Echo Park's Masa restaurant is tops (or very close) today. The pizza-bistro restaurant on Sunset Blvd is not just participating in the county-wide GoEAT LA AIDS fundraiser today. It has pledged 50 percent of its proceeds. A quick scroll through restaurants in this area all the way to West Hollywood and beyond showed that only Astro Burger -- which also has a branch diner close by, in Silver Lake -- has promised more (60 percent).

That's definitely what we, at Chicken Corner, call extra value.

According to Masa, which did not advertise its percentage, in a mailing to a neighborhood list serv:

Restaurants across Los Angeles will be participating in Aid for AIDS' fundraising event "Go Eat Los Angeles" on Thursday, February 26. More than 65 restaurants are scheduled to participate in the event, and each has pledged anywhere from 15-60% of their day's proceeds to help in the effort to provide relief to families who have been affected by AIDS.

Founded in 1983, Aid for AIDS is one of California's oldest and longest-running non- profits. Their mission is "to prevent homelessness and hunger and to encourage independent living for impoverished women, men and children with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County," according to a press release by the organization.

For reading material, while you wait for your pannino or meatloaf, you can browse Masa's neighborhood newsletter (usually placed on tables), which provides information on animal rescue and human social services and community groups.