L.A's Influential Restaurants of Yore, and Some Still Carrying the Torch

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The history of restaurants and what they tell us about the culture of a place is absolutely the most interesting aspect, to me, of food writing. So I'm going to dedicate this bi-weekly column to the restaurants that built Los Angeles, whether they carried the entertainment industry or gave light to our subcultures. I've got a thing going with the classic television show Columbo that I'll start publishing shortly.

To kick off, here is a collection of articles that works as a great overview by Hadley Meares, tireless L.A. culture reporter and dear friend.

How Chinese Restaurants Shaped Tiki Culture In LA

Here, in a paper-thin egg roll wrapper, is the tension at the heart of culture, cuisine and commerce in the U.S.

LAistHadley Meares

The Brown Derby: Hollywood’s 24-Hour Office Party

From the opening of the first Brown Derby (the famous hat building) on Wilshire Boulevard in 1926, it was a decidedly Hollywood establishment.

KCETHadley Meares

The Legacy Of LA’s Black-Owned Restaurants

Though early records are murky due to a lack of primary source historical records, we can piece together a legacy of Black-owned restaurants in Los Angeles stretching back to 1888.

LAistHadley Meares

Thelma Todd and Preston Sturges had fun moonlighting as restaurateurs in the Golden Age of Hollywood

Historian Hadley Meares uncovers two of LA’s earliest celebrity restaurants.

KCRWEvan Kleiman

The Formosa Café: The Grungy Glamour of a West Hollywood Icon

It may be a tiny place, but since its beginning this re-purposed trolley car was packed with big Hollywood personalities.

KCETHadley Meares

Here's a more recent article about the Formosa that includes the most recent ownership and has some real nice photos.

If you'd like to visit some extant restaurants with long histories, here's a list from Eater LA.

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See the map of all How to Eat L.A. picks here.