Have you been looking for that one place where you can never go wrong, especially when you're treating? Well, I found mine, Pizza Place CA on Mission Dr. in the San Gabriel Mission district. Steak - rare, medium, well done - whatever pink you pick, is served to specs in their special pepper-corn sauce. Salmon - succulent flakes drizzled with a unique pesto sauce is one of mine and my co-workers' fave.

Our table of 15 might have posed a challenge for your run of the mill chainery, but not for Pizza Place. Glancing around at everyone sampling from his or her neighbor's plate, you know this place is a slam dunk. "Can I try yours?" "Only if I can try yours." "Sure."

My first taste of Pizza Place CA was my birthday lunch - thank you uncle Ed. My Japanese coworker suggested Pizza Place because he longed for the salmon lunch special including spicy ravioli soup of a fresh field of greens skimpily dressed in balsamic and oil with a single olive on top. I remember going steak - I was really gone.

We have a few pizza lovers in our group and true to the trait; every time we go they order pizza. I guess you would call me an outlier, because I have never had their pizza. But I still feel I can offer some expertise on the subject - by osmosis. One die hard pizza lover sitting next to me likes to dip his crust in a side of ranch. If all his pizza is gone by the end of the outing, it was a go, and he was gone.

I’m not a wine person, and I’m not a soda person, but I would still like a cool fruit-flavored beverage, which is lacking at Pizza Place CA. Overall, a safe bet every time good price.

Price: $$

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