Clifton's Cafeteria

Restored 1930s facade of Clifton's Cafeteria

Clifton's Cafeteria has been a downtown L.A. institution since the early 1930s, when Clifford Clinton opened his first restaurant, Clifton's Pacific Seas. Decorated in a garish South Pacific motif—including a cascading waterfall!—the "cafeteria of the golden rule," where diners were encouraged to pay only what they thought was fair, was soon followed by Clifton's Brookdale. Modeled after the Brookdale Lodge, built around a grove of redwoods in Northern California, the second cafeteria featured fake trees, stuffed animals, and a small chapel. I used to eat lunch there when I briefly worked for Price Waterhouse in the late 1970s. It was sad and kitschy and unlike any other restaurant downtown, but I loved their white cake with whipped cream frosting and strawberries. Plus they served jello!

Though the Pacific Seas closed in 1960, Brookdale remained open until four years ago, when it was bought and closed for extensive renovation. Its grand reopening, later this week, is one of the most highly anticipated events among L.A. history buffs and foodies alike. We got a sneak peak last night during an L.A. Conservancy fundraiser. 

New neon signs

Even though we arrived an hour early, we were not the first ones in line. Many people were dressed in 1940s/50s garb and several shared stories of long ago meals, when an aging Clifton's was just a dumpy old cafeteria. Everyone oohhed and aahhed when the exterior neon lights turned on. Then, finally, the doors opened. VIPS, who got to look down on us from the restricted third floor, entered first. 

Glorious bakery

 

Cafeteria tray

We were waved in and directed to the left, past a glorious display of baked goods. The kitchen, which (if memory serves) was small and dingey, is now all state-of-the-art chrome and gorgeous. I would have taken photos, except I immediately grabbed a tray and started loading-up small plates of food: Waldorf salad, pizza, curried cauliflower on a bed of mashed potatoes, and the best bowl of chicken noodle soup I've ever had. The chef's goal may be to honor the original menu as much as possible, but his food is top-notch gourmet all the way—a thousand times better than the last time we ate at Clifton's, some six or seven years ago.

Swing band and a view of the former mezzanine

After the initial frenzy, we noshed at a table on the second floor (formerly the mezzanine), overlooking the main dining room. A 10-piece swing band played nearby. I glanced around between bites. The old redwood forest decor has been lovingly restored and large stuffed animals—a bison, bear, and deer—are now exhibited in museum-quality display cases. In fact, the main floor looks like a cross between the lobby of Disney's Grand Californian hotel and the L.A. Natural History Museum's North American mammal hall—only Clifton's, of course, is a lot noisier and hipper. It should be a fun place to dine, once the crowds subside.

Forest wall mural and faux stone ledge (main dining room)

 

Faux redwood tree (bar)

 

Light fixture (original?)

By the time we finished eating, the dance floor was completely obliterated by people waiting to get into the kitchen. Still, we managed to find a small corner to swing and twirl to a couple of songs. I then made a beeline to the desserts to grab a piece of white cake. It didn't have whipped cream frosting or strawberries, but was good nonetheless—the perfect ending to a fun evening. People were still entering as we left.

Last glimpse of the bakery through the front window

 

Adieu!

 

L.A. Arts District Tour

Murals and graffiti in L.A.'s Arts District

The L.A. Arts District is located directly east of downtown and west of the Los Angeles River, along 3rd and 4th Streets. Agricultural land when the city was first developed in the mid-19th century, before becoming industrial throughout most of the 20th century, this area is now home to budding artists and architects. It's a part of town we know nothing about, so we were thrilled to take today's L.A. Conservancy Arts District tour and learn more. Here's what we saw:

Interior of the former Santa Fe railroad

freight house (1906) renovated

into the Southern California Institute

of Architecture (SCI-Arc) campus (2001)

Amazing modular conference table in the

SCI-Arc library

Conference table detail

The Pickle Works: one of the last surviving L.A. 

Victorian-era warehouses (1888) that eventually 

became home to several artists in the 1970s

Sign used to designate an artist's barely legal residence: 

red = fire hazard; blue = unsafe conditions; 

yellow = unstable masonry; A = artist-in-residence

Looking down on the Pickle Works 

from the 1st St. bridge

Graffiti and stairs up to the 1st St. bridge

Old street lamp

Old and new: looking west towards 

downtown L.A.

The American Hotel (1905), originally built 

as housing for African Americans, many of

whom worked as Pullman car porters on

nearby trains

American Hotel detail: ground-floor used to be the site

of Al's Bar, home to one of L.A.'s most famous punk

rock and grunge scenes

Batchelder tile detail of John A. Roebling's Sons 

warehouse  (1913),where wire cables were made for the 

Brooklyn Bridge

Roebling warehouse is now the site of Angel City

Brewery

We also saw lots and lots of phenomenal murals:

Millard Sheets

AMOCA mural by Sheets and Susan Lautmann

In Los Angeles, architect and artist Millard Sheets (1907-1989) is best known for designing the former Home Savings and Loan bank buildings—the once great monuments to commerce covered in marble and larger-than-life tile murals. As a kid I thought his work was rather ostentatious. Sheets has recently become something of a cause célèbre, however, as more and more of his now defunct bank buildings are threatened with demolition. On Sunday, the L.A. Conservancy celebrated Millard Sheets by hosting a tour of his art and architecture in Claremont and Pomona.

Cooped-up in the house all day Saturday because of rain, we decided to brave the weather and schlep out to the east San Gabriel valley for the tour. We could see patches of snow on the foothills as we approached Claremont. Our first stop was Scripps College, where Sheets taught and headed the arts department in the 1930s and ‘40s. His simple yet beautiful Garrison Theater, built in 1963, still stands on the west end of campus. Signature mosaics of three Shakespeare plays float above the front entrance.

Garrison Theater mosaic: sword fight from

Romeo and Juliet

Lobby tapestry by Arthur & Jean Ames

Sheets’ studio was located just a handful of blocks from campus. Now the home of Claremont Eye Associates, the complex is surprisingly compact: a small office building plus a slightly larger building that housed his working studio. Delicate mosaics of birds and Asian falconers adorn the otherwise unassuming white facades. Working with a team of artists, Sheets would paint the first draft of his tile murals on the inside wall of his two-story studio and then lay the paintings on the floor as a blueprint for placing the tiles, which were fired in a kiln out back. It was amazing to see the actual space where so much public art was created.

Toucan mosaic

Cat mosaic - office floor

Sun mosaic peeking through the trees

From there, we drove half-a-mile to the former Pomona First Federal (PFF) Savings and Loan on Foothill Blvd. and Indian Hill, built in 1969. Another dramatic edifice minimally decorated with mosaics.

Mosaic outside former PFF

The highlight of the tour was the American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA), located in Pomona in yet another former bank. Unlike its cousins, the exterior of the building is plain and almost industrial. Inside, however, hangs a magnificent 78-foot-long painted mural of the history of Pomona that was saved when AMOCA moved into the site. Although the museum’s exhibit, “Common Ground: Ceramics in Southern California 1945-1975” (part of the soon-ending Pacific Standard Time series), is fabulous, the mural alone is well worth the drive to Pomona.

There were two more outdoor stops on the tour, but the temperature had dipped into the mid-40s by then, so we hightailed it back to Culver City, where it was somewhat warmer. And, oh yeah, I no longer think Millard Sheets’ work is ostentatious.

7th Street

One of the most exciting on-going local developments is the revitalization of downtown L.A. Hundred-year-old buildings are turning into living spaces as more and more amenities—like a recently opened Ralph's supermarket—are introduced into the area. Downtown is becoming gentrified.

A big proponent of this conversion is the L.A. Conservancy, the organization that regularly fights for the restoration of old Los Angeles landmarks. To open residents' eyes to the beauty of the city, the Conservancy conducts several walking tours a year, featuring downtown architecture. We try to participate when we can.

On Sunday, the Conservancy offered an historical tour of 7th Street, one of the main east/west arteries downtown. As usual, we revisited some familiar spots; but mostly we marveled at buildings we had never really noticed before.

Here are just a few of the sights we enjoyed. Who says this city isn't beautiful?

Los Angeles Public Library as viewed from atop the Sheraton Hotel

The crown of the Pantages Theatre (1920)

401 W. 7th St,

Ornamentation on the Union Oil building (1937)

215 W. 7th St.

Old L.A. streetlamp and fire escape

Mural on Dearden's furniture store

700 S. Main St.

Former factories (1911) turned into lofts

Santee Court, 714 S. Los Angeles St.

Top of unknown building

7th and Los Angeles streets

Mural on Spring St.

Kitschy detail, St. Vincent's Court

Alley off 7th between Broadway and Hill

Saving the best for last:

Fine Arts Building (1926)

811 W. 7th St.

Batchelder tile floor

Lobby

Mezzanine