Historic Hollywood Restaurants
Driving around Hollywood and West Los Angeles there is a changing landscape. History is important in the city, but not as important as money. Little by little the Hollywood of yesterday is being torn down so more mega-mansions and high end boutiques can take there place. It’s becoming more and more difficult, but if you look hard enough there are still remnants of what has been constant throughout the years. There are still some holdouts that can be enjoyed by a new generation just as they were in Tinseltown’s bygone era.
Nestled in between neo eateries I was able to find a few restaurants that have stood the test of time. They were once a place where starlets met with agents and seven figure deals for movie went down. Mostly they are places that had some importance in the entertainment world. I am writing about five places that should take tourists or film lovers back in time. One can imagine the Hollywood elite dining for a glamorous Saturday night on the town, or taking a break from filming to catch a bite. So lets step back in time and dine with the stars.
Five Classic Eateries in Hollywood
Barney’s Beanery
8447 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA
There are several Barney’s Beanery’s around southern California, but the one that sets along Historic Route 66 on Santa Monica Blvd is the original. Actually the very first location was opened in Berkeley in 1920 by John “Barney” Anthony. Seven years later he decided to move his restaurant to the historic highway running through Los Angeles as it headed to the end of the line at the Pacific Ocean.
Celebrities, artists, writers, and movie production workers began frequenting the bar. In the 1930’s through the 1950’s it was a frequent hangout for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall considered it “their” place. Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Rita Hayworth, Errol Flynn were all regulars.
In the 1960’s the clientele shifted. The nearby Sunset Strip had become a haven for the hippy culture. Just a few blocks away, Barney’s attracted several rock stars. One was Jim Morrison, leader of The Doors. He visited often. One time he was even kicked out of the place for urinating on the bar.
Another regular was Janis Joplin. She even carved her name into one of the tables. That table top is still there and on display on the ceiling over where she sat. She actually ate her last meal here. She was seen dining shortly before she headed back to the Landmark Motor Hotel on Franklin Avenue where her body was found dead the following day in Room #105 of a heroin overdose.
In the early 1990’s filmmaker Quentin Tarantino sat at his favorite booth and wrote the screenplay for his film Pulp Fiction.
The Beanery isn’t without its share of controversy. The exact date when the trouble started is unsure, probably just prior to 1953. The owner put up a sign behind the bar among the various license plates. The sign read: ‘Fagots – (sic) Stay Out! ” John Anthony had regularly let his hatred of gays be known. Ironically, Barney’s Beanery is right in the middle of the heavily gay population of West Hollywood. The sign came and went, finally being taken down permanently in 1984 when the mayor of West Hollywood, the City Council and a group of activists walked in and physically removed it.
Pop Culture: Parts of Oliver Stone’s The Doors was filmed here. There is also an illustration showing the restaurant on the Big Brother & the Holding Company’s album Cheap Thrills. On TV “Columbo ” Peter Falk often ordered a sandwich from the restaurant, though it was never featured on camera.
Canter’s Deli Restaurant
419 North Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA
Just north of CBS Studios and Farmer’s Market is Fairfax Village. A staple of the area since 1948 has been the famous Canter’s, a Jewish-style delicatessen. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week except on the Jewish holidays of Yon Kippur Rosh Hashanah.
Walking into Canter’s is like stepping back in time. The interiors look like it hasn’t been updated in decades, which is one of the great appeals of it. Sitting there I could easily imagine the late night crowds that frequent the place.
Because of its location and hours, it quickly became a hangout for people involved with the entertainment industry. In the 1960’s it was a place where rock stars and hippies held late night gatherings. In the bar area adjacent to the deli musicians such as Fiona Apple and The Wallflowers got their start. The current owner Marc Canter wrote a book about his high school friend Slash and his band Guns N Roses. In 2014 President Obama surprised the guest when he stopped by for a bite to eat.
The Canter’s menu offers not just the usual deli favorites. It also is a pretty straight forward diner with lots of sandwiches and meat and potato entrees. They also offer their famous Matzah Ball Soup. I wasn’t quite brave enough to try it, but my brother did and said it was good. The prices are very reasonable as well.
Pop Culture: Several TV shows have filmed there including Mad Men and Curb Your Enthusiasm. The song “Oh Daddy” by the Turtles mentions Canter’s as well.
El Coyote Cafe
7312 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles
When a restaurant has been opened as long as some of these classic diners in the Hollywood area, there are bound to be some stories that will live on. The El Coyote features some very tasty Mexican Food, and has kept the dark and authentic atmosphere that it has likely always had. Due to it’s small connection to a notorious murder scene, it is often drawn into conversations about Hollywood crimes.
El Coyote first opened in 1931 on the corner of La Brea and First. Twenty years later it moved to its present location on Beverly Blvd. Within its proximity to CBS Television studios and other movie studios, it became a place for many celebrities to eat.
On the evening of August 8, 1969 Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Jay Sebring, and a very pregnant Sharon Tate visited the El Coyote, which was Sharon’s favorite restaurant. Following their meal they drove along Beverly Boulevard and back to the house Tate was renting with her husband director Roman Polanski in Benedict Canyon. Polanski was out of town filming a movie in London.
The foursome arrived home around 10:30 pm. Shortly after midnight on August 9th four members of the Manson Family entered the home and murdered the Tate and her house guests , plus one other person, Steven Parent, who was visiting a friend in the guest house. He was shot in the driveway as he tried to leave. Any worker at the restaurant will gladly point out the table where Tate and her company ate that night.
The murders shocked the nation and an entire generation was affected by the heinous crime. Unfortunately this wasn’t the one moment of notoriety for the restaurant. In 2008 it was boycotted by the gay and lesbian community due to the owner’s daughter and manager Marjorie Christoffersen, a devout Mormon. She had donated money to Proposition 8, the ballot initiative to block gay marriage. She apologized to the LGBT community and offered a free lunch, though she continued to support Prop 8.
I’ve eaten at the El Coyote several times over the years and the food has always been excellent, and the service very good. They are open most everyday, but keep in mind they close early on Oscar night
Pop Culture: Feature in the documentary, Six Degrees of Helter Skelter.
The Formosa Cafe
7156 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
The Formosa Cafe has been a Hollywood staple since it opened its doors in 1925 on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Formosa Avenue. The Chinese flavored cuisine quickly emerged as a favorite for the movie industry crowd. It is very close to several film studios.
In 2015, the owners gutted the historic interiors and changed everything to a more modern style. Showing that the public doesn’t always want change, an outcry arose among those who craved old-Hollywood style. The new version lost business with all the negative publicity.
In December of 2016 the property closed down without notice, some thought permanently. Luckily, in 2017 the property was picked up by the 33 Group and is being renovated. The new owners want to restore it completely to its glamour days of the 30’s and 40’s. It is scheduled to reopen in the Spring of 2019.
Few restaurants have a history of celebrity clientele like The Formosa. It is said that Frank Sinatra spent many nights in the 1950’s here at the bar, pining away for Ava Gardner. Some of the eatery’s other famous regulars are: Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Brad Pitt, John Wayne, Bugsy Siegel, Warren Beatty, Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Grace Kelly, Jack Benny, Elizabeth Taylor…just to name a few.
I learned of the renovation recently when I returned there to eat and found it closed down. I hope the new owners are able to return this landmark to its original splendor. It is a place that Hollywood doesn’t want to lose.
Pop Culture: The films Swingers, L.A. Confidential, Still Breathing, and The Majestic features scenes shot here. It was also used in the television series Bosch.
No Menu currently until it Reopens.
Micheli’s Restaurant
1646 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood, CA
In 1949 Carmen and Sylvia Micheli pulled their funds together and opened this historic restaurant that is just half a block south of Hollywood Blvd. Carmen used recipes that had been handed down to him from Sicily. They hoped to create the first pizzeria in Hollywood.
The place became a hit among the celebrities of the day and the tourists who flocked to the famous street. The interior has remained almost unchanged for years. In fact the booths that are still used came from another historic restaurant. When the famous Pig ‘N Whistle closed in 1949, Micheli purchased the booths. The image of a pig holding a whistle can still be seen carved into the seat backs. The Pig ‘N Whistle would again open, but not for fifty years. In 1999 it was restored and is still open around the corner from Michel’s on Hollywood Blvd.
Frank Sinatra seemed to really get around and Micheli’s of course became one of his many hangouts. In fact he reserved the same booth in a corner and up a few steps. Appropriately, there is a giant photo of Sinatra that decorates the exterior wall outside of the restaurant.
Lucille Ball learned how to toss pizza here for an episide of I Love Lucy, and she frequented the place as a patron often. Other regulars were: Richard Burton, Dean Martin, Sal Mineo, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, John F. Kennedy, and even the Beatles.
I make it a special event to eat at Micheli’s each year when I visit Los Angeles during Oscar Weekend. Stepping into the building is like embracing Hollywood’s bygone era. There is always a piano player on the upper level, playing classic tunes from another time. Occasionally the waiter or waitress will pause in their order taking and break into song. Most of the time they sing as well as they wait on the tables.
It’s not just a place to eat, but it is a dining experience. Don’t rush through the meal. Sit back and enjoy the ambiance. You can almost believe that you are at a happening nightspot in 1950.
Pop Culture: The film Knocked Up featured a scene shot at Micheli’s. Also the television shows Dexter and Mob City included the location.
Conclusion
There are several other restaurants in Hollywood that also preserve the past. As mentioned Pig ‘N Whistle on Hollywood Blvd. Mel’s Drive-In on Highland and Carney’s on Sunset are fun throwbacks. The Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood and Lucy’s El Adobe on Melrose are also recommended. It’s even worth spending a little extra and having a Sunday morning breakfast at the famous Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel. Make sure to make a reservation.
I want to showcase one more place. If anyone has the time, take the short drive into Laurel Canyon and visit the Canyon Country Store. It is virtually unchanged from the era when Mama Cass lived in the basement and Jim Morrison owned the home directly behind it. They were regulars, as were countless residence of the canyon. Mick Fleetwood even met Lindsay Buckingham here and invited him and Stevie Nicks to join Fleetwood Mac.
It’s not a restaurant, but they have a great coffee spot to sit outside and watch the traffic speed by on the winding Laurel Canyon Blvd as it twists its way to the San Fernando Valley.
It is located at 2108 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles is a haven for wonderful eateries, if you can handle the traffic to get there. I have found that they are worth the headache of maneuvering through the busy streets. I hope these few cafes and restaurants and coffee shops might motivate a few folks to give them a try.
Take care everyone…until I blog again!