Bowl-O-Rama: Covina Bowl

I guess when you're hanging out at a bowling alley wearing overalls, you just can't help but be a weirdo magnet.  Why can't I just sneak around the bowling alley taking photos of light fixtures and terrazzo flooring without being solicited into beating up a group of thirteen-year-old boys by a 28-year-old man playing shoot 'em up video games who is admittedly the father to no less than fourteen children of his own but has nothing better to do than play video games and threaten minors in the middle of a weekday?  To echo my sentiment from an earlier post, I sure am grateful for the neat places that are still here.

The other day we took a short drive to a veritable temple of the bowling arts, Covina Bowl in Covina, CA.  

What an entrance!!

Built more than thirty years too late to cash in on the Tut-mania of the 1920's, this bowling alley is inexplicably, if only very superficially, Egyptian themed.  The roofline speaks much more to mid-Century tiki architecture and the references to ancient Alexandria are scarce.  Whatever the thinking behind architect George Powers' 1955 masterpiece, we didn't even make it inside before we fell in love! 

In various states of repair, the signs were beautiful in their simplicity!

A taste of Egypt on an exterior wall

Once inside, our options for discovery were plentiful,
 but who would want to get bored in a board room,
when one could just as easily play urban Indiana Jones and
explore the wonders of the Egyptian and Pyramid Rooms!!! 

The Egyptian Room was definitely my favorite area of Covina Bowl.  Completely trapped in time, it is the coffee shop that must have served thousands of ravenous bowlers over the years.  Although it is completely outfitted to operate as a functional coffee shop/cafe, it now sits empty just begging for a wonderful entrepreneurial restaurateur to come along and fill the seats.  Given the means, I would love to run a wacky tacky eatery in the space; it just needs a little bit of love before it could be the coolest place to grub in Covina!

Mary sits at the counter where the stainless steel display cases are longing for pies, cakes, and Jell-O.
Behind the window, there is a huge commercial kitchen.  All of the facilities/utilities are in place and seem to be in good shape;  I guess there must be a reason why the Egyptian Room is is non-operational, but I can't think of a good one!

A detail of the stained, textured glass wall behind a booth in
the Egyptian Room. 

We poked our heads into the Pyramid Room and found
 a rather spiritless banquet room that was being
 prepared for a quinceanera  later that evening.
Instead of a bunch of tables covered in white table cloths,
here is a photo of Mary, walking like an Egyptian.

As ever, I find delight in terrazzo floors and light fixtures and Covina Bowl did not disappoint!  The building is enormous and it must have taken a whole quarry full of marble chips to make the miles of flooring.

I wonder how many other bloggers include pictures of the floor wherever they go?
The floor was much more green than this photo could capture.

I love light fixtures!  

I was particularly fond of the pendant lamps with stripes of coral, lavender and blue.

We couldn't leave without visiting the arcade (the site of the near brawl between man and children).  Any time I have the opportunity to trade my hard-earned money for tokens with the slight chance that those tokens might translate into paper tickets that I can then swap for plastic prizes that I could have simply purchased for mere pennies on the dollar, I'M IN!!!

We stayed as far away from the "Flamin Finger" as we possibly could.
It seems like no amount of antibiotics could cure flamin' finger.

I'm much more of a speed demon!
I am game challenged and in too much of a hurry to read
the rules.  Even after reviewing them in the photo, it occurs
me that, "1. Get a Speed Demon Here" and "2. To play here,"
weren't quite explicit enough for me.  Huh??? 

Nevertheless, I was triumphant!!!

We actually won enough tickets for only one of these rings, but having
clearly gained the favor of the ancient bowling gods, the machine that
 dispensed arcade prizes gave us each one!  Jealous?

Sometimes you don't realize how similar you are to a bowling pin until the side-by-side comparison.

All that separates us is a crown and some bowling shoes.

Oh yeah, did we mention that they offer bowling at Covina Bowl?
50 lanes of gleaming hardwood!

Covina Bowl is a definite feather in the cap of Southern California bowling alleys.  Maybe next time we visit, we'll actually bowl a few frames!

After all, the first step in that best seller "Bowl To Stay Slim," is BOWL!

Covina Bowl
1060 W San Bernardino Rd
Covina, CA
(626)339-1286

www.bowlbrunswick.com


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Chow Time: Chips

Have you ever seen that documentary special called "Things That Aren't here Anymore?"  It was a two-parter ("More Things That Aren't Here Anymore" was the sequel) that may have just been played on Southern California PBS stations because it is mostly about Los Angeles.  It is the thrilling and depressing documentation, as delivered by Ralph Story, of some truly amazing landmarks of early-to-mid 20th Century California - thrilling because the footage and images of these spectacular places make one's heart sing, depressing because the title is no joke, these things aren't here anymore.  It is a despicable tease and although it comes on pretty regularly, I have a hard time watching it because I get really bummed out knowing that I'll never be able to visit these "things."

Ralph Story (August 19, 1920 - September 26, 2006)
Unfortunately, he too joined the ranks of
"Things That Aren't Here Anymore."

The first time I saw the program (and after every subsequent viewing), my first thought was to be horribly disappointed and start preaching the gospel of "They just don't make them like they used to" and "There is nothing cool left in this world" and "Why don't I have a time machine?"  Then I consider how many places I have the privilege of knowing, that bring me tons of joy, and I realize how grateful I should be for all of the things that are STILL HERE (and for the polio vaccine)!

The fact is that there are still all kinds of amazing hot spots around town that are just waiting to be appreciated; one of these places is Chips Restaurant in Hawthorne, CA.  My photos do not quite do the googie architecture justice, but believe me the details are there.

It is impossible to capture in one photo all of the angles
that define the slanting, serpentine roof line.

Chips has all the hallmarks of my favorite eateries - terrazzo
flooring, cantilevered barstools, counter service, great service,
and good food.

 

Sure the decorations, pretty much limited to a few vintage clock radios, may be a little lackluster, but I don't go into an authentic 50's cafe looking for Elvis and Marilyn Monroe.  I appreciate the subtlety of the decor and more importantly, the ability to see the original finishings.

Like the cabinetry behind the counter with the recessed hardware...

And the old-timey cash register

That isn't to say that there aren't a few photos of James Dean and the gang
and some hot rods.  But even those pictures have faded with time and hardly
detract from the original beauty of the restaurant.

There are booths and counter seating on the interior of the cafe.
 The spacious patio is the ideal setting for a wacky tacky weekend meet-up.
What do you think? 

A view of the Chips uniform and those tiny cereal boxes
that always seemed like such a treat when I was little.
Until I remembered, of course, that my capacity for cereal
is far greater than could ever be contained inside one
of those tiny, little boxes!

Beyond single-serving cereals, the menu offerings are pretty standard diner fare. The execution of the dishes, however, is pretty darn tasty!  They even had my vegetarian brother excited to go because there were a few veggie options.  We say we're trying to stick to our "healthier habits" plan, but sometimes one needs a little reward after a hard week!

Mary got the Baja Burger - chiles, cheese, bacon, and grilled onions.

I only ate a couple of the onion rings and tried to convince myself
that a turkey salad sandwich was the healthy option.
 Gimme a break, I'm workin' on it!

You might remember our visit to Pann's.  Pann's is sort of Chips' slightly-younger, more glamorous sister.  Its chrome is a little more polished.  Its colors a little more vivid.  Its pace a little more energetic. Roughly five short miles away, and maybe just slightly more plain, Chips has been serving delicious diner delicacies since 1957 and somehow it feels a bit more intimate and a bit more like a neighborhood hang out.  If you live in, or are traveling through, the greater Los Angeles area, we highly recommend that you check out both Pann's AND Chips so you can do your own thoughtful comparison.  We're pretty sure that you'll fall in love with both - and perhaps have to get a seatbelt extender!!!  With continued support, we can keep these beautiful places from going the way of things that aren't here anymore!

Chips

11908 Hawthorne Blvd

Hawthorne, CA

(310)679-2947

Open 6am-8pm, 7 days a week

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Chow Time: Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria

Usually, I am loathe to include anything too personal in this blog.  I much prefer adhering to the cardinal commandment of wacky tacky - "Thou shalt not take thine own self too seriously."  There is, however, no escaping the fact that I am currently laid up!  Suffering from the symptoms of an indeterminate ailment,  I should have had plenty of time to blog but my bleary-eyed, semi-conscious waking hours have been filled with prescriptions, appointments and streaming Netflix.  As I lay in what will surely become my death bed, I feel fortunate to have both the strength to type and a small backlog of material about which I can post.  The doctors say that over-dramatization is a probably the most prominent symptom of my illness - whatever that means. 

This is the forest primeval!  Walking through the front door of Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles, one is immediately transported into a Depression-era dreamer's vision of the great outdoors.  It might not be what Longfellow was scribbling about, but it is pretty great by wacky tacky standards!

Clifton's Brookdale

The history of Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria goes back to 1935 and is best described by the Clifton's website:

"In 1935 Clifford Clinton purchased the lease of the former Boos Brothers Cafeteria and began to transform the dowdy interior into an imaginary wonderland rivaled only by his other cafeteria, the legendary Clifton's Pacific Seas.

As a youth, Clifford spent his summers in the Santa Cruz mountains among the coastal redwoods, not far from the famous Brookdale Lodge.  This mountain feeling was the theme Clifford wanted for his new location.  Working with rock sculptor Francois Scotti, Clifford created a 20 ft. waterfall cascading into a quiet stream that meanders through a dining room.  Redwood trees were used to conceal steel columns and a renowned L.A. muralist, Elinar Petersen, created a life size forest on canvas covering one wall.  A Little Chapel perched high amongst the crags fulfilled Clifford's desire to feed the soul as well as the body of depression weary Angelinos."

The Clinton family's recent sale of Clifton's had foodies, history nerds, downtown enthusiasts and regular customers alike a little more than worried about the fate of the grand institution.  After a recent visit I found that in fact there is very little about which to worry.

The deco-style, terrazzo entry is the same.

The signs are the same.

The food is largely the same.
(Source)

In something as simple as the trays, the noticeable changes might even be seen as improvements.

It may seem like niggling, but the one devastating change is the new computerized registers.  In days of yore the women at the check out knew every price and product by heart and rang each guest on vintage, push-button cash registers with lightning speed and the accuracy of Swiss watchmakers.  The new system may benefit Clifton's bookkeeping but it sure slows down the line and takes away some of the fun!

The old tray
(Source)

The new tray

Mary puts the new tray to good use

Normally - and to everyone's great surprise - I am not a buffet/cafeteria type of guy.  Call me self-conscious, but as one of larger proportion, I just don't feel quite comfortable shuffling along, testing the tensile strength of my heavy-laden tray.  I like to sit down, order and have a genial person set my food before me.  If there is one giant exception to this rule, it is Clifton's.  Cafeteria food has a rather-dicey reputation and in most cases this reputation is justified; Clifton's notices range from sublime to mediocre to scathing.  However, I must say that every time I have eaten there, I have found the food quite good and I left feeling fat and sassy.  Although, it must be said, I came in feeling pretty fat and sassy.

It's not what it looks like...okay, it's exactly what it looks like!
Mmmmmm, Clifton's meatloaf is good!

Because Clifton's is the type of landmark with which people feel such a personal connection, theories and rumors about the "changes" abound - especially about the Clifton's third floor which until recently looked like a mix between Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Saloon and a small-town museum.  The most persistent of these rumors is that the third floor is being remade into a Polynesian paradise reminiscent of the long-since-closed Clifton's Pacific Seas Cafeteria.  On our most recent visit, the third floor was still shrouded in both drop cloths and mystery.

The famed third floor
(Source)

Views of Clifton's Pacific Seas

Happily, the remainder of the cafeteria appears to have weathered the change in ownership unscathed.

The amazing, cow hide, hearthside chair still
beckons guest to take a load off and set for a spell.

Bears are still fishing

A postcard view of the chapel and the main dining room
(Source)

The Chapel is still chapel-ing
We should have taken video of the spiritual message delivered
at the push of a button inside the chapel but perhaps that is
just the incentive one needs to get to Clifton's Brookdale!

An additional dining nook still carries the theme

"By a waterfall, I'm calling you..."
The water is still falling.

The country cabin still welcomes visitors.

 And taxidermy, always taxidermy!

Again we must bastardize paraphrase the great poet Longfellow:

"...List to a Tale of Love in (Brookdale), home of the happy."

As luck would have it, there is a fitting Disney cartoon for every occasion.

"Morris the Midget Moose" (1950)

Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria
648 South Broadway
Los Angeles, CA
(213)627-1673

Hours of Operation:

Tuesday - Sunday: 6:30am - 10:00pm
(Please verify hours before making your way downtown and paying to park.  Due to the renovation, the hours may vary.)

cliftonscafeteria.com


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny