# Los Angeles



## Dan O (Mar 5, 2009)

Hey there,

Went to Los Angeles last Saturday on the Metrolink train from San Bernardino. It was a really nice ride.

When we got there we walked over to Philippes for a late morning snack. Enjoyed seeing the old fashion telephone booths w/ doors there. Hey, you don't see those too often. My kids were interested in pickled pigs feet. What could those look like? Hey kids, look down. They are right in front of us at the counter. The sandwich was good and filling. It was not near lunch time yet there was a decent crowd there.

We hopped on the red line subway and went to Hollywood. There is a magic shop there that has some inexpensive tricks. So we got a couple cheap ones for my magician son. Also got a more expensive ($20) card trick. We got back on the subway and went back to downtown Los Angeles.

Wandered around there some seeing Angel's Flight and some of the larger buildings. I used to work at two different places downtown in the 80s. One building has been replaced by a skyscraper and the second one was encircled by a fence. Lots more large buildings now than 25 years ago.

We went to the Original Pantry Cafe at 9th and Figueroa. It's been open continuously since 1924. I worked a block from there at both jobs but never went to the place because they always had a big line. Well at 2 oclock they had a line but not too bad. It moved quickly. The place has no menus. All the items are listed on signs on the walls so it's best to look around while you are waiting for a table. We weren't terribly hungry so the kids got ice cream and I got peach cobbler. We also got a hamburger to split. Oh my, was it big. It cost nearly $11 but it was very large. No bun, toasted bread. Cheese and lettuce and tomato that was very thick. The bread was about the size of two normal pieces of bread put together. I ate half of it and was FULL. I think each half had about 1/3 of a lb of hamburger in it. Came also w/ a big plate of cole slaw, french fries and 6 pieces of sourdough bread. I thought maybe they gave us so much bread because there were 3 of us. NOPE..the couple next to us had two meals and 12 pieces of bread. Anyway, it was pretty good and we left very full. Everyone there brought leftovers home. We didn't because we were going on the train..well we brought the bread but the cole slaw went untouched. Now I know why there is a line.

We hopped on the subway and got back to Union Station in time to catch the 325 PM (I think) Metrolink train back to SB. Only bummer was the magic trick, the $20 one of course, didn't work. I called the shop and they will replace it but we haven't received the replacement yet. The cards in the deck were all one kind when they were supposed to be half of one and half of another kind. Anyway, it was a nice jaunt and kept us busy for the better part of a day.

Dan


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## WhoozOn1st (Mar 5, 2009)

Cool report. Thanks, Dan!

I gotta get to the Pantry again one of these days, and I know all about the lines. Sometimes so long that if you're not hungry when you get in line, you will be by the time you get a table. It's currently owned by former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan, who has several other restaurants in the area as well.

The Original Pantry Cafe

Wish Metrolink's Ventura County Line had weekend service. It'd be great to be able to use it for Sat/Sun daytrips to L.A. like the one Dan describes.

EDIT: Here's a video of Angel's Flight being tested. Hope it's back in regular service soon. Angel's Flight Funicular Railway Being Tested


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## jackal (Mar 5, 2009)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Cool report. Thanks, Dan!
> I gotta get to the Pantry again one of these days, and I know all about the lines. Sometimes so long that if you're not hungry when you get in line, you will be by the time you get a table. It's currently owned by former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan, who has several other restaurants in the area as well.
> 
> The Original Pantry Cafe
> ...


Don't complain too much--at least you have Surfliners!

One of my favorite memories as a kid was going to work with my grandpa (about half the time, I'd be able to successfully persuade him into riding Metrolink->Red Line from Simi Valley instead of driving!). He worked across from the TCW building, also owned by then-Mayor Riordan. During his lunch hour, we'd go up to the top floor of the TCW building, where the nice secretary would let us look out the window (I love tall buildings) and then give me some candy.

We tried the same thing in the then-First Interstate Bank building (now US Bank), the tallest building in L.A. We successfuly navigated the labyrinth of elevators required to get us to the top ("just act like we know where we're going" were the wise words of my grandfather), but the secretary at the top was not nearly as nice as the TCW lady. Not only did she not offer me any candy, she chastised us for entering a private area. She gave me 30 seconds to look out the window before booting us out.

Of course, we'd follow up all of these adventures with lunch at The Pantry!


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## sportbiker (Mar 6, 2009)

Whooz: the current estimate for Angel's Flight is April. YMMV.

Jackal: minor point, but the U.S. Bank building used to the the First Interstate Bank building. It was never BofA.

When I pass The Pantry on my way home (between 4:30-5:30) I hardly ever see a line.


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## jackal (Mar 6, 2009)

Sorry--yes, you're right. A thought tickled the back of my brain as I was writing that that I had gotten the bank's name wrong, and I meant to look it up, but I had to leave for work and forgot. I will edit my post to reflect that.


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## Dan O (Mar 7, 2009)

sportbiker said:


> When I pass The Pantry on my way home (between 4:30-5:30) I hardly ever see a line.


Seemed like there was when I worked near there in the 80s but that was about 25 yrs ago. I worked in a bldg (Petroleum bldg?) at Flower and Olympic that I thought was torn down but it still appears to be there on google maps. I must have seen something else newer nearby. Petroleum bldg had elevator operators when I was there in 79-81. I don't know if they still do but I thought they were long gone ages ago.

Also worked at 841 S Figueroa, right up the block from the pantry place but that building is surrounded by a fence now.


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