Canlis, Seattle, Washington

Posted on April 19, 2013 by The Jab

One of the most beautiful modernist restaurants in the country, Canlis still retains many features from its original late 40s design by architectural firms Wimberly & Cook and
Tucker, Shields & Terry for restaurateur Peter Canlis (who had previously opened the Canlis’ Charcoal Broiler in Waikiki, Hawaii, in 1947). Opened in 1950, Canlis’ Charcoal Broiler (now just Canlis) in Seattle was the ultimate in swank, with a soaring roofline, rock walls, and a porte-cochère, de rigueur in the 1950s for arriving in style in your Cadillac.

postcard by hmdavid on Flickr.com

At one time there was even a small illuminated tiki to greet you as you drove up, and other tikis in the restaurant and on the grounds.

image by Dustycajun on Tiki Central (tikiroom.com)

In the 1950s Canlis featured an open kitchen, charcoal broiled steaks, mahi-mahi flown in from Hawaii, and fresh local oysters served by Kimono-wearing Japanese waitresses in a dining room filled with rock walls, an open beamed ceiling and massive plate-glass windows overlooking Lake Union.

image by Dustycajun on Tiki Central (tikiroom.com)

In the late 1990s I visited Canlis. Although I was impressed by the building, the contemporary decor from a 1996 remodel didn’t go well with the modern design of the building. We were on a budget which didn’t allow for dining there (it was perhaps the most expensive restaurant in Seattle), so we just had a cocktail in the lounge and vowed to return another time for dinner. Alas, it was before digital cameras so I don’t have pictures. The good news is that a few years later they remodeled again and the redesign is much more appropriate for the space. The decor is simple, highlighting the incredible rock walls, wooden beams, and expansive windows. They honor the amazing building by showcasing a vintage photo and a recent one on the restaurant’s web site. It’s still owned by the Canlis family, who seem to really care about their history, food, service, and customers. Reports are that the food (Pacific Northwest cuisine) is better than ever, though still very expensive, so save your money for a special night out “old style” when you are visiting Seattle. Oh, be warned: there is a dress code. Gents, wear a jacket (but why not wear a suit and tie?); ladies, wear a dress. Personally, I love that they still have a dress code.

Entrance, image by Canlis.com

Canlis
2576 Aurora Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 283-3313
Open for dinner only, Mon – Fri, 5:30pm – close, Sat 5:00pm – close, closed Sundays

The Sycamore Inn, Route 66, Rancho Cucamonga, California

Posted on April 11, 2013 by The Jab

Part two of a two-part journey along a small part of Route 66 in San Bernardino County, California.

Last week we visited the Magic Lamp Inn along a short but still relatively intact section of U.S. Highway 66 in San Bernardino County. As we continue down the road heading east from the neon genie’s lamp with flame coming out of the spout we pass an outlet of Vince’s Spaghetti, which opened in 1984. The original location of Vince’s in Ontario dates back to 1945 and is still owned by the original Cuccia family, making it a must for the time travel explorer!

A bit farther down the road as we approach the intersection with San Bernardino Road the spectacular neon sign of the Sycamore Inn comes into view.

The Sycamore Inn stands on a historic site that was an oasis of trees next to a creek on the old Santa Fe Trail. In 1848 an inn and tavern was built on the site called the Mountain Inn (hence “since 1848” is on the Sycamore Inn’s sign). Eventually it was destroyed by fire and in 1920 a new building was built among the sycamore trees with a dining room and bar on the first floor and hotel rooms upstairs. This is the same building that is the Sycamore Inn today. The building looks like an old chalet from the Alps, with a large porch in the front and a veranda on the second floor. In 1939 it was renamed the Sycamore Inn as a restaurant only, and its use as a hotel was discontinued. In the heyday of Route 66 the Inn was a popular stop by people traveling to Palm Springs and Las Vegas, including many Hollywood celebrities.

Image by The Sycamore Inn

On the inside is a large bar and lounge with deep red banquettes, an old stone fireplace, and a semi-circle bar in deep red vinyl.

Image by The Sycamore Inn

The main dining room is large with walls of wood and wallpaper, wooden beams on the ceiling, and tables with club chairs in the same deep red as the upholstery in the bar.

Image by The Sycamore Inn

The menu is strong on beef, with eight varieties of aged Prime steak plus prime rib. They have an extensive list of wines by the glass and the bottle, and table side soufflé offered for dessert. The prices are pretty high, along the lines of higher end ala carte steakhouses, but they have happy hour every night until 8PM featuring inexpensive dinners available in the lounge and on the veranda as well as half-priced wines-by-the-glass, cocktails, and appetizers in the bar.

The Sycamore Inn
8318 Foothill Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
Telephone: 909.982.1104
Email: finedining@citivu.com, info@thesycamoreinn.com
Open Mon-Th 5:00pm – 9:00pm, Fri & Sat 5:00pm – 10:00pm, Sun 4:00pm – 8:30pm, happy hour nightly until 8pm

Magic Lamp Inn, Route 66, Rancho Cucamonga, California – CLOSED

Posted on April 5, 2013 by The Jab

Part one of a two-part journey along a small part of Route 66 in San Bernardino County, California.

I’ve driven most of what’s left of Route 66 in California and the stretch through the ‘Inland Empire’ of San Bernardino County is one of the most boring stretches, with mile after mile of chain stores and restaurants, ugly shopping centers, and suburban tract homes. But there is a short segment on Foothill Blvd in Rancho Cucamonga that is well worth a drive for a good meal, especially after dark.

This daytime shot I took in 2008 gives you a bit of an idea how this stretch of road looks. On the right (South) side are the Magic Lamp Inn (which is just out of view), followed by historic Vince’s Spaghetti, which opened in Ontario in 1945, then later at this location in 1984 (but the building looks much older). On the left when I took the photo there was an old fruit and vegetable stand, which may be gone now, followed by a low Spanish style building, which is now a sushi restaurant, and then at the intersection with San Bernardino Rd. stands the lovely and historic Sycamore Inn, which deserves a post of its own (to follow later).

But I recommend you drive it at night.

The incredible neon sign still has a flame coming out of its spout!

The Magic Lamp Inn opened in 1955 but the building was a restaurant since the 1940s and retains its rustic charm, with lots of brick and stone, and a unique Spanish tile roof with tiles of different shades of red arranged in a variety of interesting patterns. It really must be seen in person to be appreciated!

entrance to the Magic Lamp Inn

Inside is a large cocktail lounge, then past that there is this wonderful fireplace seating area. Notice the massive cactus outside in front of the window.

The fireplace after dark looking through the front window.

The food is traditional steakhouse fare, featuring USDA Prime beef, and most dinners come with a fabulous relish tray, delicious cheese bread (a specialty of the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire), vegetable, and choice of potato.

Around the bend is a visit to our next stop, the Sycamore Inn.

Magic Lamp Inn
8189 Foothill Blvd Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(909) 981-8659
Open for lunch Tue-Fri 11:30am – 2:30pm
Dinner Tue-Th 4:30pm – 10:00pm, Fri & Sat 5:00pm – 10:30pm, Sun 4:30pm – 9:00pm
Bar open Tue-Fri 11:30am – close, Sat 5:00pm – close, Sun 4:30pm – close
Live music and dancing Wed-Th 7:30pm – 11:00pm, Fri & Sat 8:00pm – 1:00am
And the dreaded karaoke Tuesday and Sunday 6:00pm – close

The Big 4, Huntington Hotel, San Francisco

Posted on March 25, 2013 by The Jab

I used to avoid hotel restaurants. In the past I have found many to be overpriced and not that great. There are exceptions, like here and here and here…and HERE! OK, I’ve been all wrong about hotel restaurants. Many great historic restaurants still exist in hotels and some are well-preserved.

I’ve heard about The Big 4 restaurant in the Huntington Hotel for years, usually described as very expensive and stuffy. It was a regular restaurant on the annual Dine About Town prix fixe menu event in San Francisco. But I never made it there. Well, I finally went because a friend informed me that it is threatened since new owners took over the Huntington.

The Big 4 Restaurant opened in 1967 in the Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill, which started as a luxury apartment building in the 1920s but was converted to a hotel in 1945. The restaurant is named after the Big Four entrepeneurs from Sacramento (Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who started the California Republican party (strongly anti-slavery, they were instrumental in getting Lincoln elected) and later started the Central Pacific Railroad (part of the first transcontinental railroad), which greatly expanded into the Southern Pacific Railroad conglomerate. Eventually the Big Four moved to San Francisco, where the railroad’s headquarters were, many or all of them living in mansions on Nob Hill. Though the Huntington Apartment building probably was named after Collis P. Huntington, he didn’t own it as he died in 1900.

The restaurant is very dark and opulently furnished in dark woods and medium green leather upholstery and is filled with 19th Century antiques and artifacts from early California history, collected by Newton Cope. It was difficult getting good photos in such a dimly lit restaurant, but I didn’t mind as I love dark restaurants. The atmosphere is very cozy, not at all stuffy, and it truly seems like a restaurant that is older than it is.

The bar

The food I would describe as classic American food with gourmet touches, and usually there is a wild game dish on the menu. I had the smoked wild boar chop with corn-cheddar spoon bread and roasted apple. The chop was superb – lightly smokey and pork-like but more tender than most pork chops that I’ve had before. Not at all gamey (if you worry about such things). I had excellent shoestring fries as well.

The service was impeccable – friendly, helpful, and attentive. They have live piano entertainment every night as well. California and railroad history buffs will love this restaurant! I am definitely going to return to the Big 4!

The Big 4
1075 California St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 474-5400
Open for Breakfast: Mon – Fri 7am – 10am, Sat – Sun 7am – 11am
Dinner: 5:30pm – 10pm daily; Bar: 4pm – 12am, daily

Where to get the best corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day (or any day)

Posted on March 15, 2013 by The Jab

Drinking green beer in a phony Irish pub seems to be a popular way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S., but I don’t go for that. Instead I’ll be drinking a Guinness with some Guinness beef stew and capping it off with a dram of Irish whiskey or perhaps a Tom Moore Cocktail (a Manhattan with Irish whiskey).

Corned beef and cabbage is a dish I really love, so I have it year round. Here are a few suggestions of where to enjoy the classic Irish-American dish this Sunday or anytime of the year.

Every Thursday my favorite restaurant in Marin county, Marin Joe’s, serves corned beef and cabbage for lunch as the daily special and it’s a winner. Tender, succulent, and juicy meat, with cabbage that isn’t too soggy, and plenty of food for $14. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are serving it on St. Patrick’s Day as well. It’s not an Irish pub, but I love the original mid-century googie coffee shop-style interior and exterior. I will probably be posting about Marin Joe’s again in the future.

The recently refurbished Tom Bergin’s is the oldest Irish pub in Los Angeles. It started in 1936 on Wilshire Blvd. as “The Old Horseshoe Tavern and Thoroughbred Club” and moved to it’s current location at 840 S.Fairfax Ave. in 1949 and was renamed “Tom Bergin’s Horseshoe Tavern.” I went before the 2012 takeover by the owner of popular Dom’s and Little Dom’s restaurants but from what I’ve read they did not mess with the historic feel of the place. It probably will be packed on St. Paddy’s Day but they serve reportedly good corned beef and cabbage every day.

Photo by The Jab, 2009

In New York City you can’t go wrong if you head to Neary’s in midtown for corned beef and cabbage, served every day since 1967. The decor appears to have not changed much since that time, except for the addition of many photos of celebrities who have dined there.

Neary’s NYC via TripAdvisor.com

Beannachtam na Feile Padraig! (Happy St. Patrick’s Day!)

Marin Joe’s
1585 Casa Buena Drive, Corte Madera, CA
Phone 415.924.2081
Open Sun 4pm-11:30pm, M-Thurs 11am-11:45pm, Fri 11am-12:45am, Sat 5pm-12:45am

Tom Bergin’s
840 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA
Phone (323) 936-7151
Open 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday

Neary’s
358 E 57th St, New York, NY
Phone (212) 751-1434
Open daily 11:30am – 12:00am

Le Continental

dining and drinking with The Jab

Tag Archives: bar

Canlis, Seattle, Washington

The Sycamore Inn, Route 66, Rancho Cucamonga, California

Magic Lamp Inn, Route 66, Rancho Cucamonga, California – CLOSED

The Big 4, Huntington Hotel, San Francisco

Where to get the best corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day (or any day)

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