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Restaurants:  Cafe 50s, The Apple Pan, Gjelina Next Door

Cafe 50s is a greasy spoon diner down on Lincoln Blvd.  It is one of the few places nowadays where you glance at the menu and are delighted with the prices.  On the weekdays, you can order a substantial breakfast for $4.50.  Overall, the food is just a tad better than you'd expect at the price.  It beats places like Swingers or Denny's, but make no mistake, you're eating regular diner food with lots of butter and carbs.  But I like that sort of thing, and I put this place up there with Rae's for diner spots in Santa Monica.

The only choice at the Apple Pan is between the Steakburger and the Hickory Burger.  I always get the Steakburger.  I've always liked Apple Pan and the older I get, it only grows in my esteem.

Gjelina Next Door is a take out counter next to the famous (and expensive) Venice restaurant.  I was down there last night on first friday when the food trucks line the streets and young people walk around eating all sorts of treats from waffles with nutella to lobster rolls.  How anyone can eat at food trucks when Gjelina Next Door is still right there as a brick and mortar spot is beyond me.  The food is like $2 per plate more expensive and 100% better.  Food trucks, for the most part, are carnival food.  If there are truly any exceptional trucks, they will quickly become restaurants.  I feel like food trucks are the equivalent of spec scripts to the movie business.  Most of the best ones will become movies/restaurants anyway, and so what you're searching for, really, are the few that have something special but for whatever reason, don't have enough appeal to be a movie/restaurant.  And there are some.  But you'll need to trudge through tons of crap to find it.  So is it worth bearing the crowds, the lack of parking, and uncomfortably trying to eat on sidewalks to discover one gem in fifty?  I say no, especially when you can get dinner for two at Gjelina next door for $24 and eat spicy meatballs with two sides and a salad.