Earth Wind & Flour, Santa Monica

For 30 years, Dennis Klempner ascended through the ranks of the restaurant industry, having begun as a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant in San Fernando Valley. In 1981, he was finally able to open the doors to his own place, Earth Wind & Flour, which has thrived under his tutelage and strong yet laid-back family values for three more decades. Three nights a week, guests are entertained by magicians and Rat Pack–style singers. But the performers can only hope to distract them from classic Italian dishes off a menu filled with pizza, pasta, and California-influenced house specialties like vegetarian lasagna and spinach salad with avocados, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms.