Right off Wilshire Blvd, Westwood Village has been around since the 1920s. Throughout the years it has offered a pedestrian-friendly environment with Mediterranean revival architecture for the upscale crowd. It is now home to several large retail stores, some boutique stores, restaurants, and theaters.
Located in Westwood, Coffee Zinio is a cozy neighborhood Café that’s nestled along Westwood Blvd – about a block north of Santa Monica Blvd.
Since it’s a Persian Café and located in a predominantly Persian neighborhood, you’ll hear lots of people speaking Farsi. Don’t worry though…the staff is always courteous, helpful, and they really do their best to make you feel welcome. There are about a half dozen tables to choose from inside; alternatively, you can opt to sit outside on the patio. Smoking is allowed on the patio, so if cigarettes and/or hookah smoke bother you, I suggest sitting indoors.
If you're hungry, Coffee Zinio serves fantastic Panini sandwiches, an assortment of fresh pastries, and fine Persian Teas. In the evening, the upbeat atmosphere makes it the perfect spot to hang out with some friends or a date; if you're into smoking hookah, they have a variety of flavors for you to choose from. For the Soccer (football) enthusiast, they have a large Plasma TV with satellite coverage from around the world.
If you can’t find any parking along Westwood Blvd, you can park for free in the parking lot right next door to the Café (right below Ross).
Gone are the days of purchasing a 12’’ sub, fries and a drink for $4 plus tax. Roll Inn Sandwich used to be one of my favorite spots to visit after a night at the bar or club…it was open late, cheap, and the food hit the spot. I haven’t eaten at Roll In for years and last night a friend called me and said, “Ron, lets get that $4 sub in Westwood”. Hungry and a little short on cash, I gladly obliged.
The first thing I noticed on their window was a sign that read something along the lines of, “We Now Serve Very Expensive Bread”. I was never really a fan of the old bread so I was thrilled that they changed it up…but how much of that cost would be passed on to me? I ordered my usual foot-long steak sub and diet cola…I decided to skip the fries this time. The cashier punched in my order and the total came to $7.25. Wow, that must really be expensive bread.
Turns out that the management recently changed; that’s probably one of the reasons for the the price increase. The quality of the meat hasn’t changed (it’s still chewy and fatty), but the bread was surprisingly good. My friend went with the Chicken Kabob sandwich which I found to be a little dry. The best part of my experience was trying to get enough napkins…they only hand them out to you one at a time.
In the past, I would’ve been willing to deal with the parking in Westwood for $4, but with the price increase…it’s no longer worth the effort.
Are you an avid sushi lover? If so, head over to Isshin Sushi. Isshin Sushi serves fresh sashimi and sushi with a whole lot of taste. Their spicy tuna is especially flavorful, yum! Though some of its items are a bit on the pricier side, compared to other sushi restaurants nearby, its quality cooking does all the talking. With that said, it’s pretty reasonable. This sushi restaurant has more of a family and group friends feel to it. Sports fans will appreciate the big screen TV.
As a family owned and operated restaurant, Isshin Sushi offers friendly service. Did I forget to mention prompt service as well?
