As We Tiptoe Back Into Restaurants, Pay Homage to Those Who Have Survived More Than a Pandemic.
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“Keep the motor running, ya big palooka! I’ve got to pop down to the Trocadero and get the skinny from the Wag.”—Thelma Todd
One of the great slanders against Los Angeles is that it has no reverence for the past. Quite the opposite — it’s a town drenched in nostalgia. When it comes to eating, L.A. is full of landmarks to its midcentury glory days. Restaurant culture in big cities is fast-moving and ruthless, but the climate here is gentler, and old favorites tend to hang on longer than in pinched New York. Wag likes to honor survivors in all things, and here are (just) a few of our favorites. There’s always Goop Kitchen, but these old standbys deserve adoration. —Martha Klein
The Golden Bull
The Santa Monica Canyon was once a haven for free-thinkers — socialists, artists, utopians, emigrés, and free love types. Greta Garbo, Bertolt Brecht, Thomas Mann, Charles and Ray Eames, Lee and Luchita Mullican, Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy were all drawn to its hilly rusticity. Before Stonewall became a symbol of liberation, the Canyon was one of the few places in the country where gay people could live openly. The Golden Bull, opened by Eddie Cranford in 1949, and what is now Will Rogers State Beach became centers of gay life in Los Angeles. Canyon locals of all types loved the chop house, with its crimson Naugahyde booths and storied bar. Reopened in 2018, it’s stayed true to its roots, even if canyon bohemia is long gone. The Bull is a steak and potatoes joint, where you can order Yorkshire pudding as a side. There’s ample outdoor seating. 170 West Channel Road, Santa Monica.
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The Formosa Cafe
There are old Hollywood institutions, and then there’s the Formosa, which goes back, in one form or another, to the 1920s. Because the Samuel Goldwyn studio was across the street, it immediately became a magnet for the biggest stars of the Golden Age. James Dean, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable, David Janssen, and Ava Gardner, among other glittery types, have all squeezed into its red leather booths. The Formosa routinely shows up in movies (Swingers, L.A. Confidential) and the interior features a Pacific Electric trolley car from 1904 (the entire restaurant used to be housed inside one). The menu was given over to kitsch 20th century Chinese American fare for decades, but all that was revamped by Chef David Kuo of Mar Vista’s Little Fatty in 2019. Now, there are authentic Taiwanese and Chinese delicacies that include soup dumplings and Dan Dan Mian alongside reinvented Chow Mien and Chow Fun. There’s a roof deck and a powerhouse cocktail menu. 7156 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood.
Philippe the Original
There are some Los Angeles food institutions that get a lot of press — Pink’s Hot Dogs for one (hard pass). But Philippe’s deserves all the reverence it gets. The place has been around since 1908, when there was apparently an entire neighborhood of French expats called Frenchtown. The whole point of Philippe’s is the French dipped sandwich, which it claims to have invented when founder Philippe Mathieu accidentally dropped a roast beef sandwich into the au jus, or whatever, et voilà! The restaurant’s century-old downtown rival, Cole’s, also vigorously makes this claim, and who knows, they may be right. Still, when it comes to beef, bread, and dippage, we have to go with Philippe. You can try them both, and be your own Food Network judge. 1001 N Alameda St, Los Angeles.
Chez Jay
Ocean Avenue can feel as crowded and soulless as Times Square, but, Chez Jay, around since 1959, keeps it real. It’s nautically themed — if your nautical aesthetic comes straight out of an Errol Flynn movie. Legend has it that Marilyn Monroe and JFK met here for assignations, and there’s been a no photography rule that dates back to the early days (long before the Vicente Bungalows came up with those silly iPhone camera stickers). It’s the place for surf and turf, steamed clams, rice pilaf, and an iceberg wedge. Free peanuts have been a thing here since the beginning — Alan Shepard loved them so much, he took one with him to the moon. The restaurant’s Backyard offers outdoor dining. 1657 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica.
The Apple Pan
Here’s the thing about the Apple Pan. It gets talked about a lot, so it gets dismissed as obvious. Don’t be such a snob. Founded by Alan and Ellen Baker in 1947, this small diner has been serving delicious burgers and pies (from family recipes that go back to the 1880s) ever since. To keep the business thriving, longtime customers Irving Azoff and Shelli Azoff bought the contents of the restaurant and its recipes in 2019, but the founding family still owns the land it sits on. The music mogul and his wife have modernized transactions (you can now pay with a credit card), but the menu remains exactly the same. Belly up to the counter and order a slice of apple pie. 10801 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles.
Al & Bea’s Mexican Food
Boyle Heights is the Lower East Side of Los Angeles, drawing Jewish, Japanese and Mexican immigrants in waves, and now is home to vibrant population from throughout Latin America. Albert and Beatrice Carreon arrived in the mid-1960s, and quickly built their storefront restaurant into a neighborhood destination, serving authentic Mexican cuisine (including their famous green chili and refried beans) that transformed the local food scene. Without them, the diversity of Mexican street food in L.A. would be unimaginable. Legendary food critic Jonathan Gold was a champion of the restaurant, most particularly its burritos, which are the main event here. Try the bañado (a burrito covered in cheese). It’s a knife and fork number. 2025 1st St, Los Angeles.
Go’s Mart
Los Angeles is the best city outside Japan for sushi, and so any long hauler write-up that doesn’t include a sushi restaurant just won’t do. There are (much) older Japanese restaurants in town—Otomisan in Boyle Heights goes back more than six decades and there are a host of great sushi destinations in the Little Tokyo, along Sepulveda in West L.A. and especially on Ventura Boulevard in the Valley. But for Wag’s money (and bring a lot of the stuff), there’s simply no better place than Go’s Mart in Canoga Park, which was born in1997, making it the spring chicken on this list. Tsuyoshi “Go” Kawano and his wife Chiemi opened a food mart in a drab strip mall, but it soon evolved into an omakase temple without peer. Go-San will ask you for your preferences and handle it from there. Nobody does a crab hand roll or works with caviar and uni like he does. 22330 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, CA
Langer’s Delicatessen
The Jewish delicatessen is a midcentury institution deeply intertwined with show business, and L.A. is famous for them. We’re not wild about some of the big names on that list — they’re overexposed and frankly not all that special. But Langer’s, founded in 1947 by June and Al Langer, is head and shoulders above the rest. There’s the famous rye bread, double-baked to crispy perfection, and #19, the hot pastrami, which is quite possibly the best sandwich in the universe (Langer’s has served up around 8 million pounds of pastrami since it opened). The matzo ball soup also hits the spot. It’s been a proud MacArthur Park landmark for generations, and if you’re feeling especially New Yorky, you can easily take the subway there from just about anyplace in town. 704 South Alvarado Street, Los Angeles.
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August 27, 2024
