R.I.P. - Ethel Ustin, matriarch of Western Bagel

Ethel Ustin and her husband Dave opened Western Bagel in 1947, it's still going strong after all these years. They have 11 locations in Southern California and their main store on Sepulveda Blvd is open 24 hours a day.

Happy 85th Birthday to The Original Pantry

The Original Pantry opened in 1924 with five employees at the northwest corner of 9th and Francisco. They moved to their current location of 9th and Figueroa in 1950 all without closing (they served lunch in the 'old' location and dinner in the 'new' location). Interesting facts include:
-They have no locks on the doors, they are open 365 days of the year for the last 85 years.
-The restaurant's seating capacity is 84 people and they serve 2500 to 3000 a day.
-Their annual coffee supply derives from approximately 20,000 coffee trees.
-More than 2400 eggs are used every 24 hours.
-Yearly averages include 30 tons of celery, 16 tons of fruit, 50 tons of vegetables (aside from potatoes which consist of 208 tons used a year), 5.5 tons of jams & jellies, 188 tons of ice, 15 tons of sugar and 17 tons of dishwashing soap.

Enjoy L.A. - Eat Out More Often! - Saugus Cafe since 1887!

Saugus Cafe is the oldest restaurant in Los Angeles County. It started life as Tolfree's (Southern Pacific) Eating House in 1887, owner J.H. Tolfree also ran Southern Pacific eating houses in Bakersfield and Mojave. Tolfree also took over the Nadeau Hotel in November 1895. The following July, J.H. Tolfree's wife (aged 28) died at the family's home in Mojave and was interred in Los Angeles at the Rosedale Cemetery. J.H. Tolfree died January 16, 1897 of either suicide (rumored) or 'apoplexy' (official cause of death) and joined her at Rosedale. Tolfree's brother Lyman (L.H. Tolfree), a prominent hotel man in Scottsdale, AZ, seems to have taken over the Tolfree's Eating House and run it until selling to Martin & Richard Wood. More to come on the history later, BUT in the meantime- stay away from the (watery) biscuits and gravy and make sure to request onion if you order a burger. I'm thinking its better to stay with the staples here. Don't get too fancy. And-unless-you-like-to-be-the-fly-on-the-wall-checking-out-the-scene---- stay away from late nights.