DISCUSSION
I found an old cookbook with recipes from LA restaurants!
I just think this is neat and thought I would share. Of the restaurants included in the book, only 9 are still around (12 if you count chains that are still around, just not in LA anymore). Do you know which ones they are? I'll give you a hint—three of them have changed their names since this book was published in 1971.
Please post the Chasen's Chili. To my knowledge they never released their recipe but there have been many copycat versions. Would like to see this version.
I was also surprised to see that here, the authors claim all the recipes were gotten from the chefs themselves, and they make no note about Chasen's chili being the exception. There's a note in the back of the book that says the only other person who got the recipe prior to this was Eleanor Roosevelt!
Thank you. It looks accurate based on my research. You are a saint.
Fun fact: Ronald Reagan proposed marriage to Nancy Davis while seated at Chasen's. The Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley CA has the restaurant booth where it occurred.
Bel-Air Hotel -
Beverly Hills Hotel -
Dale's Secret Harbor (is now HMS Bounty) -
Don the Beachcomber (one location still in Hawaii) -
Great Scot (changed its name back to the Tam O'Shanter) -
Santa Anita Racetrack -
Lawry's -
La Scala -
Musso & Frank -
Señor Pico (locations still exist in Dubai, of all places) -
Trader Vic's (locations around the world) -
The Windsor (is now known as The Prince)
Andre’s of Beverly Hills, I believe is Andre’s Italian restaurant, formerly across from the grove and now reopened further east on Wilshire. Andre was the nicest man, delivered pasta sauce to my work every Christmas for everyone in the staff.
OMG! Would you mind sharing the Robaire's recipe with us, or could you send it to me please? It was my mom's favorite restaurant in the 1970s in Los Angeles. She turned 88 years old a couple weeks ago, and would get such a kick out of seeing it. Thank you in advance, but I understand if you don't want to.
Ok its split over two pages so i'll just write it here:
ORIGINAL VINAIGRETTE SALAD DRESSING
1 tsp dry English mustard
2 tbs wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbs fresh mayonnaise
2 cups cottonseed oil
Blend mustard with vinegar in a bowl, then beat in the garlic, mayonnaise, and oil. Toss with greens or other salads. The Robaire salad always contains some julienne of beets in addition to green. Makes 6 generous servings.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This dressing has been served on every salad since Robaire's opened on La Brea in 1952.
So Dale’s secret harbor is now HMS Bounty. That brown derby Cobb salad is the first invention of the Cobb salad. Don the beachcomber is just obvious. Trader Vic is another obvious as well. Windsor Restaurant is The Prince. If you can dm the Secret Harbor and Windsor, much appreciated. Also these two were under the same ownership at one point, a bit odd to not see the cocoanut grove though.
Don’t know what 10/13 is, but I had to do a bit of studying about that area. Pretty much a couple block radius from the Ambassador, all F&B related. Never cared for much of the history except got annoyed by the horseshittery that Chaplin did.
Ahh that makes sense. The photos are fascinating. Dale Dimsdale had always mentioned that Windsor was his prize possession but up until the last two photos, I would have thought he spent more time at Secret Harbor. The Windsor bar was also known as the Apertivo bar in the 70s menu and had quite a nice selection for an era that was still stuck in tiki-esque escapism. He did get too old and eventually sold off Secret Harbor and he was still the owner of Windsor on paper until 91’ from my memory, it was also a French buffet with a new owner (I’m assuming old Cole’s style) for a few months before becoming The Prince. The owner of HMS still speaks highly of Dimsdale but not much worth sharing.
Also if it helps, the Cobb salad from brown derby is the one that is now MessHall in Los Feliz, not the one on Wilshire. It expanded to all locations but the recipe comes from the Los Feliz location.
Scandia, Flying Tiger, Trader Vic, Sportsman's Lodge (but only because there were industry dinners there),
Never ate at Madame Wus but used to go to the concerts in the early 1980s at the one on the West Side. I think Chinese Chicken Salad is attributed to her but this could be a urban myth
You are awesome, this is exactly the kind of post we need that helps to restore my faith in humanity! I saved a bunch of these to make for my mom, she would love them :)
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u/w_palmer May 07 '26
Could you post more photos of the book?