Favorite California Restaurant?

All of those are low nutrition high carbohydrate crap.

Brown Derby

french laundry

Love me some In-N-Out! Haven’t been there since I moved to Tucked Away.

Does California Pizza Kitchen still exist? The location I know of on the East Coast all closed a few years back

In-N-Out Burgers helped take our marriage rights away back in 2008.

CPK still exists, there’s one in Culver City that I was forced to go to.

Waiting for someone to mention Spago.

What, no Winchell’s donuts?

Zankou Chicken

I used to love Zankou, but have some sort of allergic reaction to an ingredient they use. Not sure what it is, so frustrating.

In-N-Out is crap. No quality control. Bible verses on the cups.

Despite negative feelings about In-N-Out, it’s the most popular on the poll.

Sorry, I completely forgot to add Jollibee!

Bob's Big Boy.

n/naka

Petit Trois

In the fast food category Jimboy's.

Sizzler

Carl's Jr.

I think Sizzler is out of business at this point, all the locations I know of closed.

I think Sizzler is closed.

I'm in Northern California and we don't have four out of five of the places you listed in my area, one we do have is In and Out. We had a Marie Callender's and Coco's but only one each and they closed years ago. In and Out is very popular here, always has long lines. I used to eat at Marie Callender's sometimes for lunch, but in my opinion, not the best choice for dinner.

We have many locally sourced restaurants with fabulous chefs, those are my favorites.

Zuni Cafe

Chez Panisse

Mozza

There is still a Sizzler in Santa Clara, CA.

Mozza? No one goes there anymore. Might as well go to Coco’s.

This is their San Francisco location, but when I would walk by the La Cienega location, I could smell the garlic mashed potatoes.

Mildred's, the official restaurant of Datalounge, of course.

[quote] There is still a Sizzler in Santa Clara, CA.

OMG, I’m driving there as we speak. I can’t wait to get their Malibu chicken and salad bar. The meatball taco is so good. 🧆🌮

Jimmy’s Beverly Hills....Liz, Frank, Ronnie & Nancy, Rickles, Carson, Merv, Eva, Steve and Eydie, Rita Lee.

Fresh Choice

[quote]Jimmy’s Beverly Hills....Liz, Frank, Ronnie & Nancy, Rickles, Carson, Merv, Eva, Steve and Eydie, Rita Lee.

And me in the bar! Ha ha ha ha!

Chez Panisse

French Laundry

Ah, the good ol' days - Coco's in Carpinteria. My older brother's first job and we would go in just to see him working (1970's).

The Coco’s by me is gone, but when it was here they would always get rid of my favorite meals. HATED that.

California Pizza Kitchen has some great, healthy options.

My family always loved to go to Marie Callendar’s, but I found it lackluster.

In-N-Out is OK, but not my favorite.

I like Del Taco, even though I have very rarely had their food lol

Why would anyone go to Marie Callendar’s when you could have the same thing at home at a fraction of the cost from your freezer?

Where is Shakey's?

Sweetgreen

I love you R27, almost as much as Ida, the wise-cracking cashier

I loved the Hamburger Hamlet. Although they did have one as far north as Cupertino, they were mainly in and around Los Angeles, with a couple of outposts in Chicago and Washington, DC.

In its heyday, there was even one tucked away on the top floor of Bonwit Teller, Beverly Hills.

Stop it with the French Laundry. Just say Del Taco, be honest.

The habit. In n out. The local taquerias in the mission. :)

R38 Ida would have hired Natalia from "The Doughgirls" as Mildred's security guard.

"I would like a fish."

"Live?"

"No, dead."

Does that woman have a gun in the restaurant? WTF?

Joe's of Westlake., Daly City.

At this very moment, I'm trying to duplicate Hamberger Hamlets fresh onion soup. It was to die for!

^^^Sorry, meant the French onion soup.

Spago!

El Pollo Loco, silly OP

Totally forgot about El Pollo Loco! Probably because all their locations have closed around me.

R26 - there's a Stinking Rose in Beverly Hills - I ate there last year. I love garlic. It's a throwback for sure.

I miss Baja Fresh and Islands.

We had a Hamburger Hamlet, and lots of Cocos in Atlanta. I remember the ratatouille at HH was delicious. And for semi-fast food Cocos wasn't all that bad.

We also had loads of Sizzlers. People at work used to love their AYCE buffet.

What's going on with Marie Callender's? There are still some locations open in Southern California. Are they completely going out of business?

Piazza Rodeo.

Boudin of San Francisco has 25 locations across California. Quality remained consistent and good despite now being a chain bakery. In-N-Out is good but I just get grilled cheese sandwich (with tomatoes, lettuce, grilled onions) from their “secret menu”and fries because I don’t eat meat.

Coco's and its sibling Carrow's were bought by the Shari's restaurant chain out of Oregon.

Side note to the Zankou Chicken fans. Fascinating story.

Curious about Marie Callender's and I'm not even in CA. They opened locations here in the early to mid 90's which ended up closing for some reason. I get the pies at my local grocery sometimes. Pretty good for what they are.

R26 Here's my Stinking Rose story. So about 25 or so years ago I was visiting a friend in SF and that particular day we went for a long hike (10 or 12 miles) and hadn't eaten much all day other than trail mix and nuts. So we ate dinner at the Stinking Rose and I was ravenous. Of course they give you bread and roasted garlic and I started scarfing that shit down like crazy. I paid the price, bloated and gassy for the next couple of days. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my first trip to gay mecca!

Oh well, life lesson. I still love me some garlic tho, just in moderation! ;)

No love for Claim Jumper!?

Our family used to gather at Marie Callendar's on a regular basis, for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. I liked their salad bar which was a cut above most salad bars, and it included their soups which were very good, especially the potato cheese soup, which I miss. Plus they had many kinds of pie.

Did they shut down to concentrate on the grocery end R61?

Did they shut down to concentrate on the grocery end R61?

Claim Jumper is good but the serving sizes are so big that it's a joke. Nobody needs that much food at one sitting.

No, I think Marie Callendar's started their frozen food quite a while back, maybe 20 years ago. The restaurant chain kept going. Their frozen pot pies are decent. As far as I know, there are still 28 Marie Callendar's restaurants still operating. That chain and Mimi's Cafe are 2 decent chain restaurants.

We’re not talking about Claim Jumper, nor are we talking about Cracker Barrel.

OP R13 You mean Greasy Bee. Only time I can go there is if I'm stoned out of my mind. The pineapple juice is yummy, though.

Please don’t say “yummy”, unless you’re 4 years old.

Claim Jumper and Cracker Barrel both have restaurants in California.

As a kid I used to love Marie Callendar’s corn bread. Just the right amount of cake-like and sweet goodness for me. My second favorite was the strawberry pie especially the crust, MC had great crust.

Burger King has restaurants in California, but we’re talking about California restaurants, not National chains that happen to have restaurants in California. You could talk about Carl’s Jr., another one that I missed.

All five of the chains mentioned in the OP's poll have locations outside California.

This isn’t that hard to understand, all 5 restaurants are restaurants that started in, and are associated with, the state of California. I would say that the only exception that you could claim would be if you discussed McDonald’s, since it began in California, but was developed elsewhere.

Norms, a diner/coffee shop chain; Mel's Diner; same.

I lived in West Hollywood for 25 years (1983 to 2008) and have been back several times. Each time I visited (up to five years ago) I went to the Hamburger Haven on Santa Monica and Robertson. They had the juiciest, tastiest burgers. They were associated with Hamburger Habit for years. That is still open, but unfortunately, the Boy's Town venue (right across the street from the Abbey and the old Pavillions/Von's, whatever the grocery store name is now) closed on Christmas Eve last year. No reason for me to go back now!

Rubio’s

Hof's Hut is a small Long Beach-OC chain. There are only three left, but the same owners started Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ, which now has 24 locations in CA, NV, and AZ.

Have all of the Baja Fresh locations closed? I was just in South Lake Tahoe and saw that the Stateline store was gone.

R9, I love Zankou, lol. I have finally made a close approximation of their notorious garlic sauce.

[quote] t this very moment, I'm trying to duplicate Hamburger Hamlets French onion soup. It was to die for!

I never tried it. I always opted for the lobster bisque

R59. I hated the Stinking Rose. Not long after it first opened in San Francisco I got talked into going with some friends. You are so right, it's delicious going down, but for days afterward your stomach is complaining and garlic is literally seeping out of your pores. I couldn't imagine living with someone who worked there. It permeates everything. It's really a gimmicky place for tourists, the locals have far better Italian restaurants from which to choose.

From then on, when people came to town and wanted to have dinner there, I'd wish them well and tell them I'd meet them afterward for drinks.

All of these places are chains. Chains like these should only be along the highways in between cities for when you are driving long distances. Not to be used by the locals for actual dining purposes. Gross.

the better restaurants are not chain ones.

Is Nate 'n Al's still around? Doris Day used to be a frequent visitor when she lived in L.A.? Was it any good? What are the big celeb hangouts, at least recently pre-covid?

Someone’s HANGry^ Go get a double double!

Can you imagine having guests from out of town, and not going to dinner with them because you don’t like the restaurant? I’m pretty sure this is considered bad manners, and is even covered in Debrett’s rules of etiquette!

R83 Unfortunately Nate & Al's closed earlier this year, after being in business for 75 years.

Harry’s Hofbrau

Urth Caffe

Nate 'n Als has re-opened

I would say Del Taco if they didn’t close almost all of them in the bay. I would probably go with CPK. As far as burgers Habit Burger is way better than In-n-out

R57 - yup, my late partner lived in Glendale, CA and, as an OB-gyn you would not believe the amount of abuse against women that goes on in the Armenian community, particularly first generation. When I was going to Glendale High School I was walking to school one morning and remember a badly burned building and loads of cops, firefighters, etc. The whole area was cordoned off. Turns out the man had set his wife, mother and kids on fire as they slept because he thought the woman was cheating.

Apple Pan.

You guys mentioning Coco's must be eldergays. That's quite a "senior discount" and "early bird" special type of place. Well, it was. Now Denny's is left. Anyone know DuPar's? My mom waitressed there in the 1980's while finishing college. They had some real weirdos working there and the owners were some awful Nazis from Glendale.

What is the fate of Marie Callender's?

OMG Apple Pan!

LA has the BEST Mexican food I've had outside of Mexico. You would think San Diego is better but the food there was more like Texas Mexican (more tex-mex, watered down). And you can find GREAT mexican at many of these shady looking strip mall places too. My favorite Mexican places in LA are Guellaguetza (Oaxacan) and Senior Fish.

I also have heart for El Coyote - I know, I know - the food is not great - but the margaritas and chips are - and it is always a fun scene.

Pollo Loco - far far better than any of the OP suggestions.

If you want to instantly clean out your colon, drop by Tito’s tacos.

Olvera Street for their Taquitos.

How come no one has mentioned Olive Garden? I’m shocked.

Illiterate?

San Diego does have good Mexican food. There is a taco shop on almost every block and a full-service Mexican restaurant in every neighborhood. The best tacos are at the taco trucks. For a full-service place, I would probably choose Ortega's Mexican Bistro, on University Avenue in Hillcrest (the gayborhood). The places on Old Town are much more touristy. The taco truck "Kiko's Place" now has 4 locations and the tacos are just as good as any restaurant, many varieties and all for a song.

San Diego? How pedestrian.

I used to love the potato cheese soup at Claim Jumper when i lived in SoCal.

Apple Pan is delicious, always crowded.

CPK has limited locations around the Bay Area (where i live now), but when i lived in LA and SF i would occasionally hit it up for some okay-enough pizza.

Del Taco USED to be good - everything was made fresh and you could taste that. The last time i went there was about a year ago on the way through Sacramento on a summer trip and they had Taco Bell-ed up their menu with some really shitty offerings. I was disappointed and now have lost all urge to go to one when i happen to see it (which is not that often).

Big Boy was CA based.

So was Mickey D's before Kroc bought it.

Thanks for the info that we already knew. Going to add that McDonald’s serves hamburgers?

[quote] Can you imagine having guests from out of town, and not going to dinner with them because you don’t like the restaurant? I’m pretty sure this is considered bad manners, and is even covered in Debrett’s rules of etiquette!

What if your guests were hellbent on eating at Chuck E Cheese?

The West has or had a lot more of the general purpose family restaurant chains of varying quality than the East ever had. Carrow’s, Coco’s, Shari’s, Lyon’s, Bakers Square, Marie Callender’s, etc. and a lot more Denny’s than here in the East. I’m not sure why that is. I guess there are more locally owned diners here. The only chain I can think of that is sort of like that is the dreadful Friendly’s (which would more aptly named Surly’s).

Johnny Rockets

Canter's.

R101- Because SD is full of Mexicans. DUH.

Clifton's Cafeteria

Factor's Famous Deli

Fromin's Delicatessen

The Omelette Parlor

R13 / OP... Jollibee is a Philippine fast food chain, not Californian. Might as well put Manchu Wok on the list...

Even if the want to go to Chuck E Cheese, you go with them, and make sure their kids have the time of their lives. It’s called not being a selfish prick.

You’re right about Jollibee, shouldn’t be on the list.

Factor’s has been shut down by the health department many times for vermin infestations. I’d steer clear.

[quote] Even if the want to go to Chuck E Cheese, you go with them, and make sure their kids have the time of their lives. It’s called not being a selfish prick.

I dragged their sorry asses all over the wine country, as the designated driver, while they got sloshed on free wine. At lunch in Sonoma, they didn't even attempt to pick up the check, so when it came to dinner at the Stinking Rose, I knew I'd be paying my own way to consign myself to 24 hours of intestinal pain. I politely told them it was overrated and mainly for tourists and suggested several good, local Italian places, but they weren't interested. They stayed in my home for three nights for free and didn't even offer me a bottle of wine from the many cases they bought over the course of the weekend as they piled into their BMW for the drive home, so yeah, I'm the selfish prick.

You need better friends, R116. And R103 is right about Del Taco's decline. It was a sort of fast food secret. It really was real, recognizable food, and it tasted like real food. Then they reworked the recipes, mostly to reduce menu reliance on beef - now the taco meat contains fillers the way Taco Bell's did several years ago. Some locations still cook their own beans, but many rehydrate bean flakes now. Sucks.

Didn't Del Taco use to be Naugle's? Did the poster passing through Sacramento eat at the one on Alhambra Blvd. by I-80 in midtown? That was a Naugle's location over 30 years ago. Anyway, their food began to taste like Taco Bell's over a decade ago.

God, Naugles was good.

My first trip to San Francisco, my cousin took us on several occasions to a local diner close to where she lived. I don't recall the name, nor do I know if it still exists, but it was actually house in old train cars. Very fun atmosphere and great down home cooking.

Everything on the menu gives you intestinal pain? You could have ordered something that wouldn’t cause agony, and you would have been fine. You remind me of Americans in Japan that go to McDonalds because they don’t try new foods.

[quote]The West has or had a lot more of the general purpose family restaurant chains of varying quality than the East ever had. Carrow’s, Coco’s, Shari’s, Lyon’s, Bakers Square, Marie Callender’s, etc. and a lot more Denny’s than here in the East. I’m not sure why that is. I guess there are more locally owned diners here. The only chain I can think of that is sort of like that is the dreadful Friendly’s (which would more aptly named Surly’s).

Because there are a lot more diners in the east. And the west is more wide open spaces with lots of highways and freeways. And Denny's started in California, by the way.

No one's mentioned Norm's? They've been around for over 70 years.

Del Taco bought Naugle's and changed them to Del Tacos, but there were two separate chains before that.

I’m sure someone will copy and paste an entire magnum opus about this, but some Naugles became Del Tacos, originally separate companies, I think. Both started near Barstow, but could be wrong about that.

Someone mentioned Norm’s, I’m just waiting for someone to post Ed Ruscha’s burning Norm’s though.

[quote]Because SD is full of Mexican-Americans. DUH.

Fixed that for you.

DUH.

The first ever Del Taco opened in 1964 in Yermo, California, a dot on the map 12 miles east of Barstow. The original building is still there and alnost unchanged. They kept the original Del Taco sign on the roof for history's sake. It now operates as Tita's Burger Den and we always make a point to stop there to eat. They have both American and Mexican food and it's all homemade, all for a song. The burger, fries and drink combo is barely more than $5. The video below shows it though the girl narrating is rather ditzy, you get the idea of what the atmosphere is like. Often a freight train is passing by. It's a great lunch stop between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

The second ever Del Taco is on First Street in Barstow, and it still operates as a Del Taco. The corporation refers to it as Del Taco #1, because it's the oldest one that is still a Del Taco. The building is modern and nothing special, but they do have a large mural on the wall inside about the history of the Del Taco locations. The first part of this video gives a look at the outside of it.

This should have included "FAT WHORES REJOICE!" in the title, because all of the ones OP listed (and many others) are chain restaurant trash.

And there it is, paragraphs on Del Taco.

A lot of the ultramarathon runners I know love Del Taco and Carl’s Jr., and there’s nothing better than a double western bacon cheeseburger after a Spartan race. Sometimes you need to indulge.

Obviously R128 couldn't be bothered to actually read my post, because he or she would realize it's a plug for Tita's Burger Den in Yermo, not for Del Taco.

In and out a restaurant? No Chez Panisse? Most of DL are trash. Doesn't mean I don't love you!

A list of fucking disgusting places I would not eat at.

For all of the pluses of Palm Springs, there are no good restaurants whatsoever. A few middle of the road decent local places but the rest is shit for old people with no taste buds. Sherman's is one people rave about, and their desserts are nice but their food is terrible.

Palm Springs has Taqueria Tlaquepaque.

No dramedy post? He's a California boy and must have eaten at all of these.

How DARE you say that Sherman’s isn’t the best! I could understand if you had said Lulu’s but not Sherman’s. You obviously haven’t ordered the right thing, or don’t know any better.

Manhattan in the Desert is better than Sherman's.

Is that in a Rancho Mirage geriatric strip mall? Sounds horrible.

Seriously you guys are mentioning chain restaurants for the elders or fast food crap. People, the title says restaurants.

If I live in Woodland Hills, I can tell you Sol Y Luna and Melody's on Reseda are great...same chef making authentic recipes from Guadalajara. Also, some fantastic Persian restaurants. For more upscale (mildly elderly, since this is DL) Bistro Garden is where my late partner and I liked to go in Studio City. We also frequented Barragan's in Burbank though their flaming son who I went to high school with ended up marrying and having 3 kids as ugly as him and became a Trumptard in South Carolina. We loved Niko Sushi in Tarzana.

Now, let's leave Del Taco aside and talk restaurants.

Restaurants in the Valley? Ew. The last time I went to a restaurant in the Valley was 10 years ago when I made under 100K.

[quote] How DARE you say that Sherman’s isn’t the best!

I said it, bitch, and I'll say it again: Sherman's food is blander than shoe rubber

r138 No, it's on Palm Canyon Dr. in PS. It just down the street from Elmer's. Their second location in Palm Desert closed a while back.

Sherman’s is excellent, you probably aren’t acquainted with this type of cuisine. What type of food did mother make for you as a child?

Might as well be in a Rancho Mirage strip mall, that’s a weird part of town.

Geoffrey's in Malibu

Is Sonic a CA-based chain?

No, Oklahoma, R146.

r44, I haven't laughed that hard in months. Thank you for that. Marry me? I cross the border into Daly City to buy Menthol cigs and Lumpia, which are illegal here in SF. I promise to quit smoking when you move in with me.

[quote] Sherman’s is excellent, you probably aren’t acquainted with this type of cuisine. What type of food did mother make for you as a child?

Things that didn't eschew mayo because it was too spicy.

Emil Villa's

Menthols are illegal in SF. What possible rationale?

Wait, and lumpia's illegal too?

The Gardens of Taxco in WeHo is my favorite Mexican restaurant of all time.

I’ve always been tempted to go there, but not sure where “Taxco” is supposed to be, and what they’re doing in the garden business.

Veggie Grill!

Is Veggie Grill CA based?

CA residents remember The Grinder, I lurved their sizzling plates. Ships on Pico? Spires? Souplantation was the shit back in early 2000s. Yoshinoyas anyone?

Lawry's The Prime Rib

And who else remembers the late, lamented Lawry's California Center?

[quote] Joe's of Westlake., Daly City.

Yes, R44, this place was awesome! Ate there a lot when I lived nearby in San Francisco. Steak ala Bruno was what I always ordered.

Lawry's Center was awesome. Beautiful grounds. I still make the layered tortilla side dish they used to serve there R158.

Islands. OMG, I love their fish tacos and shoestring fries. Great cocktails, too, plus very handsome waitstaff.

To this day I thought Lawry's was a midwestern brand since the first one I encountered is in Chicago (stockyards, meat packing history).

R140 - Let me guess, you weren't actually born in LA and, hence, think sitting in traffic on the 405 until you prolapse in a leased C Class is how you show the world you "made it". The "ewwww" about the SF valley and brag about your income is a dead giveaway.

Were all of the "Joe's" in northern California connected? There is/was Original Joe's in downtown San Jose, and I think there was one in North Beach, and in Marin. They all seemed to be old-school Italian places.

Yes, they're run by the same family/company. The original one in the Tenderloin burned down in the aughts and reopened in North Beach. Fun fact: my dorm dining commons at UC Davis just up I-80 always had Joe's Special on the menu. 😋

^I forgot to mention this was 35 years ago, so OJ's is something of an institution for folks of a certain age

What’s “leasing” a car? I actually walk and bike everywhere and my commute is 7 minutes down Melrose, so not sure what you’re talking about. WFH, so irrelevant. Wasn’t born in L.A., that part is right, was born in Orange County.

Doris Day and I would regularly visit the Hamburger Hamlet on Sunset when I'd visit in the late 70's and early 80's, prior to her move to Carmel. We loved the salads and the very comfy booths and great flattering lighting. Frances Davis, an ex-wife of Miles Davis, was the hostess and an amazing personality. She greeted and treated everyone as though they were extended family members. The last time I went there (years after Doris had moved), my strangest memory of the evening was a very tipsy Mitzi Gaynor weaving from booth to booth to ask diners whether they'd ever seen her in "South Pacific" This was after the death in 2006 of her husband Jack Bean.

R165, I think you’re right, but something changed regarding the San Jose location. Still open, but not nearly as good as it used to be. Also, by the cash register up front, there is a big sign that stated ‘we aren’t affiliated with any other Joe’s’.

Surprised me, because having grown up here, I always associated the San Jose & the SF Tenderloin locations as being the the same place.

Geez, R167, could you be more obnoxious and pretentious?

I have never even been there, so how could I have a favorite restaurant there? Dumb OP, Calicentric bitchwhore greasefire to die slowly.

R169 - I've never been to the San Jose one (or Westlake for that matter), just the Tenderloin location looong ago. I also assumed they were owned by the same company.

Looks like the ownership split in '83 with one family keeping SF and the other SJ.

[Quote]In the late 1930’s, original owner Tony Rodin partnered with Louis Rocca. In 1983, after a fulfilling 40-year partnership, Louis left and sold his share of the business to Tony’s daughter and son-in-law, Marie and John J. Duggan. The trio tackled it together—Marie assumed control of the day-to-day operations and monitored the kitchen production, John tended to the door and floor management, and Tony did it all, from cooking and butchering to bartending with the best of them. As the years passed, the children of John and Marie Duggan became young adults and followed in their parents’ footsteps of active involvement in the restaurant. First daughter Elena and soon-after son, John, both became part of what is now a three-generation family business.

[Quote]Established in 1956 by the Rocca Family, Original Joe's Restaurant in San Jose, California has been the cornerstone of an ever-changing downtown and the growth of Silicon Valley. Descended from the first Original Joe’s founded in 1937 in San Francisco, the San Jose Original Joe’s was the first San Francisco based restaurant to open in San Jose in the South San Francisco Bay Area now known world wide as the heart of Silicon Valley.

Anybody remember The Hungry Tiger on Hollywood near LaBrea?

In CA, anyone remembered the Velvet Turtle? Oh my god, they had the best Beef Wellington that I've ever eaten. (Was next to Best Buy on Pico, West L.A.).

I love these threads, especially love it when posters describe who they went with etc.

Yes! I remember the Velvet Turtle. I remember being fascinated and traumatized as a child there. Next to our table was a group of heavy metal biker types, big hair and the ladies wore these bra tops and leather pants. They were super loud and trashed, and one of the ladies yelled, “Yeah!!! Animalistic!!!” I loved it, especially since I was into heavy metal, but their erratic behavior was disturbing to me at the time. My uptight parents did NOT like it, and we left quickly.

The Velvet Turtle also had great rack of lamb. I remember going there before my Senior Prom i 1970.

BTW, r165, I went to UC Davis also (1970-1974) but I don't remember Joe's Special. But of course it was a LONG time ago.

We used to go to the Velvet Turtle for drinks after work. And smoking.

God, I miss smoking.

Lawry's is owned by McCormick & Co. of suburban Baltimore

Who cares? No one goes to that outdated place, people in L.A. joke about Lawry’s all the time.

I just remembered a story about Lawry’s. A friend of mine, who was doing business development for a large contractor, met an architect in his 70s, who offered to take her to dinner. She’s in her early 40s, so she didn’t realize that it was a date at first. He picked her up and took her to Lawry’s, a place where younger men do not take their dates. Everything was cute at first, but he got creepy later, but she still laughs that he took her to Lawry’s!

I was '83 - '87.

Perino's...it's mine.

OMFG, this thread has triggered some of us pickled, NorCal elderqueens. Velvet Turtle. Emil Vila's. Joe's Special. UC Santa Cruz, '84 here.

To ensure that her resentment was known to her five children, my divorcee Mom would make Joe's Special at least twice a month. And there would be ample leftovers... saute a diced onion and some garlic in whatever grease or fat is at hand, throw in some chopped mushrooms and cook to a slime, add two fistfulls of ground meat (lamb tastes the most gamey) two boxes of thawed, drained (or not) spinach, dash of nutmeg, a spill of wine, and crack in the number of eggs that corresponds to the number of children and/or their fuckbuddies expected to be at home/on parole and at the table.

One of my older brothers was a waiter at a Velvet Turtle in Burlingame, CA. Or was it San Bruno? Same thing. Who cares. My high school friends and I received money for Prom. None of us had any intention of going to that shit show. Someone had a driver's license. We all ended up stoned and hungry at my brother's largest table of the evening, in the private room, or maybe one off to the side. We started with White Russians and then Dave sent over two bottles of champagne. We were 17-18. So Klassy(tm) it was. Salad (iceberg lettuce, unripened avocado) was served on a chilled plate with a chilled fork and freshly ground pepper, right. before. your. very eyes! I came out as "bi-sexual" and everyone at the table agreed that it was because I was wearing too much aftershave lotion (Wild Country) from Avon.

^ I can’t decide if that story is an after school special from 1980, or a Hart to Hart episode.

I got taken to El Coyote for three different first dates, lol. The place is famous for it being the last place Sharon Tate and guests ate. I didn't know that until lately. I just like the unpretentious food and nice staff.

[quote]Islands. OMG, I love their fish tacos and shoestring fries. Great cocktails, too, plus very handsome waitstaff.

We finally got an Islands in Santa Barbara 2 or 3 years ago, much to the delight of a claque of locals who enjoyed Islands in other SoCal cities and wouldn't stop talking about it. I'd looked forward to the opening. I'd never been to an Islands, but I like tropical rum drinks, and the food sounded interesting. I was quite bummed. Everything is overpriced. The drinks were very weak and expensive. The food is mediocre and uninteresting at best. It's not bad, it's just meh. I went back a couple of times, thinking it would get better. It never did; however, the place has a huge following and always seems packed. (Well, until the Covid unpleasantness anyway.)

Another semi-pricey small SoCal seafood chain called The Lure also came to town recently, and while I hate seafood, everyone I know who likes it raves about the Lure. What we desperately need in Santa Barbara is a decent barbecue place, like the Smoketree BBQ bar and grill in Palm Springs.

If I lived in Santa Barbara, the last place I’d go is Islands. There are so many great places to eat there.

Yeah, Santa Barbara has some of the most racist cuisine in the world.

How is it racist?

The "Sambo's" name was a combination of owners names, Sam Battistone Sr. and Newell "Bo" Bohnett.

[quote]Yeah, Santa Barbara has some of the most racist cuisine in the world.

Not any more. Sambo's was a portmanteau of the two founders' names—SAM Battistone and Newell BOhnett—in 1957. There were always mumblings of racism, but these were always disproven. Over the years, the restaurant, which quickly became a chain, did everything it could to change the "Sambo" image, up to and including turning him white.

However, just a very few months ago, the snowflakes decided to really dig in, so the politically woke began a campaign that resulted in the restaurant changing its name to Chad's.

Way ta go, snowflakes!

Look, you don't name your shitty restaurant Sambo's just because your name is Sam or Bo--you'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind.

Glad DL isn't my source of historical knowledge and/or common sense.

I still have my Sambo & Tiger toys from Sambo’s.

That's nice for you, R193. You're a cop pop-up who always trolls my posts. Boring.

I don't go to fast food or chain restaurants: sorry.

[quote]Look, you don't name your shitty restaurant Sambo's just because your name is Sam or Bo--you'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind.

You did in 1957, when the chain was founded, before sensitive snowflakes like you started clutching your pearls and running in circles to "correct" things.

There is a lack of people who know how to cook that own restaurants, in California. It's getting worse.

Hof's Hut! Thanks, R77. Before the pandemic, we ate there at least once a month -- the old one on Bellflower. It is a favorite.

Bossa Nova bistro on Sunset in Hollywood is a decent, casual place.

But my favorite LA restaurant is Yamashiro. Impeccable service, precise cocktails, exquisite food, and a stunning view.

Miz Brown's Feedbag

Tuba Gardens

[quote]But my favorite LA restaurant is Yamashiro. Impeccable service, precise cocktails, exquisite food, and a stunning view.

I watched an online presentation put on by the LA Co. Library with a historian who discussed LA in the '20s. I was not aware that the Yamashiro site began as some tycoon's attempt to create a Japanese garden.

[quote] Were all of the "Joe's" in northern California connected? There is/was Original Joe's in downtown San Jose, and I think there was one in North Beach, and in Marin. They all seemed to be old-school Italian places.

R164, I don't think they were all the same. The authentic Original Joe's was in the Tenderloin, for sure. My dad took us to eat there before it burned down. I remember a huge ground beef steak, antipasto, etc. The waiters were all dressed up and were all older gentlemen. It was a dark atmosphere and very memorable, in a good way.

Because the Tenderloin restaurant became famous with tourists, other restaurants started calling themselves "Joe's." Tourists got tricked. Just like with Pink's hot dog stand in LA. ("Pinky's" opened up in the neighborhood to compete.)

The LA restaurant that has a lot of copycat competitors is Tommy's.

I like the hamburger at Father's Office restaurant. The caramelized onions really make it good. I'm not even that much of a burger fan, but that hamburger was delicious.

A sentimental favorite is Du-Pars at the Farner's Market. I used to like to go there in ballcap and sunglasses and behave like I was a celebrity trying not to be noticed. It made my manic phases more entertaining.

[quote] But my favorite LA restaurant is Yamashiro. Impeccable service, precise cocktails, exquisite food, and a stunning view.

Edamame for $16? Uh, are they insane??

I understand Yamashiro had normal prices back in the day. It closed for awhile and is now just a stop on the tourist track.

Rae's was great for breakfast.