Restaurants in California

Hours Monday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM Tuesday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM Wednesday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM Thursday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM Friday: 11:00 AM - 2:00 AM Saturday: 11:00 AM - 2:00 AM Sunday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM Happy Hour 4pm-8pm Monday-Friday

In the kitchens of Brasas Rotisserie & Grill, El Salvador native Claudia Rivas brings culinary touches learned across Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Peru to her preparation of saffron-infused paella and chilean sea bass. The grill's slate of Latin-American dishes "couldn't be more different from the chicken fingers and burgers served at all the places around it," according to a 2012 review in the Washington Post Express_. Reviewer Kristen Page-Kirby singled out the ceviche, as well as the "wine-infused, chewy steak-and-potatoes dish called solomillo al jerez." Elsewhere on the menu, meaty combination plates recall Brazilian-style churrascaria, setting Angus steak and barbecue ribs alongside lobster tails, mussels, and andouille sausage.

Founded three decades ago by a group of friends that simply wanted barbecue, jazz, and a place to sit, Red Hot & Blue grew from its original Arlington location to the robust chain it is today, spreading southern flavors and hospitality to the north. As hickory smoke wafts from kitchen grills, chefs slather sweet barbecue sauces and massage dry spices into ribs, pork, and brisket slow roasted for hours until melty and tender. The sound of classic blues tunes drifts from speakers, and the paraphernalia of the genre's greatest talents bedeck every inch of the walls, from instruments wielded by famous hands to the rock on which Mamie Smith stubbed her toe before emitting the world's first blues croon.:m]]

Foxfire Grill prides itself on cooking its own versions of American classics sure to please a variety of appetites. Nosh delectable brunch plates such as eggs chesapeake, which updates the traditional benedict by adding buttery-smooth crab meat ($13). Lunch offers a dazzling lineup of edible all-stars, including such unique eats as a peanut butter and apple sandwich with honey, bacon, and melted cheddar cheese ($7). For dinner, raise your body temperature back to the national average with a starter of smoked corn tortilla soup ($4 cup) before moving on to a warming entree of pan-seared steak medallions with mushroom-sherry sauce ($18), or bacon-laden mac 'n' cheese ($15). With the main course framed in your mind’s eye, Foxfire’s licensed sommelier will personalize your meal with a wine selection from less than $20, picking from global varieties or rare extra-solar wines, some of which may be able to support life.

Every pizza at zpizza is freshly prepared, hand thrown, gently coaxed into the oven using soft birdcalls and pheromone trails, and fire-baked to crispy perfection. The dough is prepared fresh daily from 100% certified-organic wheat, and z is also happy to offer certified organic and gluten-free crusts, sating the pizza desire of the allergic, dieters, and wheat sympathizers. Toppings include award-winning Wisconsin skim mozzarella, MSG-free pepperoni, certified-organic tomato sauce, additive-free sausage, and fresh produce. Try a large ZBQ pizza (with barbecue sauce, mozzarella, barbecue chicken, roasted pepper, red onion, tomato, cilantro, and sweet corn; $20.95 for a large) or a chicken curry and yam rustica (with mozzarella, curry chicken, yam, mango chutney, raisin, and cilantro; $8.95). Vegans can delight in the Berkeley vegan, a faux-cheese veggie pizza (with marinara, veggie burger crumbles, zucchini, tomato, mushroom, red onion, and bell pepper; $10.50 for a small), and traveling tongues can sate their wanderlust with a mouthwatering Moroccan rustica (with pesto, mozzarella, roasted eggplant, feta cheese, caramelized onion, and pine nut; $8.95).

Taco Del Mar's bright tiki-bar ambience nicely matches the vibrant colors in the food. Try to one-hand the Mondo burrito with meat, beans, rice, sour cream, and pico de gallo ($5.89), or flatten out the situation with a cheese quesadilla ($3.69). Taking a break from the tortilla, Taco Del Mar offers food in its primal pile form with a burrito bowl ($5.89) and two cabbage-slawed, chipotle-sour-creamed tacos ($4.39). Dive into an edible Mexican cornucopia with the enchilada-taco combo platter ($7.99). Those seeking a bit of satisfaction can nab smaller "Mondito" burritos ($3.99) or a taco salad in a baked, rather than fried, shell ($5.99).