Finding “Finds”

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As one of the writers responsible for reviewing neighborhood restaurants for the Find column, I’d like to take a moment to thank Times readers for their scouting tips. We get e-mails every day with your recommendations and we follow up on most of them — often with excellent results. We can’t write about every restaurant that does a pretty good job, but even if we don’t do a full review, we often take notes on a particular aspect of a place and highlight it in an article (such as last Wednesday’s “Delicious Deals”) that makes brief reference to dozens of restaurants. Or a place might show up in an article that offers a list of the best of a certain category of restaurants — such as British pubs or Hong Kong-style coffee shops.

Lately, readers have tipped us off to a Peruvian place in Downey (no name, but it’s at 9484 Firestone Blvd., (562) 401-1017) and a spot called Goody’s, (626) 286-3515, that’s been in San Gabriel at 865 E. Las Tunas Drive for 50 years(!). Someone referred us to Pita Fresh Grill in Fountain Valley, and someone else wants us to try the white cake with strawberry filling at Palace Bakery, 2708 N. Broadway, Los Angeles (Lincoln Heights), (323) 225-2569. There’s also a place called Utopia for coffee and sandwiches at 2311 Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica, (310) 315-4375, on the list — and a Thai place called Nakkara at 7669 Beverly Blvd. near the Grove, (323) 937-3100. If you get to any of them before we do, let us know what you think.

And I’m looking for recommendations for great date-night vegetarian spots, places that have a bit of ambience, a little style. Any suggestions?

— Susan LaTempa