There's a quaint little place on Hollywood Boulevard called the Pig'n'Whistle. It's part bar, part restaurant - a little modern, and a little bit nostalgia. We've been in a few times and it may be one of our new favorite places.
For one, the ceiling is fabulous. It's carved wood and decadent. According to the Pig'n Whistle's website this original ceiling was designed by renowned architects Morgan, Walls & Clements. The firm's other works include many Los Angeles landmarks like El Capitan Theatre, The Haas Building, the Mayan Theater, and the Adamson House in Malibu, CA.
According to the a write up in the restaurant's menu movie starts like Cary Grant, Shirley Temple, and Loretta Young were regulars. Other stars also frequented the establishment before movie premieres thanks in part to its convenient proximity to the Egyptian Theatre.
I really think my father would be in awe of the masterpiece that are these ceilings. They are something to look at and even after our fifth time in I can't help but look like a tourist and stare up at the ceilings and admire the craftsmanship. There is so much art deco in Los Angeles. It really is quite something.
Now the other cool thing about this joint is that there are always interesting people about. We met an English fella who was just visiting for a few days. He was waiting for a pack of ladies who had spent the day at the horse races. He had a great accent, that I thought he sounded like a Beatle and could have been from Liverpool. He was not. He was from somewhere near Manchester.
Another time when we visited for drinks we met another interesting character who worked on production design for the series Sons of Anarchy. I went into some spiel about how wonderful I thought the mother on the show was. The mother, unbeknownst to me was also Peg Bundy on the 90s TV show Married With Children. I'll have to say I like her better as the hard ass mother who will do anything for her son on Sons of Anarchy.
I haven't seen much of Sons of Anarchy, but it was still neat to know and understand there are other people who are so important to the production and life of a show.
Over too many glasses of beer we asked him about how he got his start in the business, what exactly it meant to be a production designer, what he thought of certain television shows, if he thought TV was the big thing now (as opposed to film). We discussed writing and the art of storytelling. And after perhaps too many beers and a shot called The Three Wisemen (which he called something else I think about angels, but I cannot remember) I attempted to tell him about my project (working title Not My) but I couldn't wrap my head around one thing, and the harder I concentrated the worse I got. All I managed to get out was how much I loved Toni Morrison's book Jazz and how much I adore Michael Jackson. Well enough said.
So back to the Pig'n Whistle - It's a great little place. It is a little pricey, but well worth it. Everything has a "mom just baked goodness" right out of the oven taste to it. On Wednesday and Thursday nights you can sing your heart out at karaoke. It's a great place to stop in for lunch, or a quick drink. You can people watch from the outside tables if you want. The bar and waitstaff are gracious, others are flat out funny and are a form of entertainment themselves. Sometimes it's so busy we just go elsewhere, but it's neat to go in and sit in a place where you know the likes of Cary Grant, and Clark Gable have been.
Love the good old Pig'n Whistle! Especially love the Stella Artois... :) Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThe next glass or bottle of Stella Artois I see could be a thousand years from now and it would still be to soon!
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