and then later maybe we’ll order takeout from the neighborhood Chinese restaurant, which is The Inn Place on Bronson. The House Special fried rice is really top-shelf.

For good wine, I used to go to Off Vine because they knew their stuff and they had a soufflé that killed, but they’ve been closed since the fire, so now I like Osteria Mozza on Melrose. They’re very knowledgeable about wine and their Italian food tastes like it just came out of your garden.

This isn’t exactly a special-occasion restaurant, but the Village Coffee Shop is great for what is most important, and that’s socializing. We can have a bite to eat and catch up with the neighbors. We have all our meetings there; it’s our version of an Irish pub. And the Beachwood Market is right next door, and that’s where our kids packed groceries for extra money.

Once Amoeba Music moved into the area, everybody knew a great thing had happened, and now I love the fact that The Hotel Café is in our neighborhood. I’ve had some great, great nights of music there. We have a neighbor from Finland who plays the saw, and her combo played there. That’s what I love about the place — there’s always somebody doing something distinctive there.