Talk about your favorite LS restaurant. Right now I think Think Cafe is actually our top pick. We went to Haichi Kitchen (sp?) this weekend and it was good but not great and the sushi didn't come out all at once.

It depresses me to no end that you had a mediocre Haichi's experience. When we went it was out of this world - the sushi was excellent, the tempura was amazing and the green tea creme brulee was out of this world.

All that being said, my favorite neighborhood joint remains Haichi's neighbor, Buona Terra. We moved here from New York five years ago and their cuisine rivals what you find in the best restaurants on the east coast. The husband likes the Rigatoni Buona Terra (sundried tomatoes and goat cheese); the Pollo Affumicatto (three words: tomato bacon sauce) is also out of this world. Again, as a desert enthusiast, I have to recommend the cannoli which are hand filled to order.

No lie, I've put on 10 lbs. since we moved to the neighborhood two years ago.

We dig Buona Terra as well. It's not the best Italian I've ever had, but it's darn good for the price and the proximity. Very good wait staff too. Total neighborhood restaurant.

With HK it has been one sub par meal, one very good meal, one sub par. The sub par isn't awful mind you but with a gazillion sushi places around it's hard to swallow the price. Again proximity helps and Coast is way too busy these days to enjoy any more. It's like being in a cafeteria.