Renowned culinary superstar, George Geary, will present his latest book, “LA’s Legendary Restaurants” at Warwick’s on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The illustrated coffee table treasure trove features dozens of famous restaurants – several still in existence – located throughout the City of Angels. Photographs of movie icons feasting at their favorite eateries are accompanied by interesting narratives, vintage snapshots, original menus and more than 100 recipes from these landmark restaurants. Easy-to-follow instructions for appetizers, entrées, soups, salads, bread, biscuits, dressings, sauces, frostings, cakes, pies, sundry desserts, and drinks transform these historic pages into an exciting cookbook. Recipes were “happily” given to Geary by restaurant owners and collected from the Los Angeles Times food section – with archives dating back to the 1920s – old books, magazines, and television programs. Geary sprinkles tinsel town trivia, cinematic facts, good ole’ gossip and trends of the times on top of exclusive restaurants, popular hot spots, drive-ins, drugstores, nightclubs and bars. Fun facts include Charlie Chaplin challenging Douglas Fairbanks to a horse race down Hollywood Boulevard, of which the winner was treated to lunch at the Frank & Musso Grill, (Chaplin wins). Also, Elizabeth Taylor ordering Chasen’s chili—delivered to Rome—while filming Cleopatra, and President Reagan proposing to a then Nancy Davis at Chasen’s, with “his” booth now displayed at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Regarding another celebrity marriage proposal, there’s Robert Wagner proposing to Natalie Wood over pasta at La Scala. Geary wrote the book to memorialize what future generations will have lost a connection to. “We’re a throwaway society,” explained Geary. “I had to capture these glamorous locations built by amazing architects for our children and grandchildren who will never know these historical restaurants. The eateries weren’t just a place to have a meal, they were places to socialize, to see and to be seen. ‘LA’s Legendary Restaurants’ is my way of taking you back to these iconic treasures for one last meal.”
The award-winner tour guide travels through dozens of LA’s restaurants, dating from 1920 to today, including C.C. Brown’s, the historical dessert eatery where father and son owners spent 10 years perfecting a hot fudge sauce that didn’t harden when exposed to air. The soft fudge topping debuted in 1938 and quickly garnered a star-studded following listing Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Clark Gable, Mary Pickford, Joan Crawford, Art Linkletter, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley, and Ronald Reagan. Geary quotes, “After Hinckley’s attempted assassination of President Reagan, C. C. Brown’s shipped a case of their famous hot fudge sauce to the White House as a tribute. Mr. Reagan’s gracious thank-you note was displayed in the case by the cash register.” The book depicts Errol Flynn and his wife Nora, Desi Arnaz and his wife Lucille Ball, Jimmy Durante and Hedda Hopper gracing the pages of the Brown Derby while Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe, and Bob Hope dine at Perino’s. Other notable landmarks highlighted include Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakery; Schwab’s Pharmacy’s Soda Fountain; Clifton’s Brookdale Cafeteria (still open today); Romanoff’s; the Hollywood Palladium; Don the Beachcomber, Trader Vic’s at the Beverly Hilton, Miceli’s Pizza House (still open today); and Lawry’s where “it all started with seasoned salt.” The Musso & Frank Grill crowned one of the top ten “World’s Greatest Dining Institutions” by the New York Times, continues to host celebrities. Geary quotes, “Raymond Burr always sat at table 38, never at the bar. Elizabeth Taylor sat at table 34. Nancy Reagan preferred table 36, while Merv Griffin enjoyed table 37 with a glass of wine or a vodka tonic. Al Pacino used to sit in the corner at table 28 so he could see everyone who walked in.” Keith Richards and Johnny Depp are also tagged as Musso & Frank Grill regulars who enter through the kitchen entrance to catch a glimpse of the daily special. “L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants” cruises through Chasen’s, the barbecue pit that hosted 1936 child stars, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Chasen’s had six tables, a six-stool bar, and an eight-stool counter. Spare ribs cost 35 cents and a bowl of chili cost 25 cents. Within a year, it became a starlet hot spot. Geary writes, “At one time, the building even included a barbershop, steam room and shower area so stars traveling from the East Coast could go straight to the restaurant and freshen up before their meal.” Lasting almost 50 years, Chasen’s hosted Clark Gable, Carol Lombard and Alfred Hitchcock. Geary writes, “Hitchcock had a standing dinner reservation in booth number 2 on Thursday nights for more than forty years.” La Scala stands as a personal favorite, touting the story of Ceferino Carrion, a 19-year old stowaway from Spain. Carrion bussed tables in New York City before heading west and serving in the Korean War to legalize his immigration status. Carrion returned to Hollywood, changed his name to Jean Leon and worked at the exclusive Villa Capri rubbing elbows with James Dean. The two collaborated to open La Scala, a high-end Italian restaurant. Following Dean’s death, Leon took out a loan and opened La Scala in Beverly Hills on April 1, 1956. The stars flocked – Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe who ordered “in.” Presidents John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan were also “regulars.” “The Coconut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel is my favorite,” Geary said. “Infamous for its celebrity clientele and as the location of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination, the hotel offers an incredible amount of history. The sprawling 24-acre complex lined with palm trees and pools was the epitome of the California lifestyle. “Stars often lived at the property while working in Hollywood. F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, reportedly trashed their bungalow while Farid Simiak, an Egyptian Olympic swimmer used the Ambassador Swimming Club to practice. The property also hosted countless fundraisers and events, including the Academy Awards.”
Geary comes from a family of foodies. The book is dedicated to his Mom, a former “carhop” at Marty’s Drive-In in Santa Monica at age 13 (picture included), noting that it was “the second hardest job besides being a mother.” The dedication continues, “Also, to my grandmother, Grammie and Aunt Bea, who both worked at Van de Kamp’s, and my grandfather, Coley, who in 1946 was one of the best executive chefs in Las Vegas when it was just a spot in the Nevada desert.” Geary ends his dedication for “L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants” to “Every person who has worked as a waiter, chef or any other job in the food industry. Everyone should, at one time or another; it humbles you, and you’ll tip better afterward.”
The Certified Culinary Professional touts more than 30 years of culinary experience that includes serving as a pastry chef for the Walt Disney Company and a judge/consultant for culinary contests, food manufacturers and TV and cable food shows including ABC’s “The Taste” with Anthony Bourdain, “The American Baking Competition” with Jeff Foxworthy; “Hell’s Kitchen,” and “Supermarket Superstar.” In 2012, the educator and tour guide for schools and food festivals was chosen as the Culinary Tour Operator of the Year and Educator of the Year in 2014 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. In 2012, he was named the winner of the Frommer’s Domestic and International Tour Guide.