Dulans or Rusty Pot Cafe for Soul Food. Sugarfish if you want to try some amazing sushi. Universal Studios is dope, and if you don't want to pay to go inside, you can just do their "city walk". We do the walk and then go to either Bubba Gump's or Sugarfish afterwards, depending on who we're travelling with. If you've never been inside Universal Studios, I would say that it's worth the price of admission. Venice Beach is our favorite thing to do out of everything though.
Boa's, in Santa Monica, is great if you're looking for an extra fancy restaurant, though it is pricey.