The sign to The Warehouse, made of wide pylons, the text is in a stencil style, and yellow reading "The World Famous Warehouse Restaurant Since 1969 Lunch Dinner Cocktails Weekend Brunch Great Entertainment"

Marina Del Rey’s World Famous Warehouse Restaurant

August 31, 2018, 1 Comment

Situated right on the shore of Marina Del Rey looking out upon the variety of boats moored on the water, is the Warehouse Restaurant. This weatherbeaten warehouse looks like it has stood on the beach since at least the 1920s, but turns out, it was built to look like that…in the 1960s. In 1969 former…

The building - two tall golden arches flank a slanted flat roof, and red and white tile wrap around the bottom. Walls of glass allow guests to walk up to the window and place their orders. The Speedee sign to the left.

The World’s Oldest McDonald’s

August 22, 2018, 7 Comments

Right here in Southern California, in the LA suburb of Downey (a place my father lived during part of his childhood), is the world’s oldest operating McDonald’s. It’s a unique claim to fame, and one some may pay no attention to, but, like it or not, fast food is an invention of America, and thus,…

The building, with its white low pitch roof, peeked in the middle, walls of glass, and flagstone at either end.

Mel’s Resurrects a Googie Masterpiece in Santa Monica

August 7, 2018, 4 Comments

Imagine traveling Route 66 in 1959, perhaps in a brand new stunning Chevy Impala. After days on the road you finally roll up to the intersection of Lincoln and Olympic (the true end of the Mother Road) in the beach city of Santa Monica, and you are greeted by a dapper looking penguin in a…

Canter's sign outside, black with yellow letters reading "Canter's" smaller letters read "restaurant, bakery, delicatessen"

Rock ‘n Roll’s Favorite Jewish Deli

July 18, 2018, 3 Comments

Canter’s Deli is borderline synonymous with Hollywood, but it is just as well loved by rock ‘n rollers as it is movie stars, and it was the late night place for the bands of the 1960s, and it’s said to be the only Jewish deli on the west coast to rival one of the east…

Me sitting at one of the gorgeous turquoise and white booths.

Grand Re-Opening of George’s 50s Diner in Long Beach

June 25, 2018, 1 Comment

On December 16, 2016, one of Long Beach’s historic landmarks was in trouble. A fire tore through George’s 50s Diner, leaving the interior of this Googie masterpiece completely gutted. Miraculously the exterior was virtually untouched. But it was still a long road to rebuild, and a year and a half later, this icon is open…

The Packing House, a mission revival styling building with cream colored stucco and orange color domes. A large orange with "Sunkist" across it pops just slightly from the middle above the door.

The Food Hall Hiding Inside Anaheim’s Former Citrus Packing House

June 8, 2018, 9 Comments

Orange County. There is a reason it’s called that. It’s well known that the area that is now the Disneyland Resort was once orange groves, and well, that is what most of Anaheim was like. In the late 1800s and through the early part of the 20th century citrus was king here. And where did…

Linbrook Bowl's sign, with "Bowl" spelled out on the left, and a large bowling pin reading that they offer 40 lanes.

Linbrook Bowl: Anaheim’s Neon Gem

May 19, 2018, 2 Comments

I won’t lie, I have a soft spot for bowling. I mean, who doesn’t love throwing a ball to try to knock over things? Anyway, I have been meaning to check out Linbrook Bowl, Orange County’s oldest bowling alley (according to the OC Register) for sometime, and earlier this week we finally made it with…

Original Pancake House sign, red, white and blue, with a cartoon version of a chef flipping pancakes.

The Original Pancake House Anaheim

May 14, 2018, 4 Comments

Not too far from our house is The Original Pancake House, which is not only an institution here in Anaheim, but a Portland one as well. Funny how that works, isn’t it? What makes the Anaheim one so special is that it has been serving up locals and tourists alike since 1958, and still features…

Fair Oaks Pharmacy neon sign, done in green, red, and white.

Sip Forgotten Soda Fountain Concoctions at Fair Oaks Pharmacy

May 2, 2018, 5 Comments

One of the new things to this version of Atomic Redhead is the addition of “Sleep & Eat” a section dedicated to the hotels and restaurants we visit. It should be noted that I am by no means a foodie, so these posts are not so much reviews, as they are going to be along…

Shields Date Garden

March 12, 2018, 5 Comments

Shields Date Garden has been on my radar for sometime, but there was always something else I wanted to do in and around Palm Springs more every time I was there! But this time I was hellbent on going and getting my hands on a famous date shake! Okay, so first, what is Shields Date…