Lost in 2008: Another Rough Year for Preservationists, With a Few Bright Spots

(Flickr pic by Neonspecs.)

2008 marked another tough round of disappearing buildings and signs for Los Angeles preservationists. Gone were buildings such as Lou Ehlers' Cadillac dealership on Wilshire (and the Bob's Big Boy across the street). The year ended with a new threat: This time, to the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City.

Also, above: Our friend Eric Lynxwiler gave us the sad news that the cool old Dan-Dee Shoe Repair sign in Hollywood has vanished. The Museum of Neon Art had hoped to save the sign -- following the mysterious fire at the corner of Hollywood and Vine, which shut down the store for good -- but wasn't having any luck getting ahold of the proper people. And then... one day, the sign was gone.


(Flickr photo by eyetwist.)

Ditto the huge neon sign for the massive Glendale/Atwater Village branch of furniture outlet Levitz. Seen for years off the 5 freeway, the sign recently disappeared from view, Eric notes at the ModCom message boards.

Meanwhile, it wasn't all doom and gloom in preservation land: The nearly demolished Harvey's/Johnie's Broiler in Downey was ready to live again, now as a part of the Bob's Big Boy chain. And two more L.A. landmarks, the Hollywood Palladium and Downtown's P.E. Cole's restaurant, reopened with what appear to be generally high marks for their renovation/restoration. (I know there are some objections to the Cole's changes... but they seemed to be tempered by the fact that the place wasn't completely altered.) And Macy's also got raves for its restoration and retrofit of the old Bullock's location on Lake Ave. in Pasadena.

"Mad Men" Gets Its L.A. Logos Right

Gotta love the attention to detail on AMC's critically acclaimed "Mad Men." On one of the second season's final episodes, Don Draper is seen retreating to San Pedro -- and the home of the widow of the man whose name Don took after the war. In one scene, Don is carrying a bag of groceries from Ralph's -- and yes, the chain's old, mid-century logo is featured on the bag.

Meanwhile, above, Don is given a bag of clothes... from now-defunct department store The Broadway. Nice touch.

Retro Friday: A Very Special Christmas

OK, one more Christmas-related video... and then we'll see you next week. From the magic of YouTube: A clip from what appears to be a 1988 Christmas special dedicated to the Special Olympics -- the organization founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, hence the appearance of so many Kennedys (including Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger). Marvel at this performance of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," featuring Schwarzenegger, Mike Tyson (yes, Mike Tyson), Randy Travis and others.

And with that, we say, Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!

And RIP to Eartha Kitt, whose rendition of "Santa Baby" will remain a holiday tune for the ages.

Franklin Avenue returns on Monday.

Soundtrack to the Holidays, Hawaiian Style

Sadly, as you know, my KCSN radio show "Hawaiian Eye" (later retitled "Aloha Friday Radio") went off the air this fall as part of a format tweak.

One of my most popular episodes year after year was my pre-Christmas edition of "Hawaiian Eye," in which I played wall-to-wall Christmas tunes from the islands. Slack key, reggae, ska, traditional, contemporary -- all the forms were represented.

By popular demand, here's a copy of last year's holiday edition of "Hawaiian Eye," cut into 6 pieces for easy streaming. It's a nice alternative to the same-old, same-old on KOST or KRTH. Put it on in the background today as you finish up your Christmas Eve chores -- perhaps it'll calm you down, and get you in the mood. Mele Kalikimaka!!

Rate-A-Restaurant #193: Massimo's Mudspot

Restaurant: Massimo's Mudspot

Location: 759 S La Brea Ave. (Mid-Wilshire)

Type of restaurant: Coffee



We stipulated: Meeting with my friend Joe for a quick coffee and hang... Mudspot seemed like the good place to do it: Close to work, on the drive home, and a good spot on a rainy, dark evening.



What we ordered: I got a large coffee -- $2.95.

High point: Massimo's Mudspot may be new, but it's got a comfortable, lived-in vibe that makes it feel like the coffeehouse has been there for years. Its laid-back vibe also couples nicely with all the people taking advantage of free wi-fi to create a large cast of regulars (so it seems). Also, they have Galaga -- the coolest 80s vidgame around (sorry, Ms. Pac-Man).

Low point: $2.95 for a large coffee? And for a large coffee that was just servicable? Definitely on the pricey side.



Overall impression: Mudspot definitely fills the void in that neighborhood for a hip coffeehouse to hang your hat. The drinks are still a work in progress.

Chance we'll go back: Mudspot won't be a regular gathering spot -- it's not quite close enough to the office to make that happen -- but it will be a possibility if I need to meet someone at a coffeehouse before or after work.

For a complete list of our more than 190 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

The Trader Joe's Taster: Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies, Dark Chocolate Chipotle Hazelnuts and Edamame Hummus

Lucky we live in the land of Trader Joe's, right? Every week we stumble across another unique -- and most of the time, tasty (but not always) -- treat. And then we usually blog about it.

My latest loves include the Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies, which yes, taste about as good as they sound. I love Mexican Hot Chocolate (with that nice, cinnamony spice) and I love cookies... so yes, the merger of two equals works out well. The consistency -- similar to Mexican wedding cake cookies -- makes for a nice crumble in your mouth as well.



Oh yeah, it's the holidays... so yes, we're going a little crazy with the sweets. But again, I couldn't pass up the promise of spicy dark chocolate "with a hint of cinnamon and cocoa." Sense a trend? Again, I was pleased with the results. I can do without the hazelnuts; I'm really here for the spice. And although this item promises "mild, smoky heat," I was actually impressed with how spicy they allowed it to be. I'm a big fan of mixing chocolate with other flavors (except orange, don't ask me why), and this wins.



I was also pleased with my edamame hummus selection, even though the edamame flavor may be too subtle to notice. I find that I tend not to like flavored hummus these days... it always leaves such a lingering, garlicky taste in your mouth. But the edamame hummus flavor was pleasant, and didn't leave a long-lasting aftertaste. I approve as well.

Wow, three for three. That's why we heart the TJs.

MEANWHILE, thanks to the Atwater Village Newbie for his holiday hint: TJs goodies are great gifts for people who don't live anywhere close to the chain.

Got any new Trader Joe's finds? Leave your comments below.

A Victorian Christmas at Glendale's Doctors House

With Christmas fast approaching, I'm still having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit. But the holiday food is helping -- thank you, Trader Joe's -- and our Saturday night visit to Glendale's Doctors House also helped instill some seasonal cheer.



It's a Glendale tradition: The Glendale Historical Society opens up the Doctors House next to the Brand Library for a holiday-themed candlelight tour. The restored Queen Anne-Eastlake style home is decorated the way its inhabitants might have celebrated Christmas a century ago, and docents -- dressed in Victorian holiday garb -- narrate.

It was perhaps the best holiday bargain: Just $1 per person. The entry also included refreshments (hot chocolate and coffee) and a cookie.

A few pics of the Doctors House, as we toured on Saturday night:













Above, the glass pickle ornament -- "considered one of the most special tree decorations by many families in Germany. For good luck, it was always the last ornament to be hung on the Christmas tree (and symbolized fertility). (Children) knew that whoever found the special ornament first would receve an extra little gift left by St. Nicholas..."

A bit of history about the house:

The Doctors House, an authentically restored Queen Anne-Eastlake style home built about 1888, is the result of a community-wide endeavor to preserve a reminder of Glendale's earliest days.

The two story house originally stood at 921 East Wilson Avenue. It became known as The Doctors House because it was residence and office space for three prominent early Glendale physicians.

When it was threatened with demolition in 1979, citizens, including the newly reconstituted Glendale Historical Society, banded together to relocate it to Brand Park. They then restored the house to its late 19th century appearance, and furnished and decorated it in the style of the period.

The Doctors office contains numerous medical implements and supplies of the era. The living rooms recreate the pleasant domesticity of late Victorian times.

One room is set aside for the sale of books and materials pertaining to local area history. The house and grounds are frequently the scene of special events and exhibits A garden and gazebo provide a delightful period setting for the house.

The Doctors House has finished its holiday run... but if you're interested in checking out the home, it's open on Sunday afternoons throughout the year, for -- once again -- just $1 per person.

The '00s: Perhaps a Tad More Overrated Than the L.A. Times Thinks

I hate being harsh on the L.A. Times' "Underrated/Overrated" feature (once found in Thursday's "The Guide," now found in Sunday's Calendar section), mostly because it gave a shout out last year to the Great Los Angeles Walk.

Nonetheless, today's "underrated" column -- on The '00s -- completely missed the mark. Here's what they wrote about the decade we're almost done with:

We think we've been spared such pop culture missteps as the fashion sense of the 1980s or the angst and irony of the 1990s, so let's hope the decade continues its relatively inoffensive, hard-to-categorize run for one more year. The 2000s: They're not bad.

Sorry, guys, you couldn't be more wrong. This was the decade that pop culture finally got mind-numbingly insipid. The goofy fashion of the 1980s or the angst of the 1990s has nothing on the 2000s: Reality TV, D-list celebrity, the look-at-me culture of Internet video and blogging (hey, I'm just as guilty of this inspidness as anyone!) There's plenty that the 2000s will be remembered for -- I'd argue that it will be easy to categorize the decade when all is said and done.

The only real question is what the 00s will be called -- it's a tad odd that we've just got one more year left of this decade, and there's still no consensus on what we should call it. The Aughts? The double-Os? The 2000s? Someone, I'm sure, it putting together the sequel to "I Love the 80s" and "I Love the 90s," and still isn't quite sure what to name their show.

Catching Up with Dr. George

The L.A. Times chats with former KABC weathercaster Dr. George Fishbeck, who's still going strong at age 86, and is still married to his wife, Susanne, after nearly 60 years together:

KABC claimed at the time that more than 90% of people in this market could identify Dr. George. Schoolchildren waved. Women stopped for hugs. Marlon Brando once called from a movie set in Canada, needing to know for a scene at what temperature his breath would freeze.

Dr. George said he doesn't really miss live forecasts because "I still do it."

"Suzy will say, 'Look at those clouds over the mountains,' and I say, 'Well, those are coming off the ocean, but then along the mountains the air condenses and you get the rain.' "

"He gives me the whole lesson," Susanne interjects, as Dr. George barrels ahead, on-air style, with a forecast that concludes: "And there's a second front coming in behind it in less than a week. And . . . oh my!"

Before I know it, the old weatherman has produced a giant plastic bottle, dropped in a burning match and begun blowing in and out of the mouth like a steam engine. He creates a cloud, then makes it disappear, chanting: "High pressure, low, high, low."

But don't think that Dr. George survives merely for the next big Arctic blast. The octogenarian volunteers like a fiend. A docent at the L.A. Zoo, he brings animals to cheer rest-home patients. He raises money for a couple of firefighter charities, including one that runs a camp for child burn victims.

But what gets his blood really pumping are the nights that he spends with the LAPD's Volunteer Surveillance Team. Susanne wonders if her husband is getting a little old for stakeouts that can last until 2 or 3 in the morning. But it's clear how much Fischbeck loves it. "We got him. We got him in six minutes," Dr. George chirped of a purse snatcher he radioed in to his police.

Above, some classic Dr. George in action.

Retro Friday: Frank and Bing Toast the Holidays

Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Christmas tunes. 'Nuff said, right?

Here We Go Again: The Century Plaza Hotel in Trouble

(Flickr pic by GurhanKara.)

Built in 1966, the Century Plaza Hotel -- located on land formerly inhabited by 20th Century Fox, which earlier had to sell off most of its lot to resolve a financial crisis -- might not live to see its 50th birthday.

As the L.A. Times reports, new owner Michael Rosenfeld would like to demolish the hotel and replace it with two high rises. Mayor Villaraigosa supports the plan, but some Westside residents, not so much.

The Century Plaza Hotel pretty much replaced the Ambassador Hotel as one of the prime go-to venue for events, banquets, etc.

The paper writes:

The 726-room Century Plaza has played host to U.S. presidents, rock stars and business moguls, and served as the location for countless galas and social functions since it was completed in 1966 as the centerpiece of an office, retail and residential development carved out of the former back lot of the 20th Century Fox film studio.

For many years the Century Plaza's doormen wore red Beefeater costumes. The hotel's ballrooms welcomed high-profile events, including an opening charity gala in 1966 emceed by Bob Hope, who with singer Andy Williams entertained the likes of Ronald and Nancy Reagan and Walt and Lillian Disney.

President Nixon hosted a state dinner there in 1969 for the Apollo 11 astronauts after their successful journey to the moon. In 1995, Hollywood studio head and notorious embezzler David Begelman committed suicide in a room at the hotel.

The architect was Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed New York's World Trade Center towers.

The proposal by Los Angeles developer Michael Rosenfeld, who bought the property for $366.5 million in May, calls for razing the 19-story arc-shaped hotel on Avenue of the Stars and erecting two 50-story towers in its place. At 600 feet, they would be the tallest buildings in Century City and among the tallest in the region, with 293 condominiums, 100,000 square feet of office space, 106,000 square feet of retail space and a 240-room luxury hotel.

Is it too soon to start a "Save the Century Plaza Hotel" campaign?

A Proposal: The Johnies 99 Cents Only Diner

(Flickr pic by Usonian.)

Our recent post on the film "Miracle Mile" got me to thinking more about the Johnie's site at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax (where a chunk of the movie was set).

Johnie's -- one of the best surviving examples of Googie architecture in L.A. proper -- hasn't operated as a diner since the start of the decade. But it's still a well-known Wilshire landmark, and remains popular for film shoots. The 99 Cents Only company owns the site (and currently uses Johnie's parking lot for that 99 Cents Only store location next door, which is rumored to be the company's highest grossing outlet).

So here's an idea: Why not turn reopen Johnie's with a theme -- Make it the 99 Cents Only diner.

Keep the sign and the architecture, obviously (although the building is in dire need of repairs, having been neglected for the past 8 years). Maybe hire the 99 Cent Chef to put together the menu, or dig into the 99 Cents Only cookbook. Perhaps open the restaurant for a limited period to test the concept.

Probably not a good idea to open a restaurant right now.. but hey, given where the economy's going, perhaps a Johnie's 99 Cents Only eatery would be a hit.

Help Homeboy Help Others

I'm sure you're familiar with Homeboy Industries, the nonprofit started 20 years ago by Father Greg Boyle to assist former gang members in straightening out their lives via counseling, job training, tattoo removal and other services.

The economic downturn has hit nonprofits hard -- and Homeboy is in danger of having to cut its services. Such a move could reverberate throughout the city, as Homeboy's massive operation reps the largest and most successful gang rehabilitation program around.

The organization is currently holding a fundraising campaign to offset the loss of major financial donations that are no longer coming in. Homeboy recently raised $25,000, which was matched by a donor; that donor has now agreed to match another $25,000 should it raise that amount again by Wednesday, Jan. 7.

You can learn more about donating here. Also, Homeboy Bakery -- the service that the organization first began two decades ago -- is currently taking orders for holiday cookies and tamales here.

Treat of the Season: Candy Cane Joe-Joe's

Maria and I snarfed down quite a few of these the other night... while watching "The Biggest Loser," natch. Thanks to Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joes, I do believe I'm finally getting into the holiday spirit.

All Aboard Travel Town's Santa Claus Express

Griffith Park's Travel Town -- long a favorite spot of Blogger Preschooler's -- continues its train ride to Santa through Dec. 23 (weather permitting).

Sunday night was one of the chilliest nights of the year -- and it made the whole "train to North Pole" experience feel that much more real. On the down side, it was cold. And because Santa takes time to talk with each child, we remained in the slow-moving line for at least 45 minutes.

Still, Evan got a kick out of the nighttime train ride, and we got a decent pic of him on Santa's knee.

Travel Town's Train to Santa takes place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. each night from now until Dec. 23; tix are $7 per person (kids under 18 mos. are free). Also, you can take your own photos, or spend $5 for one of theirs.

After visit, Santa hands kids a candy cane, and a ticket good for a free ride on the Travel Town railroad in the new year.

A few more shots:

In Search of L.A.'s Best Nog

(Flickr pic by Santos.)

'Tis the season for Egg Nog, and over at Metblogs L.A., Will Campbell reminds us that there's no contest: Broguiere's, in the glass bottle, is beyond compare.

One problem: Will searched high and wide the other day for a bottle... and came up empty handed. It was then that he became a man on a mission:

I’m telling you, once you’ve sampled the best, a waste of time and taste are the rest.

But check it: I’m through biking/driving/crying around town on such a futile and frustrating search for the sought-after chalices of the famed elixir. So don’t tell call me an idiot for not hitting the Super King in Glassell Park or the Gelson’s in Sherman Oaks or the Bristol Farms/Whole Foods wherever they are...

Give up? Oh hell no: I’m goin’ proactive. I’m going pilgrim. I’m going to Montebello. Because it is nothing less than a bonus for all of us in the greater Los Angeles area that Broguiere’s is within reach. That’s right, the very dairy wherein the nog-of-all-nogs is lovingly extracted by magic velvet elves directly from sacred singing cows into hand-sculpted buckets of ice imported in blocks directly from the North Pole before being poured into bottles of polished crystal for distribution* is in our midst. Your mileage may vary but according to The Google, Broguiere’s Farm Fresh Dairy is 12.7 miles from my front door to their portal of deliciousnessishness.

It's worth the trip, Will says.

Playing in the Snow, Los Angeles Style

As Franklin Avenue readers know, we're big fans of driving up the Angeles Crest Highway to play in the snow during the winter -- especially since the white stuff can be found just 45 minutes away from our Franklin Avenue HQ. (That remains one of my favorite things about L.A. -- it could be 70 degrees at home, but we're still less than an hour away from snow.)

And after Monday's downpour and freeze, I'm assuming the snow is ready for us should we decide to head up next weekend.

But for people who don't want to make the Angeles Crest drive, there's another snow option in L.A.: The man-made variety. Evan's preschool threw a Winter Festival on Saturday.. and brought in the big guns for the occasion. In this case, the Union Ice Co. -- very busy this time of year -- came in to create a snowy wonderland for the kids:


The fun part of the job: Blowing snow onto bales of hay to create a snow ramp to slide down.


Here's how it works: Massive blocks of ice, shaved down into snow.


Kids wait in anticipation.


Testing out the new snow.


The finished product -- yep, it was quite a hit with the kids.

Total cost of the man-made snow? About $1300.

Rate-A-Restaurant #192: Tomato Pie

Restaurant: Tomato Pie Pizza Joint

Location: 2457 Hyperion (Silver Lake)

Type of restaurant: Pizza



We stipulated: As I continued to slowly creep through Friday evening traffic, I called up Maria and suggested that we meet somewhere for dinner. I'd been in the mood for pizza -- and suggested one of the many newish joints that had popped up in Silver Lake and vicinity in recent times. We looked at Garage Pizza and Tomato Pie -- but chose Tomato Pie, perhaps because of its nicer logo.



What we ordered: Evan got a slice of cheese pizza, while Maria and I split a medium Pesto Pie ($14.50) -- fresh garlic pesto base, chicken, sundried tomato and artichoke hearts. Also: An order of 10 hot wings -- baked, not fried ($6.50).



High point: Pizza was solid -- and heats up well for leftovers. The baked wings were nice too, and boasted a decent spice.

Low point: Even though we were the only ones there, service was slow -- so much so that the wings came out at the same time as our pizza, even though it's an appetizer.



Overall impression: Tomato Pie makes a decent pizza, but I'm not quite sure it's worth the slightly expensive prices.



Chance we'll go back: Probably not any time soon. For economical pizza, we usually hit Crispy Crust... and for sit-down pizza, Casa Bianca.

For a complete list of our more than 190 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

C'mon Shake Your Body, Antonio, Do The Conga

My favorite Internet item of the day: Losanjealous' multi-part series, Photos of Mayor Villaraigosa Jamming On Congas With Sheila E. At LA Live.

The Aquabats, DJ Lance and Friends Rock the Halls

Thanks to Metblogs LA, we scored tix Friday to check out The Aquabats' famous annual holiday show at the Henry Fonda in Hollywood.


The Aquabats' MC Bat Commander and crew.

Fellow Orange County bands Suburban Legends and Dusty Rhodes and the River Band opened the show -- along with DJ Lance Rock, the host of our fave preschool show, "Yo Gabba Gabba."


The whole Yo Gabba Gabba! gang on stage.

Yep, that's right -- Maria and I get a sitter to see our first concert together in ages, and wouldn't ya know, we go to the one featuring characters from the kids' show we watch with the Blogger Preschooler. As you know, we're quite the "Yo Gabba Gabba" fans at Franklin Avenue HQ.



It felt like we were cheating on our little guy, especially when we looked around and saw quite a few hipster parents with their kids in tow. But we figured (a) the show was late -- the Aquabats wouldn't go on until 10:30 -- plus the B.P. is a bit under the weather -- so bringing him was a non-starter.


Brobee, attempting to keep his moustache on.

The "YGG!" characters all made it to stage to dance along to some of the show's most popular grooves -- "It's Time to Dance," etc. Plex also proclaimed that "This is Radio Clash" is his favorite song. Poor Brobee's mouth kept coming off. And I marveled that all of the characters stayed so long in costume -- as I learned from our visit this summer, it's so hot inside that the actors who play Brobee, Muno, et. al., can only stay zipped up for a few minutes at a time.


DJ Lance and Plex bust some moves.

The crowd itself was quite a mix: Older attendees (some of whom, we learned later, were parents of the bands); plenty of aging hipsters -- some with kids, most without; and a ton of teens. So many teens, it was the first time I'd seen people playing "Duck, Duck, Goose" on the venue floor between bands.

We caught most of the evening upstairs from the Fonda balcony -- perfect for us old farts.


One more DJ Lance/Plex shot.

After DJ Lance, we dug the sounds of Dusty Rhodes and the River Band. The group's mix of rock, jazz, bluegrass, country and folk comes courtesy their use of violin, accordion, organ, mandolin and other instruments.

Then, the ska-tinged Suburban Legends opened with an old Alfonso Ribiero "how to breakdance" ad, walking on stage with their own moves. They survived a bad mic to get the crowd going; lead singer Vince Walker proclaimed it "the best L.A. show ever."


Fans flash the Aquabats sign.

And then, the main event...



We'd never been to an Aquabats show, but I'd come knowing what to expect: A lot of energy. The 'Bats -- MC Bat Commander, Crash McLarson, Jimmy The Robot, Ricky Fitness and Eagle "Bones" Falconhawk -- performed our favorite, "Pool Party," fought off bad guy White Buffalo, screened a clip from their TV pilot, and played long after the 11:30 curfew.