Well, here you are, looking at mmm-yoso!!! again. Today, Cathy is posting about a restaurant which has been in Lemon Grove since 1955, for good reasons. Kirk and His Missus are still enjoying themselves in another part of the world.
You may have passed without noticing. Lido's has been there all along.
The architecture on the exterior has remained the same. 
As has the interior.
Notice there are Monday-Friday Lunch Specials.
Specials have a choice of soup or salad. Of course, only minestrone soup is offered, because it is perfect and there is no need to make any other soup; just like at home. The salad dressing (again, only one type) is a unique version of Italian. It is available for purchase. 
Lunch also arrives with toasted garlic parmesan bread.
Of course, you can order a slice of cheese bread ($2.95) (or a half loaf for $6.95 or a full loaf for $9.95). A very nice, cheesy 'appetizer'.
This is a 'full' order of jumbo cheese ravioli ($10.45). A delightful, fluffy ricotta-herb filling sandwiched between thin pasta and covered in the house marinara. It's a great meal to share (and have some leftovers).
The eggplant parmesan lunch ($9.25) here is excellent, though it isn't photogenic. Thin sliced (but not mushy) eggplant slices, plenty of cheese, and, because it is baked, the marinara has a more concentrated flavor.
One of our favorite meals when dating was to share an antipasto salad (for two, $10.35) ($8.35 for one). The triangle slices of mortadella and cotto salami sandwiching mozzarella are found around the bottom of the plate. Pickled carrot, celery, red pepper and cauliflower complete the lettuce/tomato/olive/pepperocini covered plate.
A large sausage and mushroom pizza ($19.25)would pretty much always be our order back then and still is today. Thin sliced fresh mushrooms, a light dollop of the tomato based sauce, plenty of mozzarella and sausage (!)- mild Italian with the flavors of garlic and fennel seeds.
The large pizza is thin. The small is a bit thicker. For the extra $2, there are more toppings and flavor. We reheat the leftovers in a fry pan.
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Ok, so it's an older Italian restaurant. What makes Lido's unique?
This. With every eat-in pizza (or for $4.95) you get this. "Hors d' ouevres"
The plate arrives looking mildly unusual with hidden joy underneath all of those Cheez-Its: thin slices of American cheese and cotto salami. It's what makes Lido's, Lido's.
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Local, long time, friendly, fresh, consistent.
Lido's Italian Foods 7252 Broadway Lemon Grove CA 91945 (619) 469-9901 Open seven days 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Website
The hors d' oeuvres plate also reminds us of this surprising dish, which I posted about in November of 2006.
such a gem! nice that it survived the pandemic
Lido’s is a gem, Kat! Many family and neighborhood celebrations are held here along with groups of coworkers having lunch on weekdays.