Documenting my pocket of Los Angeles
This is a Pacific Dining Car appreciation post as I’m still heavy-hearted about the fire that tore through the historic restaurant on August 3. While the owner closed the restaurant during Covid and sold off all the interior furnishings, I still held out hope that this beloved eatery would make a miraculous comeback. Or at... Continue Reading →
This week, I had the pleasure of digging into the delicious history found at the intersection of Southern California's architectural and culinary heritage. To celebrate its sixth season of the Lost LA series, KCET hosted an evening at the historic Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank before screening the Lost LA episode “Fast Food and Car... Continue Reading →
Over Thanksgiving, I started the lengthy process of extracting all the food stories documented in letters between my grandmother (Margaret) and her sister (Jan) in order to explore how their work in the kitchen related to food history of the time. I still can’t believe that, 20 years ago, I transcribed 83 of their letters... Continue Reading →
When I approached the Police Academy's Revolver Café (drenched from the pouring rain), I wondered, "What strange lighting they have..." And by strange, I meant "what very very dark lighting they have." Disoriented, I wandered into the darkness, as a couple of male voices yelled "Welcome to the party!" Moments after, the waitress clarified that... Continue Reading →
Victoria Bernal 