I admire all things vintage (circa 1900s-1960s) – clothing, jewelry, furniture, architecture, cars, and…food. Fortunately in Los Angeles, there are still quite a few establishments that are cooking up meals that hearken back to another time – an innocent time that was pre-Atkins, pre-macrobiotic, and pre-vegan. Here are a few of my favorites-
The original space for Uncle John's.
Uncle Johns Ham and Eggs was originally housed in a charming, hole in the wall 50s diner space with a single counter but unfortunately due to a lease issue with the owner, moved to a more modern location at the main floor of the Stillwell Hotel. Though the new location has lost the 50s lunch counter vibe where you would be chowing down between the UPS delivery guy and the bomb squad, the food remains the same home-style 50s Chinese American cooking. Uncle John’s Ham and Eggs are run by a Cantonese family that can throw down classic all-American bacon and eggs, Chinese stir fries like shrimp with lobster sauce, and original Chinese American fusion dishes (pre-Wolfgang Puck) like barbequed pork omelets and, pork chops and rice with wok-seared aplomb. For anyone who grew up Chinese in America, Uncle Johns will hit the sweet spot of your mixed heritage palate that craves fluffy pancakes one day, black bean tossed shrimp the next, and fried eggs with every dish imaginable from noodles to hamburger.
Purchased by Clifford Clinton in 1935, Clifton’s downtown location was transformed into its current incarnation – a classic cafeteria housed in a woodsy “wonderland” (as per their website) décor complete with fake moose, grizzly bear, and trees. The food is a mix of old school American roasts and some Mexican specialties. But, my favorites are the jellos of different varieties from the classic cherry to the mixed cream jello. With confections that resemble Gaudi-inspired towers dotted with stained mosaic glass, I am instantly transported to another time when no meal was complete without the jello. Unfortunately, Clifton’s has struggled in the last few years to stay afloat but seems to now have found a new owner Andrew Meieren (owner of The Edison) who will give the place a facelift – turning it into a speakeasy with tiki bar, while preserving its cafeteria and old school menu.
Since the 1920s, Musso and Franks’ has hosted many Hollywood luminaries, celebrities, and dealmakers. Indeed, it is also known for its clientele of notable writers (William Saroyan, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner…) who took over their back room where the bar is housed, of course. I love that little has changed in their menu and that they still serve fancy old school dishes like Steak Diane and Welsh rarebit, along with classic desserts like tapioca pudding and jello. (Is it obvious by now that I’m obsessed with jello?). If only they made baked Alaska, then my gastronomic time travel would be complete.
What’s your favorite place to eat that brings you back in time?
Manuel’s, Philippe’s, the Pantry, Aoi.
Order depends on mood.
the nickel diner in downtown LA serves up a mean mac n cheese, excellent fried catfish too
dude, how the heck do you find these places and why have we not gone to them together?
anyway, if you were alive at this age during the 1950′s, do you think you’d fetish on the late 1800′s?
great post
Ok Roger, will take you to Uncle John’s one of these days to get some eggs or we can do welsh rarebit and wash it down with a martini at Musso and Frank’s. And yes, I’m sure I’d fetish on the late 1800s – though many of the “classy” dishes that came into vogue in the 50s originated in the 1800s – Baked Alaska, Lobster thermidor, Chicken Kiev, etc.
@Elaine
BAKED ALASKA – DO WANT
Does Millie’s on Sunset Blvd near Silver Lake still exist? It was a little shoebox storefront, just big enough to serve maybe 8 people. The hashbrowns. I remember the hash browns.
There was a stand in the Crenshaw, Walt’s, old JA guy and fam. You could take your catch there and he’d cook it up. Little stand, counters, like Tommy’s.
Gone.
Millie’s is still there, Alfredo. But I think it’s bigger than you remembered it (maybe it’s expanded since then)–very intimate but not exactly a shoebox.
[...] OLD SCHOOL GRUB: [...]