electric karma

Beer and I are the first to admit we're food snobs, and when it comes to Indian, we're especially spoiled - and particular. That said, Electric Karma is one of our few local faves to make the speed dial list.

There's nothing on the menu we haven't liked, but some top picks include the samosas, sev puri, aloo tiki and mixed chutneys for starters. For mains the lamb korma, mixed tandoori grill, and fish vindaloo are always good. On the side, the aloo gobi, mattar paneer and bhindi masala never disappoint. If you're in the mood for something different or drop by for lunch, try one of the frankies - for lack of a better description, it's like an Indian burrito. Good stuff.

More often than not we opt to order in and enjoy at home, but this is a great location to enjoy a romantic meal out with your lover or some friends. The interior is colorful and dimly lit with seating indoors that flows out to an enclosed courtyard with tables and cushion seating where you can dine on the floor with a group. Another reason to dine in are the cocktails. Inside, Bollywood movies play on a wall hanging plasma. You'll notice a little bar when you enter and for good reason. The libations here are creative and tasty. And don't worry about the nasty parking on 3rd - they have you covered with valet. Or, you could just order in :)

8222 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 653-2121

seaver

Sometimes we forget just how good we have it in LA with the plethora of neighborhood boutique shops right under our noses.

Seaver - which is right in the middle of the West Third shopping stretch, just a couple of doors down from Joan's - is a great reminder of that fact. It's one of those quaint shops which makes you sigh a breath of relief knowing options still exist to spy a gift or great find, without making another trip to a cookie cutter mall with the rest of the sheep.

Specializing in clothing (designed by the owner, Nathalie), gifts and little treasures, there's something here for just about everyone. We stumbled in after brunch and were amazed by the variety of unique offerings the shop is nearly overflowing with - designer rubber duckies (we left with "decorator duck"), vintage stripper cuff links, stenciled leatherette checkbook and ipod covers in yummy pastel colors for spring, magnets, soaps, custom aprons (that give Anthropologie a run for their money), some beautiful things for baby, and of course, clothes and accessories. Not all of Seaver's clothes fit my taste, but aside from the super fab aprons that actually make you want to cook, her brocade jackets are beautifully sewn and well worth the price of admission.

If you're trying to find a special gift for someone hard to buy for, this boutique is not to be missed - not that you could miss the beautifully painted black and white floral exterior. Nathalie is a super helpful sweetheart, there's something for just about every budget, and she'll even gift wrap it for you before you go. LA doesn't get much better than that.

alfredo's grill

Failing to find a parking spot at Quality and refusing to wait in line at Toast, we settled on Joan's for a late brunch, until we realized we were standing right in front of Alfredo's - our breakfast burrito delivery joint!

Being hungry and noting the patio dining and a couple of cozy booths open, we decided to give it a try. We walked in and were quickly seated. Once we (finally) got a menu, it was tough to decide what to have everything looked so good. They do brek all day and have an extensive list of options for both food and beverage. Beer settled on a fruit shake (strawberry-banana since they were out of blueberries) and I asked for the A.G (their version of a mocha ice blended). His shake was good and my coffee would have been as well - had it arrived before our food was cleared.

He ordered the chocolate banana pancakes and I got one of the scrambles. All of the food coming out looked great. When ours finally made it out, it was no exception. The only challenge was ... we still didn't have set-ups, Beer never got the water he asked for, his pancakes came dry without any syrup to be found, my coffee was MIA with the syrup, and every table in the house but ours had bread. Our server was nice enough and I wanted to think maybe he had too many tables on his hands, but the truth of the matter is that there were two of them (one of whom I suspect was the owner) waiting a small number of tables and the only one who seemed to have his shit together enough to be helpful was the busboy.

Once we got utensils, etc. the food was good. The portion of both fruit and scramble on my plate seemed a bit skimpy, especially in light of the mass of pancakes falling off the plate across from me, but it was pretty good. I wish I could have said the same for the service. Kept wondering why it was so relatively empty for a sunny Saturday, but given the staff, I think I know.

We'll probably give this one another shot the next time we can't get in to one of our usuals, but until then, I'm sticking with delivery.

8310 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 782-4922

beverly flower gardens

Stumbled onto this neighborhood florist in a strip mall next to my shoe repair one day when Moe's on Melrose was out of what I was looking for. Now, anytime I head to a dinner or birthday party, this is my first stop.

At first, I wasn't sure what to think of the little space, but ended up ecstatic with the beautiful, fresh flowers I left with and even happier with the amazing price. I've been there dozens of times since and they've never let me down. Even if you have only $20 to spend (I recommend $30-$50 for something impressive - on average, I spend $45), they'll make it work.

This is a family run business and the Korean lady there, while not always the warmest in town, is very helpful and kind. I've noticed they do a lot of weddings and funerals (as evidenced from the arrangements filling the little shop at times), but even on their busiest days, they have seasonal stock on hand for bouquets to go.

One of my favorite things here is that aside from the fresh and reasonable flowers, the presentation is always nice. If you're not doing an arrangement in a vase, urn, etc. (they have a good selection), they'll wrap your flowers in either brown paper (which is always chic) or this pretty fabric they have in lots of colors.

There's parking in the little strip mall lot - which even when it's swamped is usually workable. Just beware of the limited weekend hours. They close early at 3p on Saturdays and aren't always open Sundays. However, I recently learned they deliver locally for a nominal $5 charge.

8250 W 3rd St Ste 104
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 657-3533

shah abbas

If you live in the area and like Persian food, you can't really go wrong at Shah Abbas. Everything from the salads and grilled meats to the stews and rice, is perfect. Huge portions, reasonable prices, pleasant service and, best yet, fast free delivery.

We've been eating here for years and the quality of the food and service has never let us down. Some faves include the sultani combo (perfectly seasoned and grilled filet mignon kebab with a couple of other meat specialties), the fesenjoon (traditional pomegranate and walnut stew with chicken), and the albaloo polo (lamb shank with sour cherry saffron rice). The tadeeg (sheets of crispy, buttery rice from the bottom of the pan, a Persian specialty) is served with stews of your choice for dipping. At a very reasonable $5.95, this is a must-have starter you can make a meal out of, just be sure to order your stews on the side so the rice doesn't get soggy en route.

The restaurant is perched atop a second story corner, in an unremarkable mini-mall on San Vicente and La Cienega. If you're dining in, be forewarned that the large, ornate (read, toeing the line of bad taste) decorated space - complete with clover shaped tile fountain centerpiece, dance floor and disco lighting - may be deceptively calm weeknights, but come the weekend, it leads a double life as a Persian nightclub. Dinner often comes with a bellydancer in your lap and deafeningly loud music, so if you're in the mood to quietly enjoy your meal, be sure to order in!

400 S San Vicente Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 659-3242