365 Places to Eat

Lemon Moon is the casual dining collaboration between Josiah Citrin (of Melisse) and Raphael Lunetta (of JiRaffe). Get it, Lemon (Citrin) Moon (Lunetta)?

However the two came together to collaborate, it’s a successful marriage. Lemon Moon is only open for breakfast and lunch, catering mainly to the business crowd working in the same building as Lemon Moon and the surrounding offices.

The menu changes daily, depending on what is in season. The set up is simple, Lemon Moon largely offers a number of showcase salads. You can see them in the display case while you are waiting to place your order. You can choose one or more salads for your lunch and then add a cup of soup for a satisfying meal.

The ratatouille is fantastic and I had an albondigas soup that had just the right amount of spice. You can see some of the other choices on their online menu.

In addition to the salads, there are also a few items from the grill and a number of sandwiches.

Lemon Moon is a little bit on the higher end price wise for a casual lunch. The space is nice though, not what I expected from the first floor of an office building. There is a decent sized courtyard and also some large communal tables to enjoy your meal at.

Lemon Moon isn’t an everyday kind of lunch spot, but is a nice treat once in a while. It’s easy to drop $15 or more for lunch once you add a drink and tax. There are some nice touches, like a home made cookie and friendly service. Portions are also larger than they seem and I had some leftovers. This is a good place to go with a few people and share some orders.

Parking is free in the underground parking lot with validation.

Lemon Moon
12200 West Olympic Blvd # 110
Santa Monica
(310) 442-9191‎

Italian is, by nature, simple food. Higher end Italian food is good too, but sometimes you want the the simple stuff. That’s where Fritto Misto comes in. Basic pastas and meats, simple sauces, and great flavors.

Fritto Misto is a cozy spot, the tables are close together and sometimes the two of you are sharing a table with two other random diners. The wait can be long, especially on weekends. Parking is scarce, but you can usually grab something on the street within a couple blocks. Prices are very reasonable, with design your own pastas for around $10 and most other dishes under $15.

You can see by the menu that there is something for everyone. Some of my favorites are the Mushroom Marsala Ravioli, the Chicken Piccata and the create your own pasta option. The Misto Salad is a good start.

I pretty much only go for dinner, but Fritto Misto is a very popular lunch spot too.

Other reviews

• Yelp
• Potatomato
• Tasting LA
• Oishii Eats

Fritto Misto
601 Colorado Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 458-2829

The light yellow building is easy to miss, on the corner of Washington and Walgrove, just east of the Costco megacomplex. Parking is available, but not abundant, be sure to observe the street signs.

After are short 10-15 minute wait, we scored one of the booths right under the window. Even with the blazing heat outdoors, the open windows and high ceilings invited a cooling breeze — even though we were on a major boulevard, it almost felt like we were in the tropics.

The Maxwell’s menu is extensive, with the standard breakfast fare, as well as unique options such as a number of breakfast sandwiches, a selection of different benedicts, a few breakfast burritos and a range of sausages. I went into selection overload and had a hard time narrowing down my choices. Our incredibly nice waitress was kind and patient as I waffled (ha) over my order.

I finally settled on one of the breakfast sandwiches, the one with the chicken cilantro sausage on rye bread with some Swiss cheese. You can see by the picture above that the thing was massive! It was stacked with tomatoes, the sausage patty, cheese, scrambled egg, lettuce and light mayo. I was actually only able to finish half, but I enjoyed every bite.

My wife had the breakfast combo with french toast, egg whites and two strips of bacon. Thick bacon, cooked chewy, the way that she likes it.

Maxwell’s has a comfortable, local diner feel with the counter and friendly, efficient servers. I saw a number of people who came in to eat at the counter by themselves chatting with other folks seated around them. It’s just that kind of place.

I will note that the prices are on the higher side for a casual breakfast, but not outrageous or out of line for the quality you get. For instance, omelettes range from $8-$14 which seems to be about $2 more than the average joint. I think that my breakfast sandwich was about $10, but easily could feed two people (and lasted me for two meals).

Open for breakfast and lunch.

Maxwell’s Cafe
13329 W Washington Blvd,
Los Angeles 90066
(At Walgrove Ave)
Phone: 310-306-7829

On the corner of Culver and Cardiff in Culver City is Ugo Cafe, an Italian eatery that aims for the feel of a European sidewalk cafe.

With a simple style and basic menu, Cafe Ugo is a relaxing spot to enjoy lunch and a glass of wine or beer with friends. When the weather is nice, it’s imperative that you grab a seat outside and watch the people walk by.

The menu is basic, as I said, but there are plenty of choice options. I had one of my favorite chopped salads at Ugo. Everything was cut up with near scientific precision and uniformity, plus the dressing was light but flavorful so that it didn’t overpower the ingredients.

Service seems to be spotty, in the sense that it can take a while for the server to stop by, and perhaps takes a while to get your food, but in the end the atmosphere and the food win over.

Prices are very reasonable, with most dishes in the around $10 plus or minus a few bucks. There is a range of Italian beers and Italian wines by the glass or the bottle, plus a dessert menu that will transport you back to Rome.

Ugo Cafe
3865 Cardiff Ave
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 204-1222

How to get Michelin starred food for half price? Go to La Botte Deli on the weekdays for lunch and get their home made pastas and soups for $7-10.

La Botte Deli opened right next door to the main restaurant in downtown Santa Monica earlier this year. The menu is limited, but has a nice selection of soups, pastas, salads and sandwiches all served in eco-friendly to go containers.

There is one indoor communal table that seats about 10 people, depending on how communal you want to get. There are a handful of outdoor tables for two, but the main focus for La Botte Deli is to go business.

The soups are simple, capturing the essence of the main ingredient. Depending on the seasonal ingredients available, there are usually three to four soups available, including a soup of the day. The other day, I had the spinach soup:

The pastas are equal in quality and flavor combination to what is served at the main La Botte restaurant. The gnocchi and tortelli are very nice, especially with the parmesan brown butter sauce.

Like I said in the beginning, the prices are a steal, with everything (to my recollection) for under $10.

The signage is pretty poor from the street and I think many people walk past La Botte Deli without realizing the hidden gem that they are missing.

La Botte Deli
620 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica 90401
310-576-3072