Passing it Over on Passover

We're getting to know Venice very well and it's our goal to try every restaurant this summer. We stopped in last Saturday at Sidewalk Cafe for an early dinner and enjoyed the screened in outdoor patio. The patio is an ideal location to eat, drink, and people watch. American, Mexican, and Italian food are offered, with an ocean view. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Happy Hour; it's a great beach hangout! We started with a super strong Margarita on the rocks. For dinner I had the Colette Burger ($11.45) with crumbled blue cheese and bacon. The burger was big and hearty and served with shoestring fries. For a South of the Border treat my husband enjoyed every bite of the Enchiladas ($10.95). Spinach and cheese are rolled in corn tortillas and topped with red enchilada sauce and cheese. Tasty rice and beans are served on the side. Order a side of chips ($2.95) to dip in the melty cheese! Service is very friendly and another plus is listening to music from the boardwalk piano player while you eat. The Sidewalk Cafe 1401 Ocean Front Walk, Venice. (310) 399-5547. Hours: Daily: 8:00 a.m.- 11:00 p.m.

Recommended: Burgers, Mexican fare.

Not that Abbot Kinney needs to be lit up any more, but Fran Camaj continues to take this flame over the top! Gjelina started off in 2008 as a   Venice neighborhood restaurant with complete with a wood burning oven and rustic interior. It quickly became a smash hit and soon, one of LA's hottest eateries. Securing a table is about a four week wait, but, do it! It's that good! Come and experience Chef Travis Lett's outstanding farm-to-table cooking and it will quickly become your favorite watering hole too.We started off with a glass of Charles Audoin Chardonnay ($18) and some olive bread. Wines by the glass are pricey ($15-$20), but there's a great selection. For dinner we ordered the Salt and Pepper Frites ($9) with Romesco and Aioli. These were possibly some of the best potatoes I have ever had. The crispiness, along with the seasoning was perfect. I might have eaten the whole plate myself. Roasted Artichokes ($9) were definitely the most tasty dish. Served with anchovy, lemon, and parsley, and perfectly roasted, I could have made an entire meal out of this one small plate. Braised Pork Meatballs ($13) in tomato sauce, red wine, Parmesan, and served with grilled bread were outstanding. Grilled Aspen Ridge Bistro Hangar Steak ($26) was a huge cut cut of meat served with spring onions and salsa verde. Steak was juicy and tender. For dessert I had the Butterscotch Pot de Creme ($8) with Sea Salt and Caramel. Heavenly. That's the only word to describe it. Well, suffice it to say, we've found our favorite neighborhood place. Service is friendly and efficient. If you're lucky you'll find street parking. If not, valet down the street and enjoy the walk because Abbot Kinney is still on fire! Gjelina 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice (310) 450-1429. Reservations Essential. Hours: Mon-Sun: 8:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.

Recommended Dishes: Salt and Pepper Frites, Hangar Steak, Roasted Artichokes, Meatballs, Olive Bread, Butterscotch Pot de Creme

If you're a fan of Gelina or GTA, you'll love Gjusta, if you can find it! I've been doing a lot of walking over my spring break and Gjusta is about a two mile walk from my house. After I pass the homeless people on Washington and Lincoln, and my favorite vintage '60's store at Victoria and Lincoln, I walk a little further to Sunset Avenue. There it becomes a kind of cool residential hipster area in Venice. An unmarked screen door awaits about 6 blocks down, which both annoys and pleases me at the same time. I know it's hip and chic to make people have to "find" you but unless you're a Gold's gym regular; you may never know it exists. So,just like GTA the seating at Gjusta is the very posh milk cartons in the back parking lot. (They aren't zoned for chairs yet). I prefer the marble coffee counter. But I call it standing. I love the people who work there though. Everyone is happy and smiling and always glad to help. As you might know I am a big fan of GTA's chocolate chip oatmeal cookies ($3) and Gjusta has the same ones. So of course I had to get some of these. And yes, I did eat dessert first. You never know what can happen. Check out the bakery first, you can't help it. The sourdough baguettes are fresh and cruncy. Sourdough loaves are magnificent as are the whole grain breads. Flatbreads are next on my list to buy along with croissants and quiche. The next section is house-cured meats and fish. The coffee bar is on the right.The menu is psoted on the wall. I love the Rotisserie Porchetta sandwich ($15) on a sourdouh baguette with olive oil, salt & pepper, horseradish, and pesto. Porchetta is crispy and juicy and the sandwich is very filling. We also love the Chicken Pie ($12) with big pieces of chicken and Yukon potatoes. The buttery crust is another plus! So walk yourself over (the parking lot is awful) or park on Main Street, but do give it a try! You'll be glad you did! Gjusta 320 Sunset Avenue, Venice. (310) 314-0320. Hours Daily: 7a.m.-7 p.m.

Recommended Dishes: Porchetta, Chicken Pie, Bread, Cookies.

My friend Linda have been laughing together since about 1966. Hard to believe since I'm only 49, right? Well, it's true, the part about Linda being my friend, at least. We have been through thick and thin together, and that's not just our bodies either. We've run the full gamut. So, this post, I dedicate to you "Auntie Leeenda." Saturday's lunch was one I will truly cherish forever. Linda will too. Our very lovely server (who reminded us of a used car salesman) did a fantastic job recommending amazing dishes for us to try. The restaurant is gorgeous, and definitely a place for ladies who lunch. The signature dishes embody French Mediterranean food at its finest. From the freshly baked Rosemary Olive Oil Fougasse Bread with three dipping oils, to the crostini, salads, and desserts Fig & Olive is five star all the way. We started with a wonderful glasss of French Chateau de La Roche Sauvignon Blanc ($14) With its crisp apple and citrus flavor, it perfectly complemented the Rosemary bread and olive oils. Feeling naughty we ordered the Piscine ($12,) a classic drink from the South of France (Sparkling wine with fresh strawberries). With our drinks we enjoyed Truffle Mushroom Croquettes ($13), easily one of my favorite dishes on the menu. Cremini mushrooms are lightly fried then served in a parmesan-bechamel truffle oil aioli. We also enjoyed three different crostini ($12). The Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion, and Chive combination was a little bit on the sweet side for us. Mushroom, Artichoke, Truffle, Scallion, and Parmesan was fabulous, and the Burrata, Tomato, Pesto and Balsalmic was delicious. For lunch I had the Riviera Salmon Burger ($14). F&O makes their salmon in house and mixes it with shallots, capers, and dill to produce what I deem some of the best salmon I've ever tasted. Served with arugula, olive oil caper mayonnaise, avocado, and tomato; this sandwich was huge and filling. We also had the Salade de Poulet ($19) with juicy, flavorful grilled chicken breast, arugula, tomatoes, avocado, orange, scallion, croutons, dried cranberries, and a blood orange olive oil emulsion. As if that weren't enough, we ordered a Chocolate Pot de Creme ($10) to finish off the meal! Latte ($4.75) was rich and flavorful and iced coffee ($4) put the finishing touches on one of my best birthday presents ever! Fig & Olive 8490 Melrose Place, West Hollywood (310) 360-9100. Hours: M-Thurs: 12p.m.-10:30p.m. Fri-Sat: 12p.m.-11p.m. Sun: 11 a.m.-12p.m.

Recommended Dishes: Crostini, Truffle Mushroom Croquette, Salmon Burger, Salade De Poulet, Pot De Creme.

Since we couldn't take that vacation to the Swiss Alps this weekend, my husband and I, and our friends Sharon and Harvey did the next best thing. We schleped out to Valley Glen (aka North Hollywood) and had an amazing dinner at the Swiss Chef. When we walked in, much to our surprise, there was live music...being played on an accordian...by a Lawrence Welk look-alike. After searching for bubbles, and not finding any, we actually began to enjoy "Lawrence's" music. The chef, who dons a different hat for every song, actually joins in the fun too, and sings along, getting the entire restaurant involved. Now one would think (wouldn't one?) that a singing chef could not be a very good cook because, I mean, who's watching the food? Well one could be wrong, couldn't one? By that I mean that the food is excellent! Chef Ueli has cooked in France, Austria, and Germany to name a few countries, plus Adriano's, The Century Plaza Hotel, La Serre, and The London Club in LA.  But Swiss Chef is a totally authentic Swiss restaurant. We started off with the Swiss Fondue ($35) which has a very sharp taste from the Emmental cheese, white wine, and "kirschwasser."  Dip in the cut up French bread and enjoy with a relish tray including  pickled vegetables. (cornichons, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes). This is real Swiss fondue...un Americanized! It has a very distinct taste.  To that we added Bell Peppers and Anchovies ($12) Beautiful roasted red peppers are marinated and layered with anchovies. Don't knock it, 'til you've tried it! Green Asparagus (Market price) was probably the best asparagus that has passed these lips. Parmeasan and brown butter with breadcrumbs, top fresh, perfect asparagus spears. I could have eaten an entire plate of this. Plump, fried calamari ($14) followed, with aioli sauce for dipping. The lighly fried fish had a perfect fresh flavor. Linguini con Vongole ($20) with White Clam Sauce was was loaded with clams and pasta was expertly cooked al dente. Rhamschnitzel ($24) spatzli with red cabbage was a true Swiss delight. Apparently there are lots of regulars who dine here frequently as this is as authentic as it gets! Swiss Chef 13727 Victory Blvd. Valley Glen. (818) 904-1500 Hours: Wednesday: 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Fri & Sat: 5p.m.-10 p.m. Sun: 5:p.m.-9 p.m. Closed: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. Reservations recommended.