tunes they play. Awesome food, good vibe! Will go back for sure, forever!