Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Signs of the Times: Dal Rae Restaurant

I'm going to try and sneak in one or two more posts before we leave for Spain next week, so here goes...

As I have mentioned, mid-20th Century steakhouse have become more than a passing fancy for me.  It is the timeless ritual to which I am drawn as well as the manner of service that strikes me at once as charming, endearingly dated, and somewhat of an endangered species. 

Based on the rich rewards of our forays into restaurants like Clearman's Steak 'N Stein Inn, we decided to pop over to another landmark dining establishment in Pico Rivera, CA, Dal Rae Restaurant.  Family owned and operated since 1958, Dal Rae looks like the kind of place that Clark would take Vera for their fifteenth wedding anniversary, grumbling as he made sure that he had enough change to tip the valet, the maitre d', the bartender, the waiter, and the hat check girl.  It looks like the kind of place that would inspire Vera to cinch her girdle extra tight, borrow Jean's Stone Martens, and splash on a little more perfume than necessary - you know, 50's fancy.  For goodness sake, there isn't just one fleur de lis on the sign; there are four!!!


Doesn't the sign just speak to the wonders within?
I half expected to see Clark and Vera celebrating their
70th wedding anniversary - in early bird fashion.

In the worst case of wacky tacky bait & switch in recorded history, the beautiful signs (thankfully preserved) of Dal Rae Restaurant truly misrepresented what was to be found on the inside.  Inside, Dal Rae is just - wait for it - a regular, contemporary restaurant!!!  Apparently renovated in 1999, the interior of Dal Rae is fine.  It is just fine.  I have nothing terrible to say about the staff, the dining room, or the food.  In fact, they were all quite nice...if that's what you're looking for.  The appointments are clean and subtle, but we weren't looking for subtlety and the signs made a wacky tacky promise that they just could not deliver.

Therefore, instead of a full "Chow Time" review, we file Dal Rae Restaurant under "Signs of the Times," wishing that instead of valeting the car, we kept driving down Washington Boulevard, dreaming of the smoke-filled dining room of Dal Rae, circa 1958.

Even the parking sign/marquee is awesome.

On a side note, don't you just hate valet parking - especially unexpected valet parking?  There is nothing worse than that thirty-second scramble to turn the radio down, dust the dashboard with the palm of your hand, throw everything into the back seat, and make the car look halfway decent for a valet parking attendant who probably doesn't care but leaves you paralyzed by the fear that he takes pictures of the inside of your car for his blog, entitled "Valet-Cam: The Grossest Car I've Ever Seen," or "Inside the Car of a Mad Man," or "Drivers of Wal-Mart," or something equally horrible.

Really, the worst part is handing over the keys and explaining all the tricks of the wacky wagon.  "Okay, so you're not going to want to turn on the air conditioning; the brakes are a little squeaky but my mechanic assures me that brake failure is not imminent;  if you have trouble putting it into gear, I've found that a quick prayer works really well; yes, the stability traction control warning light is always on; oh, and it's probably easiest to let yourself out the passenger side by rolling down the window and opening the door from the outside."

If you happen to find yourself in Pico Rivera, we definitely recommend driving by Dal Rae to check out the signs and then heading over to Steak 'n Stein Inn for a real wacky tacky dining experience.


Dal Rae Restaurant
9023 E Washington Blvd
Pico Rivera, CA
(562)949-2444

www.dalrae.com


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

19 comments:

  1. Well-stated... It was really cool in the 70s and 80s. The last time I went there was probably in 1988.

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    1. I keep saving up for a time machine; you can find a DeLorean for a reasonable price, but it's the flux capacitor that really kills you. I wish we would have seen Dal Rae pre-remodel!!!

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    2. It was actually really neat pre-remodel. I also am looking for that elusive time machine...

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  2. SPAIN!!! EEEK!
    I wonder if they have fabulously kitsch signs like the above......I think they are my fave thing about America!!! O,and the awesome Mexican food! X

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    1. I've always thought that if I really wanted to make a fortune, I would bring really good Mexican food to New Zealand or Australia. I can't wait to find out if SPain offers more than old-world romance, I want some wacky tacky too!!!

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  3. Sweet place, I'll have to send you pix from my Tiki Bar adventure in a couple of weeks!

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  4. Lately the main sign has looked pretty shabby to me, when I pass during the day (but it doesn't look bad in your photo.)
    A lot of neon signs are best not viewed in daylight-- like that song, "Thank the Lord for the nightime; Forget the day..."

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    1. It still looks pretty shabby, actually but I like it better than the interior of the joint.

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  5. oh what a cute sign! i like anything with my name on it, because i don't see it very often!
    i feel the same way about valet! or if someone asks you for a ride! i also like to turn to radio to something cool or smart sounding so they don't turn it on and know i've been listening to the easy listening station.

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    1. Hahahahaha....it is always the same for me; I forget that not everybody appreciates candy wrappers and Doris Day music as much as I do!!!!

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  6. Thanks for the heads up. I'll be staying down the road from the Dal Rae, in November & it was on my list of "must-dos". It has now been replaced by the Steak 'n Stein. I'm still on the fence about a return visit to The Golden Steer, while I'm in Vegas. It's all about the wallet!

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    1. I'm glad I could help with the itinerary; I would definitely recommend Steak 'n Stein over Dal Rae...but mostly for the atmosphere and water feature and cheese bread!!!

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    2. The Dal Rae when decorated for Christmas is a must see. At least stop in and have a drink so you can see how decorating used to be done, and then head out for your meal. You won't be sorry!

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  7. Ha Ha Ha Ha .... funny! I could just see the valet guy crawling out the passenger window, doing a handstand to get out!!! Thanks for the laugh!
    Oh, and be sure to take a zillion pictures of EVERYTHING in Spain, including each and every outfit Mary wears!!!

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    1. I'll do my best to document our journey. I must say that I'm a little bit sad that you don't want pictures of me in my outfits too. Hahahahahaha!!!!

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  8. I'm imagining the maitre d' saying to a customer sans jacket "I'm sorry sir, this is a four fleur-de-lis restuarant...I'm going to have to ask you to put this on if you plan on dining with us," as he hands him a Perry Como esque, soft plaid sportscoat circa 1955. Thaaaaat's better.

    I laughed at your valet comments...LORD DO I SYMPATHIZE. "Now, you're gonna want to click the remote key lock thing because the driver's side door lock does *not* work. Also, you have to click it twice to lock all four doors. Also, please do not tramples the scattering of tourist pamphlets and Judy Garland cds in and around the floorboard. Also, do not judge me for the perma-smell of Sonic emanating from the interior." SIGH.

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    1. Yeah, star ratings are so over; I'm going to start rating everything on the fleur de lis system! One of these days I'm going to pull up to a five fleur de lis establishment in something really fancy with all the bells and whistles; I'll just have to tell the valet that in order to put the car in park, he has to play a tune on the whistles and bells first!!!

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  9. I adore old commercial signs - and that one is FABULOUS. My husband and I will always stop the car to check out cool signage and architecture from the 50s. I could feel your disappointment with a remodeled interior. Smiled at the reader who wants to time travel to see it when it was a cool, happening spot...

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