Restaurants in Griffith

Giuseppe "Joe" Scalzo had to turn down his first opportunity to manage a restaurant, a small trattoria in Calabria he'd been working in as he attended school. He had spent his entire professional career working in Tuscan eateries and wanted the job, but his educational path led him to Chicago's Loyola University in pursuit of a business degree. It didn't take him long to realize that the thing he missed most about home was working in a restaurant. With his newly acquired business acumen, he began his foray into opening Italian restaurants: first Piazza Bella, then Via Carducci, and finally his most recent labor of love, Ciao Bella Ristorante.

The kitchen is nestled behind a black-and-white photographic mural, which hints at the sunshine that sparkles along the Mediterranean coastline. Greenery flanks the piece, providing contrast along with the warm, saturated red walls painted with real marinara sauce. As guests revel under dim lighting amid the elegant atmosphere, plates of carefully crafted Italian cuisine arrive at tables alongside traditional thin-crust pizza. The restaurant recently expanded its bar and lounge areas and added a new banquet area for private parties that can seat up to 70. Joe's personal favorite pie is the quattro stagioni, for its savory blend of prosciutto, artichokes, and black olives.

Framed between two neon cacti, La Quesadilla Mexican Grill's imposing sign leads the way into a nexus of Mexican staples crafted from family recipes. Tortilla shells bundle meats, veggies, and seafood into tacos and burritos that share plate space with grilled 16-ounce T-bone steaks and chicken fillets. Glasses of house-made horchata and sangria dot the casual eatery’s booths and tabletops, and 12 different desserts, such as deep-fried sopapillas dusted with cinnamon, cap off meals better than an edible mortar board.

At Tequila Restaurante, green peppers and onions sizzle and snap in steaming skillets, as much a soundtrack to any traditional Mexican restaurant as mariachi and corrido music. Many of the other sensory details of an eatery in Mexico fill the Crown Point restaurant, including the citric bite of ceviche and the aromas of carne asada. Tequila Restaurante serves up traditional margaritas as well as those made with fresh banana, banana liquor, brown sugar, cinnamon, and other unorthodox ingredients. The dining room is alive with the vibrant colors associated with the country; crisp white table linens complement the red, orange, and green walls, and a string of white vine lights curlicues across the restaurant’s ceiling.

An oversize photograph of a rhinoceros hangs on one of the walls at White Rhino Bar & Grill, serenely surveying a kingdom accented by natural stone and brightened by the glow of 21 flat-screen televisions. With the noble beast’s blessing, diners can tear into savory American food ranging from griddled steaks and slow-cooked ribs to pizzas layered with andouille sausage, shrimp, and gouda. Bartenders mix cocktails, host wine tastings, and serve more than 110 beers, and DJs spin music that often leads to nighttime dancing and spontaneous daytime jazzercise sessions.

Duck Walk Thai Restaurant's warm-toned, intimate dining room welcomes patrons with a menu of authentic Thai recipes. The BYOB policy allows patrons to tipple their own selection of white wine to complement piquant Thai spices or to bring in a seltzer bottle for practicing clown routines.

Every recipe goes through a phase of trial and error, but that phase occurred generations ago for the majority of the recipes at Jalapeños. The chefs fervently cling to these time-honored techniques and family secrets, even hand making the corn and flour tortillas that are used in virtually every dish.

Although familiar dishes such as housemade tamales, enchiladas, and burritos populate most of the menu, the chefs also introduce a few continental touches, including hearty crab cakes and chicken breast doused in a tangy marinade of citrus and white wine. To complement this variety of cuisine, bartenders create sangria from scratch and blend 13 flavored margaritas to correspond with each month of the year.

Filled with custom furniture, the decor appears to come directly from Baja California. Dark wooden floors and wall paneling stand in stark contrast to vibrant touches including bright yellow and purple chairs. Yet it’s not entirely up to accents such as the wall-mounted surfboard to create a festive atmosphere—Jalapeños also hosts live entertainment throughout the week.