New Book L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants Remembers the Golden Age of Hollywood by Celebrating its Food
As a Los Angeles native, I’m continually fascinated by the history of the town, including old restaurants. Some of the town’s fabled restaurants like Musso & Frank are still operating, while others have sadly gone out of business. Ciro’s, Chasen’s, The Brown Derby and even Le Dome (which a Hollywood producer once told me, “this is where you must go for dinner before your film opens, and of course, everyone who is anyone, who you never wish to see, WILL be there!” ) are now just memories.
For those of us who never got to go to these famous places or try Elizabeth Taylor’s favoritechili from Chasen’s (which is now sold at Bristol Farm in Beverly Hills) or savor the original Cobb salad at the Brown Derby, a new cookbook,L.A.’S LEGENDARY RESTAURANTS, offers up the recipes from these iconic Hollywood hot spots for you to enjoy at home.
This beautiful book is not just full of recipes, but also memories, original menus and pictures of Hollywood’s elite dining at their favorite spots. Best-selling cookbook author and chef, George Geary, serves up a fun to read and delicious history Los Angeles’ landmark eateries. The book features over 100 celebrity favorite recipes, from classic eateries such as the Musso & Frank Grill and The Brown Derby in the 1920s, to the see-and-be-seen crowds at Chasen’s, Romanoff’s, and Ciro’s in the mid-twentieth century, to the dawn of California, chef-inspired restaurants Ma Maison andthe original Spago on Sunset.
Some of the restaurants featured in the book include: Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakery, Formosa Café, (a Marilyn Monroe favorite) Tick Tock Tea Room, Miceli’s, Coconut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel, Cyrano, Chez Jay, Hamptons, L’Orangerie (now Nobu), Tam O’Shanter Inn, Bullock’s Wilshire Tea Room, Zebra Room at the Town House of Lafayette Park, Don the Beachcomber, co*ck ‘n Bull, Hollywood Palladium, Scandia, La Scala, Trader Vic’s at the Beverly Hilton, Dan Tana’s, Le Dome, and many more.
Recipes from the Musso and Frank Grill where Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Faulkner dined are included in the book.
L.A.’S LEGENDARY RESTAURANTS provides an interesting history of each restaurant profiled, from their original address and phone number to who designed it and a few of their famous recipes. Here are just a few of the over 100 iconic recipes included in the book:
Crab Crepes Bengal – Trader Vic’s
Cobb Salad – The Brown Derby
Maude Salad – Chasen’s
Braised Short Ribs – Musso & Frank Grill
Coq Au Vin – Taix French Restaurant
Quiche a la Ma Maison – Ma Maison
Spaghetti Bolognese – Perinos
Roasted Wild Goose with Apricot Stuffing – Le Dome
Cappuccino Souffle – L’Escoffier
Coconut Cream Pie – Bullock’s Wilshire Tea Room
Macadamia Tart – Spago Sunset
The book includes over the top, fruity co*cktails from Hollywood’s heyday.
There are some classic co*cktail recipes included in the book :
The Mike Romanoff – Romanoff’s
Irish Coffee – Chez Jay
Moscow Mule – co*ck ‘n Bull
Spanish Martini – Carlos ‘n Charlie’s
The Zombie – Don the Beachcomber
Most of the locations chronicled in L.A.’S LEGENDARY RESTAURANTS are sadly gone, author George Geary has brought their memories and tastes back to life with updated recipes that remind us why customers kept coming back to their favorite haunts time and again.
If you’re like me, you might be getting ready to cook more at home for the Holiday season than you have all year! So, I thought it would be fun to take a break from fashion and beauty and offer some great recipes from the golden age of Hollywood. You can easily recreate these Hollywood favorites in your own kitchen.
Lentil Soup with Roasted Pork – Pig ‘n Whistle
Serves 8
Recipe is from the book “L.A.’S LEGENDARY RESTAURANTS” by George Geary
Santa Monica Press / October 2016
Photos courtesy of Marc Wanamaker/Bison Archives
This hearty broth was the Pig ‘n Whistle’s signature soup, selling for just five cents a bowl. Lentils were inexpensive, and the pork added a lot of flavor without the high cost.
8 strips Applewood-smoked bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
The Pig n’ Whistle Restaurant, which is still open in Hollywood.
3 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
¾ tsp. dried thyme
46 oz. chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1 ½ tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
In a Dutch oven (or other 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid) cook the bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tbsp. of the fat.
Add the onion and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add the lentils, thyme, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes, added more water if needed.
Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Hobo Steak – Chasen’s
Serves 2
Recipe is from the book “L.A.’S LEGENDARY RESTAURANTS ” by George Geary
Santa Monica Press / October 2016
Photos courtesy of Marc Wanamaker/Bison Archives
Dave Chasen developed this unusual treatment for New York steak, which produces a rich, tender, and memorable dish.
1 large New York steak, cut 3 inches thick
Freshly ground black pepper
Chasen’s Restaurant Beverly Hills
3 pieces Applewood-smoked bacon
1 cup sea salt
2 tbsp. water
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 lb. loaf sourdough French bread, sliced ¼ inch thick and toasted
Season the steak with pepper. Wrap the sides with the bacon and secure with kitchen string. Place in a baking pan.
In a bowl, combine salt and water to make a paste. Mound about three-fourths of the mixture on top of the steak, covering the meat completely. Place the steak under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the salt crust; try to keep it in one piece. Turn the steak over and place the crust on top. (if the crust breaks, mend it with the remaining one-fourth of the salt mixture.) Broil the steak again for another 8 to 10 minutes; the salt crust will become dark and dry-looking.
Discard the bacon and the salt crust. Let the meat stand for 15 minutes, then slice on the diagonal.
In a large skillet, melt the butter until foamy and lightly browned. Place a few pieces of the meat in the butter and cook to desired doneness, about 1 minute on each side. Place each slice of meat on a piece of toast and spoon some of the hot butter over it.
If you try these recipes, leave a comment and let me know. I’ll be trying them over the holiday season. This book makes a great holiday- Christmas gift for anyone who loves old movies and Hollywood history.
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