L.A. Is My Beat: Hollywood Mother's Day

We spent Mother's Day in Hollywood. We always have breakfast with Mom on Sundays, usually on the Westside. Mom requested a new location for Mother's Day brunch....somewhere NOT on the Westside...somewhere exotic. What's more exotic than Hollywood?

We had a lovely breakfast at 25 Degrees, the diner/bar at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Mom and I had the Ranchero Scramble. Larry ordered French toast. Everything was delicious and beautifully served. We had a nice conversation with some tourists visiting from Australia.

After breakfast we took a walk through the Roosevelt Lobby. This has to be one of the most beautifully restored hotel lobbies in all of Los Angeles. The tile work and painted beams and ceiling are magnificent.

Public Kitchen & Bar at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

We made our way out onto Hollywood Boulevard. What a mob scene! Mom said she felt like she was in Las Vegas. There were tons of tourists snapping away at the footprints in cement at the Chinese Theater, "actors" wearing character costumes shilling for money and teenagers hanging around.

We crossed the street to the Hollywood and Highland complex. Mom had never been there. I must say, it is impressive, riding up the escalator to the second level balcony, overlooking Hollywood. The centerpiece of the complex is a massive three-story courtyard inspired by the Babylon scene from the D.W. Griffith film, "Intolerance." The developer of the shopping center built part of the archway and two pillars with elephant sculptures on the capitals, just as seen in the film, to the same full scale. It gives visitors an idea of how large the original set must have been. There are the usual tourist shops and restaurant chains located inside.

Hollywood and Highland Shopping Complex

My favorite shop in this shopping complex is Beard Papa's Sweet Cafe. Another first for Mom. We were still full from breakfast, but we managed to split 2 delicious cream puffs (chocolate and vanilla).