Any Good Italian Restaurants in So Cal?

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Could anybody please recommend an Italian Restaurant to die for in approximately the Los Angeles or Orange County areas? I do quite a bit of driving so it can range anywhere from Santa Barbara all the way down to Oceanside.

My favorite Italian restaurant moved out of state about a year ago, so I haven't had decent plate of lasagna since then! I must have spent over $300 testing other places, but I haven't been back to any place twice. I swear I'd strangle my mother-in-law for a decent meatball sandwich. Just kidding,...I'd do that for nothin' [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img].

Thanks