The Groaning (Bulletin) Board

The city of Los Angeles has already been wired onto the information highway. La.eats, a news group on the Internet, covers local restaurants and dining in the Los Angeles area.

Angelenos enthusiastically share the names of their favorite restaurants. Care for some prime rib? Several people recommend Lawry’s on La Cienega, or Tam o’ Shanter in Los Feliz.

For Sushi, Ike’s, located “on the northeastern corner of Hollywood and Gower, between a Domino’s outlet and a schwarma joint,” receives rave reviews. “Ike’s ROCKS!!” exclaims the post. “Not cheap, but incredibly high-quality fish. I wouldn’t call him conservative, just traditional. His special dishes are always elegant and surprising--you’ll find yourself eating and liking things you never thought you’d put in your mouth.”

One vegan poster gives a nod to the Golden Health Foods Cafe, which specializes in raw/live food and serves no meat. Raw/live refers to food that, if planted, could actually grow.

Actually, there’s more than one L.A. Eats available on-line. On the Los Angeles Macintosh Group bulletin board, there’s a folder called “On The Town,” which is where members post recommendations about various businesses. A sub-folder in the same section, called “L.A. Eats,” covers the same topics as the Internet la.eats news group.

Founded only about six months ago, the LAMG “L.A. Eats” has members asking for a list of non-chain restaurants open 24 hours (the Pantry, Canter’s, Ben Frank’s, Larry Parker’s, Pacific Dining Car, Izzy’s Deli, Santa Monica Cafe and Jerry’s Delis got the most responses), the best Mexican and Indian restaurants, and even where to eat in Las Vegas.

Others share tips. Old Town Pasadena is frequently mentioned as a good dining spot. A recent message recommended Kansai on Fair Oaks for traditional Japanese food and offered a glossary of terms to help translate the menu.