RIP - Raymond Taix, owner of Taix restaurant

Born just two years before his father Marius Taix opened Taix in 1927, Raymond Taix grew up in the restaurant business. The original location opened at 317-321 Commercial Street (near San Pedro Street) as a 'style pension bourgeoise - a real French dinner' just blocks from the post office during a time when European cuisine was very fashionable in Los Angeles (other 'European cuisine' establishments of the time included the Paris Inn, Marcell Inn, Brandstatter's Cafe Montmartre, Hotel Alexaandria's Franco-Italian Dining Room and Italian Village). Taix French restaurant featured 'typical French lunches and dinners served either family style or with waiter service'. In 1928 (during Prohibition) Marius Taix pointed out "It was to show that a French restaurant can be run successfully without serving wine that I started this one. It's a matter of sentiment too. My father started the first French bakery here in 1885. C'est tres interesant n'est ce pas?" Within a year of opening, Taix was bucking the trend of the usual dine and dance establishment that was popular at that time (a la Cafe Montmartre, Ambassador Hotel and Miller's Cafe Lafayette) with their slogan 'We sell you food , not MUSIC', they featured the cuisine and pointed out they had a seating capacity of 225. Drinking coffee from a water glass after the meal 'instead of a regular cup' was an odd feature of their service.
Raymond took over managing the restaurant from 1950 on and supervised their move to the current location in 1962. Eighty three years and this family owned business is still going strong. Viva la Taix!

Enjoy L.A. - Eat Out More Often! - La Villa Basque since 1960

I've got a list of places that are only open during the work week to hit up on one of those rare occasions I have such a day available. La Villa Basque has been on the top of that list for quite a long time. I was recently able to cross it off and it was definitely worth the wait. Located in the industrial hub of Vernon (only 90 residents were listed in 2008), and as a result it's easy to see why its only open during the week. The restaurant is owned by the town's (former) Mayor, the infamous Leonis Malburg, Vernon's native son. La Villa Basque serves lunch from 11-3 Monday through Friday and the dining room enjoyed a steady stream of partakers during my visit. I wholeheartedly recommend the croque monsieur (Virginia ham and melted gruyere cheese served on french toast with a side of pesto aioli), grilled beef and cheese on sourdough, their perfectly cooked shoestring fries and homemade potato chips. I will be back and I'm not the only one!

R.I.P - Edith Carissimi of Musso & Frank Grill

The Los Angeles Times featured a nice obituary on Edith Carissimi, the 95-year-old restaurateur that (until late 2009) co-owned the legendary Musso & Frank Grill. AKA 'Musso Frank' the restaurant is the oldest in Hollywood, its roots date back to 1919. Edith married into the Grill's 'family'. The original owners, Frank Toulet and Joseph Musso, sold the business in 1926 to John Mosso and Joseph Carissimi (Edith's father-in-law). Joseph passed the reins to Edith's (second) husband Charles and Edith became co-manager upon Charles' death in 1969. She had a pretty amazing life!

*** On a related note, do yourself a favor and read the interesting story of the restaurant's earliest years (when it was known as Frank's Francois Cafe) on page 100 of Gregory Paul Williams' fascinating book The Story of Hollywood which was published in 2005.

R.I.P. - Harry B. Vickman, Vickman's Feed Bag restaurauteur

Though he sold Vickman's restaurant at 1228 E. 8th Street in 1986 (the restaurant closed in 1993), Harry B. Vickman and his wife Barbara will forever be known as the faces of Vickman's Feed Bag (or 'Vickman's' as it became known) restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. Opening at 3am, Vickman's early morning catered to workers from the surrounding Produce District and later in the day became populated by Angelenos from all over the city who made Vickman's a destination. The bakery was legendary and their kiwi tarts helped popularize the fruit in the United States in the mid-1960s.
Vickman's dated back to 1919 when Harry's father Mordecai Vickman, then working for Baron Long at the Vernon Country Club, pooled $3000 with fellow VCC waiter James Ward and opened V & W Restaurant at 1st & Spring. Vickman's moved to their 8th Street location in 1930, Harry joined the operation in 1940 and his wife Barbara began working there in 1970 when Mordecai passed away.

R.I.P. - Kurt Niklas, restaurateur behind Le Bistro and Bistro Garden

The Los Angeles Times had an excellent obit on Kurt Niklas. Niklas arrived in the United States in 1951 and soon became Romanoff's head waiter and later maitre'd until the restaurant closed on December 31, 1962. Following advice from Mike Romanoff to garner investors (in addition to Romanoff's generous offer to hand over his liquor license and restaurant equipment) Le Bistro opened its doors in 1963 at 246 N. Canon Dr in Beverly Hills (now Mastro's Steakhouse). In 1979 Niklas opened the 'less formal' Bistro Garden down the street at 176 N. Canon Dr (now Spago).


Pictured: August 11, 1980- Ma Maison's Patrick Terrail, Le Dome's Michel Yhuelo, Bistro's Kurt Niklas and Jimmy's Jimmy Murphy attend a Thalians event at Scandia. Photo © Berliner Studio/BEImages

R.I.P. - Randy Hoffman, proprietor of Chili My Soul

As a fan of Chili My Soul on Ventura Blvd at Balboa I was saddened to open the Los Angeles Times today and read Randy's obituary. From the L.A. Times:
HOFFMAN, Randal Kent Passed away on June 18, 2009. He was a beloved son, brother uncle, brother-in-law, relative, loyal friend and charismatic to all. His two passions in life, music and the culinary arts, led to his mastering the drums and becoming a most wonderful chef and the proprietor of Chili My Soul.

R.I.P. - LeVonne Eloff, proprietress of Henry's Tacos

LeVonne Eloff moved to California in 1962 to help her father Henry run his taco stand at Tujunga and Moorpark. She'd been there ever since....

R.I.P. - Harold Price, co-founder of Canter's on Fairfax

Harold Price, the co-founder of the Canter's location on Fairfax was 89. Mr. Price and his (then) wife Selma Canter Udko opened Canter's in 1948 a few doors down from their present location. They, along with partners Ben & Jenny Canter moved Canter's to their present home in 1953. Prior to the move the building at 419 N. Fairfax housed the Esquire Theater.

R.I.P - Bob Henry 1920-2008

Bob Henry, I hardly knew ye. According to his obituary, Bob Henry grew up in New York and Rhode Island orphanages before heading West. Once he hit Los Angeles he became a bartender at Cock 'n' Bull and Scandia. It was Scandia's owner Ken Hansen that helped Henry design and open his own joint, Bob Henry's Round Table ('The House of Prime Rib') in the late 1950s. It was his years at Cock 'n' Bull where he learned the secret to Prime Rib perfection -- buy the best beef, age it yourself, layer it in an inch of rock salt and cook with tomatoes, celery and green peppers. Bob Henry's Round Table was at 2460 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA.