L.A. Plays New York: "Mad Men," Week Five (The Howard Johnson's Episode)

As you know, we like to play "Spot the Los Angeles Location" while watching "Mad Men," as the show always finds crafty ways to turn L.A. locations into New York (or Rome, or anywhere else). On Sunday's episode, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Megan Draper (Jessica Paré) check out the Howard Johnson's restaurant in Plattsburgh, NY, and while Don loves the chain's food -- and orange sherbet -- Megan comes away less than impressed. But where were the scenes shot? After asking on Twitter, I got my answers.

The interiors for the scenes (and those aqua blue cushioned booths!) were shot at Rod's Diner in Arcadia. Read more about Rod's here. (Thanks to Keven Chavez for telling us.)

Also, the exteriors were adapted from an old Howard Johnson's on Dalewood Dr. in Baldwin Park, according to Raul Borja. Read more about it here.

Can't get enough of "Mad Men" locations? Curbed LA compiled a list of 20 L.A. locations from the show here -- and I'm proud to note that Franklin Avenue is used to cite several of them.

(Screengrab via Eater, which offers up an interesting primer on the history of Howard Johnson's restaurants.)

That's What A Hamburger Chain With No Sense of Its Legacy Is All About

(Photo via Paper.li.)

BOO to In-N-Out Burger for demolishing its oldest store, a 1954 now-empty structure located just down the street from In-N-Out headquarters.

So far, In-N-Out isn't explaining why they did it, but is offering a lame excuse: That it wants to build a replica of its first location there instead. Here's the L.A. Times' take on the news:

That tiny burger stand with its dual serving windows and outdoor eating area served as a model for future In-N-Outs as the Snyders slowly expanded their chain.

In November 2004, the firm opened a larger restaurant with indoor seating just south of the freeway and closed the smaller stand north of it. The structure had remained fenced off since then.

Although In-N-Out executives had talked of turning the abandoned burger stand into a museum, the company obtained a demolition permit this week from Baldwin Park building officials. Carl Van Fleet, In-N-Out's vice president for planning and development, said the company may build a replica of the Snyders' original house-turned-burger stand on the site of the demolished eatery. The company's oldest functioning drive-thru is in Pasadena, he said.

Read about our visit last year to the In-N-Out company store.

In N Out Company Store: What a Hamburger Chain's Retail Shop Is All About

When my parents come to visit Southern California, there are a few "must" places on their checklist. Pizza at Casa Bianca. Lunch at the Oinkster (that one's because of Evan, as the Oinkster is still his fave eatery). And, of course, several stops at In-N-Out Burger.

We sometimes forget how Southern California is the envy of the fast food world. Not only did many of the nation's top fast food chains get their start here, but In-N-Out is still the gold standard when it comes to burger chains.

I don't eat many hamburgers. But when I do, it tends to be with my parents on one of their In-N-Out runs.

After watching Huell Howser's recent look inside In N Out, which featured a trip to the chain's company store in Baldwin Park, I imeediately thought of my parents. I've already exhausted most L.A. attractions for them, so the In-N-Out Store would be perfect.

In February, they visited -- and we took a short drive to Baldwin Park to see it first hand.

The store itself isn't big, but does indeed carry plenty of In-N-Out paraphernalia. That includes every In-N-Out t-shirt (new designs come out annually), back to the late 1980s. Jackets, blankets, polo shirts, aloha shirts, baby onesies, all with the In-N-Out logo. Mugs, notepads, Christmas ornaments -- all there.



Above, the original In-N-Out sign, located just outside the chain's HQ in Baldwin Park.



In-N-Out University, where management is trained.



And the In-N-Out company store.

The shop, which is one of two (the other in Las Vegas), normally has specials on certain items (the location had piles of discounted $5 tees). We picked up a few $10 retro shirts (although I think mine was this year's design) and a few $1 sticky note pads shaped like an In-N-Out burger.

We also ate at the nearby In-N-Out -- the flagship Store #1 -- and somehow, and I don't if this was because of the proximity to the corporate headquarters -- but it just tasted better.

A word of caution: Construction around the offramp to the Baldwin Park store has made it tough to get off the freeway, at least for now.