I think I have found it. I have found The One. True, I have not eaten at every soul food restaurant in LA (yet), but if I had to pick the one to settle down with, Mama's House would be it. Hidden away in an old-fashioned strip mall on Crenshaw Boulevard, Mama's House has been quietly gaining fans for the last seven years. The room is comfortable, filled with family photos and bric-a-brac. It......

Had your fill of Thai Elvis? Live entertainment lives at Kruang Tedd, of a somewhat different sort. This is a modest but elegantly designed little spot, located in a strip mall next to an establishment known as Jumbo’s Clown Room. I’ve never been inside Jumbo's, though I believe their traditional British pub food is popular with the ladies, as I’m often told, “All the girls have pasties there.” Dancing is advertised as well, but......

I had one of the worst meals of my life on a date at Yai #1. Back then they were simply known as "Yai." They were also known for their "boat noodles." For the uninitiated, boat noodles include things like liver and tripe. Our young, inexperienced palates just were not ready for that kind of adventure. Not that I've ever been a fan of liver. My date said: "This tastes like Lake Erie!" I......

If you like spicy food, Jitlada is the place to go. Not only does LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold call the Southern Thai specialty restaurant "the most exciting new Thai restaurant of the year," he claims one of the dishes, the kua kling Phat Tha Lung (thick brown curry with shredded beef) "may be the spiciest food you can eat in Los Angeles." Jitlada recently gained popularity a few months ago when a Chicago blogger......

Cafe Boogaloo arrived on the scene in Hermosa Beach in 1995, around the same time I moved back to my hometown. It was the perfect place to meet up with old friends or to have a drink with first dates. The decor is upscale down-home and filled with one-of-a-kind folk art, somewhat similar to the House of Blues. Dim lighting, large westerly facing windows and lazily rotating ceiling fans keep the interior cool on......

I Just a block down from Ragin Cajun, New Orleans occupies a space that used to be a 50s cafe, and you can still see traces of that design. The interior is a long diner counter, with tables lining the wall. The restaurant is extremely dark inside, so it is a little unwelcoming at first. I have been there a few times, but never managed to actually sit down and eat before. My dining companions......

Hermosa Beach is one lucky town. Not only do they have the beautiful beach and the ocean breezes, but they have lucked out in the restaurant department. They are home to not one, but three New Orleans-inspired eateries: Ragin Cajun, New Orleans, and Café Boogaloo are all within two blocks of each other. This week, to gear up for the big Bayou Festival in Long Beach, I am going to cover all three restaurants.......