The Derby No Longer So Money

Three years ago, preservationists managed to save (or at least, delay) the building housing Los Feliz’s Derby night club (and a Louise’s outpost_ — the last standing remnant of the once-popular Brown Derby chain — from destruction.

At the time, L.A.’s City Council designated the Derby, in its entirety, as a historic cultural monument to the city of Los Angeles. (Check out our posts on the “Save the Derby” campaign here.)

Unfortunately, it looks like now it’s the Derby nightclub itself — made famous thanks to its appearance in the 1996 movie “Swingers,” and the swing dance revival craze that followed — that now needs saving.

According to the L.A. Times, the Derby was recently moved to a month-to-month lease. And now, word is that Sunday night’s swing dance night would be the club’s last.

Now, Rebecca Goodman — who was behind the original Save the Derby campaign — has reignited that website and is once again looking for some help. She writes:

We will continue to work with the Councilman Tom LaBonge, The Cultural Heritage Commission, The Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council, Hollywood Heritage, The LA Conservancy, and other groups and individuals who care about the rich legacy of Los Angeles, Hollywood’s Golden Age and a vibrant, active future for this building.

Get a Piece of the Brown Derby

The Brown Derby may be long gone (except for the old restaurant’s butchered remains, on top of a strip mall across the street from the corpse of the Ambassador Hotel) — but there’s still a chance to grab a piece of the legendary restaurant.

Bonhams & Butterfields auction house will auction the items off on Dec. 21. Some details:

Highlights include a group of four framed ‘hunt’ prints, 1920s-1960s (est. $400/600); an ashtray and boxes of printed matchbooks circa 1960s (est. $300/500); a brass ‘derby’ wall sconce (est. $300/500); a 1920s wooden ‘brown derby’ wall decoration (est. $300/500); and one of the restaurant’s souvenir tablecloths – printed with a map of 1950s Hollywood, with The Brown Derby restaurant right in the center (est. $200/300).

The collection also includes a group of stock certificates (est. $200/300); a group of 1950s coasters and cocktail napkins (est. $100/150); a group of 1920s small numbered brass pins worn by the waiters for identification (est. $100/200); an assortment of dishes from the dining room (est. $200/300); a brass tabletop lamp displaying The Brown Derby’s logo (est. $200/300) and a brick salvaged from the original 1926 structure before it was razed (est. $50/75).

The lot’s preview begins Dec. 19. More details over at Eater LA.

Brown Derby Days

Pat already did an excellent write up at this past Saturday’s Southern California Restaurant Historical Society meeting, but I wanted to write a brief blurb as well.

I arrived in time to hear Rebecca Goldman give a thorough recount of the Save the Derby group’s successful journey to save the last remaining one-time Derby home, at Los Feliz and Hillhurst (now home to the Derby nightclub and Louise’s).

The event, which attracted a crowd of at least 50, probably more, was held at the now-saved Derby. Also giving speeches were former Ambassador Hotel publicist Margaret Burk, who recounted the famed Derby-shaped Brown Derby across from the hotel (now home to a strip mall, with remnants of the derby building on the second floor); Mark Willems, who wrote the book “The Brown Derby Restaurant; LA Observed‘s Kevin Roderick, who provided more historical background (including details of the phantom Brown Derby that lasted a year at the site that would become Perino’s); and DJ and voice over artist extraordinaire Gary Owens, a class act who dined so frequently with fellow celebs at the Brown Derby that he had plenty of stories to tell.

Then there was Brown Derby caricaturist Jack Lane — who’s still a bundle of energy even in what must be his 80s — sharing stories about the celeb faces he once sketched for the walls. In one story, he told of a hard roll food fight that Lucille Ball started in the dining room. He also said that he’d sketch each celeb on pad with a grease pencil; he’d then go back and re-do the drawing in ink. He saved every single one of those grease pencil sketches, and still has files full of drawings that would likely be worth a fortune.

Organizers also put together a video of film, TV and even animated works featuring the Brown Derby (both shot at the restaurant and re-created on soundstage); and passed out the original Cobb Salad recipe, as well as slices of the restaurant’s famous grapefruit cake. Alas, I had to leave before grabbing a bite of the cake. Thanks to LA Time Machines for inviting me to the event; check their site for future meetings.

A Tribute to the Brown Derby

Jonathon from LA Time Machines filled us in the other day on the upcoming meeting of the Southern California Restaurant Historical Society, The next event, to be held Aug. 19, focuses on the history of the Brown Derby:

We’re having a meeting called “A Tribute to the Brown Derby”, with speakers Jack Lane, Master caricaturist from the Hollywood Brown Derby, Mark Willems, author “The Brown Derby: A hollywood Legend” and Rececca Goodman of the Save the Derby Coalition. It’s Saturday August 19 from 10am-Noon at 4500 Los Feliz Blvd. Los Angeles (the building that housed one of the Brown Derby’s) now called “The Derby” and Louise’s Trattoria (I’m sure you know more about that than me!). Official announcement attached. Free to the public.

Sounds interesting… we’re going to try to make it. Hope to see some of you there!

Bits and Pieces

:: Congrats to the Save the Derby folk, who successfully convinced the L.A. City Council to declare the building — now home to the Derby nightclub and Louise’s Trattoria, but once an outpost of famed Hollywood eatery chain the Brown Derby — a Historic Cultural Monument.

Councilmember Tom LaBonge helped push for the council vote, which was unanimous (10-0). That means the building (at the corner of Hillhurst and Los Feliz) will be saved. But it’s still not clear how property owners Adler Realty will preserve the building and still go forward with their condo plans, notes blogging.la:

In spite of the good news, the Derby’s fate may not be entirely safe.

LaBonge’s newsletter adds that Adler Realty, the present owners, will instead incorporate the current structure into its plan to create condos and retail spaces. However, its currently unclear if the Derby was granted Full Landmark designation that would keep the Derby 100% intact, instead of a recent compromise by the developers to only 30% of the Derby.

Somewhat foreboding is a quote from Adler Realty VP Richard Gablegiven to the Associated Press: “Our plans are to maintain the existing structure, or at least most of it.”

:: Last chance today to register if you want to vote in the June primaries. Of course, given how lackluster both Steve Westly and Phil Angelides have performed so far, I’m sure you’re not exactly chomping at the bit.

Still, the entirely unexciting choice between candidates to go up against Schwarzenegger in the fall shouldn’t stop you from voting; pick up the form here. We’ll talk candidates and Prop 82 in a few days here.

:: Westwood’s Eurochow is history, reports Curbed L.A. (as well as Chowhound and L.A. Observed, among others).

L.A. Observed calls the late restaurant’s home “arguably the most recognizable structure in Westwood Village”:

The domed landmark where Westwood Boulevard, Kinross and Broxton intersect was built in the late 1920s as the headquarters of Janss Investment Company, developers of residential Westwood and Holmby Hills, UCLA and the “Mediterranean village” south of campus. (Allison and Allison, designers of UCLA and Wilshire Boulevard Temple, were the architects.) Under the dome at times have been a Bank of America branch that was a frequent target of student protests during the 1960s, Glendale Federal Savings, Wherehouse Records and I think a Contempo Casuals store.

I remember the building as an outpost of the Wherehouse record store; at least, that’s what it was when I arrived to L.A. in 1996. I never ate at Eurochow, but have never been impressed with Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills, so I can’t say I feel like I missed anything.

:: Doesn’t it seem like there’s a wine bar opening every other week here in L.A.? I’m not complaining — I love the trend.

But sheesh, L.A., couldn’t you have discovered wine bars before Blogger Baby was born? We’ve been dying to try some (we love Vinoteca Farfalla, but need to expand our horizons) — but it’s not exactly the kind of place you want to take a little guy.

For now, we’ll continue to live vicariously through other bloggers. Like Sha in LA, who writes about her recent visit to downtown’s new 626 Reserve.

:: Seriously: Rain? In May? Hey, if it brings clear skies tomorrow — and makes my yellowing lawn a tad more green — I’m all for it. The rest of the week, however, looks sunny, with Wednesday particularly warm: