Los Angeles Ad Town: Johnie's Coffee Shop

Why, that's the inside of the long-shuttered Johnie's coffee shop at Wilshire and Fairfax, in this recent AT&T ad still getting play on nationwide TV.



Closed since 2000, Johnie's -- now owned by the family behind the 99 Cents Stores (which has a location next door and uses Johnie's parking lot) -- remains a popular spot for filming. The building itself is showing more wear and tear, which makes me worry that eventually the owners will decide to just tear it down. (There's been some concern that Johnie's will be in trouble once the subway reaches Fairfax, but we've been promised that the proposed station wouldn't endanger Johnie's, even though it's the empty building at that intersection.)

It seems unlikely now that Johnie's Wilshire (which opened in 1955 as "Romeo's Times Square") will ever re-open, although we put forth this proposal that the 99 Cents Only company utilize the building as a 99 Cents Only diner.


(Flickr pic by Usonian.)

We were last inside Johnie's on Wilshire back in 2005, when the L.A. Conservancy held its original "Curating the City: Wilshire Boulevard" tour. (Read all about it here.) A few pics I took at the time from inside:

Rate-A-Restaurant #230: Golden State

(Flickr pic by aharvey2k.)

Restaurant: The Golden State

Location: 426 N. Fairfax (Fairfax)

Type of restaurant: American


(Flickr pic by aharvey2k.)

We stipulated: I was meeting up with someone for a work lunch... and I thought Golden State would appeal to his taste, especially thanks to its burger and sausage menu. I'd been wanting to try it to, so I was glad he was up for it.

They stipulated: "The Golden State is a talent show for the best makers of food and drink in California. We love Samir's food. We love Scoops gelato. We love breweries like Craftsman and wineries like Topanga Vineyards. We think products like these deserve a stage of their own. California is an easy place to love. It's where we grew up. It's what we know. And it tastes very good."


(Flickr pic by tannazie.)

What I ordered: turkey burger (ground turkey, lettuce, tomato, housemade aioli and ketchup) with a side order of jalapeno cabbage slaw -- $10. Virgil's Root Beer on draught -- $3.


(Flickr pic by aharvey2k.)

High point: Golden State offers quite a nice sauce selection for its burgers and sausages. Also: dug the spiciness of the jalapeno slaw. Love the fact that the root beer on tap is Virgil's. And the toppings to the burger -- such as red pepper -- added quite a bit of zest to the overall package.

Low point: The burger was strong, but the bun was surprisingly weak. And loved the Virgil's on draught, but overall the soda selection was limited.

Overall impression: Any place that offers up ice cream made by Scoops can't be half-bad.

Chance we'll go back: Yes, a return trip is on my agenda.

(For our full list of nearly 230 restaurant reviews, check out Rate-A-Restaurant here.)

Wednesday Poll: Where Do the Westside and the "Fake Eastside" Meet?

Yes, yes, we all know the true Los Angeles "Eastside" is East of the Los Angeles River. I bring that up first, because the whole "Eastside" thing is the source of countless debates (as most recently noted by the L.A. Times here).

Despite the truth, many Angelenos lay claim to the mythical "Eastside" that makes up Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Echo Park, Hollywood and even Hancock Park (which, yes, again is amusing when you know your L.A. history -- and realize that Hancock Park was originally considered a far West hike from L.A.). So it brings up a good question... where does this modern-day "Eastside" begin?

I've always considered Highland the boundary, mostly because it continues right up into the Cahuenga Pass, making for a nice little dividing line. But most articles on the "Eastside" debate seem to put it at La Brea or Fairfax.

What do you think? Where does the "Fake Eastside" begin? Take the poll below.



(Pic via LA Eastside.)

Happy 60th, Canter's!

(Flickr pic by Practical Intuition.)

Didn't get a chance to celebrate Philippe's 90th anniversary the other week? Here's a chance to celebrate another L.A. culinary institution: Canter's Deli is celebrating its 60th anniversary on Fairfax by offering its corned beef sandwich on rye, pickle, a taste of potato salad and a chocolate rugelach for just 60 cents.

LAist has more details here. But hurry over -- they're celebrating today fron noon to midnight.

Retro Friday: The Fairfax District Methane Explosion

It's why we don't have a subway to the sea -- or even west of Western -- these days. In 1985, a methane gas explosion injured many shoppers and severely damaged the Ross Dress for Less store at Fairfax and 3rd (read about it here). Soon after, Rep. Henry Waxman spearheaded a successful effort to stop plans to extend the Metro subway west under Wilshire.

Here's news coverage from KCBS/Channel 2 in the wake of the incident; a young Ann Curry is among the reporters seen in this heavily edited clip.

By the way, Waxman finally reversed course, and his ban on the use of federal dollars for a subway was finally repealed at the end of last year. OK, so where's our subway to the sea now?

Another New Life for the Silent Movie Theatre

(Flickr pic by kabsandiego.)

The Silent Movie Theatre relaunches next month as the home to CineFamily, an ambitious movie/revival house that's a collaboration between Hadrian Belove of Cinefile Video, Sammy Harkham of Family Books and Dan Harkham of the Silent Movie Theatre.

Opening on Oct. 25, the revived theater will boast "bigger screen, more comfortable seating (including plush, leather sofas), and state-of-the-art projection and sound," according to a press release. CineFamily will also divide its nights into weekly ongoing themes:

Silent Movies w/ live musical accompaniment- Every Wednesday Night
Musicals, Concert Films & Special Music Events- Every Thursday Night.
Mini-Festivals- Every Friday and Saturday
Holy F*cking Sh*t (Incredibly Strange Cinema)- Every Saturday Late Night
Noir Matinees- Every Sunday afternoon
Asian Cinema Night- Every Sunday evening
Experimental Cinema- Monthly
Movie/Movie-Notable people present their favorite movies- Monthly
Oodles of Special Events- Ongoing

New setup launches on Oct. 25 with a week of Halloween-themed programming. That night features "a found footage video mash-up, a performance by Diamondback Annie & a screening of 'Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare.'"

For people still looking for the silent movie experience, the first non-talkie screens on Halloween: "Haxan," with Bob Mitchell live in person on organ. A free Halloween party follows.