Remodeling? Hope Not!
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| Casa Escobar, 2500 Wilshire Blvd Santa Monica |
I had lunch with my co-worker, Aileen yesterday. We were walking down Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica and noticed that there were workers surrounding the sign on Casa Escobar. Uh Oh! I hope they're not tearing the place down!!! Not that the Mexican food is any great shakes here. It's average 1960's-Los Angeles-style-orange cheese laden food. Yum. However, the building that houses Casa Escobar is outstanding! It was built by the original owner, Carlos "Choppo" Escobar in 1965. His family still operates the existing restaurant. The interior is dark as a cave, with twinkling lights in the piano bar. There's lava rock on the exterior. Yes, this is a throw-back to another time.
The margaritas are STRONG at Casa Escobar. There's a parking lot!!! I was there for an office lunch about 6 years ago and it was definitely OK. I called the restaurant today and they are OPEN for business. Hopefully, they were just cleaning or lighting the sign when we walked past yesterday.
My ol' high school boy friend, Kelly took me to Casa Escobar on one of our first dates. This must have been in 1969. The restaurant was still relatively new at the time. I thought it was so fancy! Thanks, Kelly for introducing me to this historic Santa Monica spot! I'm still in touch with Kelly through Facebook. Next time you're in L.A., Kell, let's meet up at Casa Escobar with a few of our old classmates for old times sake.
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| Kelly and Ellen, yesterday and a few years ago |
Labels: Architecture, Art, Fashion, Food, Friends, Los Angeles, Vintage Photos
posted by Ellen Bloom @ 12:43 PM
4 Comments:
Hey, Ellen!!
It's Glennis, we met a few years back when you showed me the Garden of Oz.
I was looking into the Casa Escobar because of its great mid-century modern architecture, and when I looked on Googlemaps I was horrified to see that they cut off the west end of the archway! They've mutilated it. I'm trying to find out when and why they did it, but your august 15 2013 post seems to be the most recent photo I can find of it unmutilated. Do you know anymore about it?
Haven't heard a thing, Glennis. I hope the ol' Casa will be OK. I'll drive by this week and take a look.
Ellen B.
Drove by the other day. Thought the image on Google showed the sawed-off beam raw, the restaurant and the beam have now been freshly painted, and they have mounted a flashy looking mask on the stump of the sawed-off beam, making it look almost intentional. I'm dying to stop by for a margarita after work. Maybe I'll do it soon and report back.
What a nostalgic journey through Casa Escobar! I love how this Family Restaurant in Los Angeles holds personal memories while being a piece of Santa Monica history. The 1960s charm, lava rock exterior, and piano bar ambiance make it unique. Strong margaritas and a parking lot? Bonus! Here’s hoping Casa Escobar stays open for more generations to enjoy its vintage vibe!
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