Seen in Town: Another New Restaurant in Highland Park?

David Fonseca (Editor) November 20, 2012 at 10:30 pm

Nothing yet, Milla. Got $8k a month?
http://highlandpark-ca.patch.com/articles/11-months-later-verdugo-pet-shop-property-still-on-market

Albert Mason November 20, 2012 at 11:51 pm

Great, more traffic on Figueroa. We don't have enough with the train crossing that takes forever. There's no place to park. i hope they can keep Monte Vista clear of restaurants it's the only artery that sill moves in HP

sweatywest November 21, 2012 at 01:25 am

That's the spirit!

Gil November 21, 2012 at 01:48 am

Thanks great picture.

ChickenBoyFan November 21, 2012 at 12:43 pm

It's really sweet that the next generation of native Highland Parkers will not experience the decades long erosion of this little piece of heaven, but instead will have ongoing beautification,restoration, and preservation as the theme. With all of these things having a greater impact on economic development, we will have the benefit of our electeds wanting to take pride in their district. Safety,and services (for homeless issues, or a Boys and Girls club for instance) will have more importance for them because it means more money coming into the district. See how that works? Reyes is out. Good cluckin' riddance. HLP will no longer be a town on life support. We are coming out of our coma of the last decades, and we have a lot of catching up to do.
Okay.... back onto the subject. I hope it's a noodle shop if it can't be an old fashioned diner. Pho, on Sunset and Silverlake is a prime example of superb cheap chow. A bowl of hot steaming noodles gets me all wiggly.

ChickenBoyFan November 21, 2012 at 12:55 pm

BTW, Thank you Charles Miller for passing along the history and the pictures. We have some prime examples of historians in our midst. We are lucky.

The MOG November 21, 2012 at 01:10 pm

Chicken Boy Fan, 1st of all, it's H.P., if you want to shorten it. Not HLP... 2nd, if you want to live in Silverlake, or West Hollywierd, Echo Park, etc., for the love of God puhleez go live there. Thanks for articulating the Newbie Perspective on our Community, though. FYI, the "decades long erosion" as you put it, was not unique to H.P. If you care to know, that erosion was ushered in City wide, with the advent of The Bradley Administration, that culminated in the worse riot in US History. 3rd, FYI, H.P. fared far better than other parts of the City. We don't need you, or your kind, to show us the way, out of your sense of noblesse oblige. 4th, it is very insulting for a Newbie to come into Town, call it Heaven, "if only." What is your attitude? "Oh lovely place you "Highland Parkers" have! But OMG, what have you done with the place? Not to worry. Wait until you see what the new owners can do with the mess you've all made. Oh thank God the "next generation" won't have to live that way!" 5th, then, to compound your social idiocy, you extoll the virtures of Mr. Reyes' Right Hand Man. Learn your local political history, BEFORE you shoot your mouth off like some kind of local expert. FYI, we've been down the Hernandez, Reyes, Gardea, style of representation. The proud people of Highland Park yearn for a change! First order of business? Eliminate Factual Basis votes, from polluting our electorate!

The MOG November 21, 2012 at 01:17 pm

CBF wrote, "We are coming out of our coma of the last decades, and we have a lot of catching up to do." What do you mean, "We?"... Don't assume just because you've been hybernating for the "past decades" everyone else has! As far as your last sentence? LOL That's what we call around these parts, "A Personal Problem!" LOL Yeah, this dude really knows Highland Park! He wants to introduce Ramen Noodles! LOL Just like Pho, on Sunset & Silverlake! LOL It makes him wiggly! LOL How sweet LOL LOL!!!!

ChickenBoyFan November 21, 2012 at 01:46 pm

@MuckrakkerOfGoodpeople
Quit it. Have a thankful Thanksgiving. GDBlss

The MOG November 21, 2012 at 01:52 pm

You do the same, on all counts!
You have a lot too offer, and your heart is in the right place... Did you see MILK? Harvey had to learn these lessons too... You don't just waltz into a place, with the intent to change it, and begin by insulting the locals. That AINT cool! Best to you, and yours!

ChickenBoyFan November 21, 2012 at 02:04 pm

@ You KnowWho
I'm not apologizing,so please do not interpret my wishes for you to have a blessed and thankful day as mea culpa. I stand by my op cluck

The MOG November 21, 2012 at 02:23 pm

& Dude, please. I'm sorry I offended you, but you must be fair, and be willing to admit that some locals might be ligitimately insulted by a few of yr op? I grant you your opinion, I respect your op, & I'm still irked by not a few of them. We obviously are from 2 different worlds. I'm from here and can't wait to leave, you came from ? & claim to want to set roots... You & Your Partner. I must admit, this new wave of newbies have stayed longer & harder than any of the ones who've blown through this one-horse town in the past. I want to live differently, however. I want to be able to keep more of what I earn. I want a smaller, faster, more efficent Government. Doing with a compter lap top, what now takes an entire building of government workers to perform.I want a Government that doesn't stick it's nose into my bedroom, and stays out of my life, unless somebodies getting murdered. I want Peace and Prosperty,based on the New Technologies which have been neglected for 30 years, Solar, Wind, Geo-Thermal. Here in NELA, we sit on what early settlers thought must have been an underground "sea of water." This was cattle land, and sheep herding land. There was once a big natural spring, right at The Flag Pole. I want the people of Highland Park to have the option of "Going Off The Grid." CBF, do we disagree on any of those things?
As far as noodles? GET OFF IT! I'd like to see a Q-High, the truth be told. They have one in PHX. One'nTen runs it. To provide a "safe" "accepting" inv.etc

din November 21, 2012 at 03:47 pm

I worked in that corner of Fig back in 1999 and have never seen good times come to that property. The only advise I can give to those people is given the parking situation and location it needs to be something strong or it wont last. There are plenty of restaurants around the city were everything from the parking to the size of the establishment is terrible but due to the quality of there food people still come in droves. It just has to be something that trumps it's location.

David Bloom November 21, 2012 at 05:47 pm

There is a reason why it has remained closed for all these years. The place is infested with rats from the hillside it sits on. It just takes a new prosepective tenant a few minutes to figure that out. Al the best of luck to the owner but it needs to be guttet out and put back together from almost scratch.

Albert Mason November 22, 2012 at 04:30 am

I'm with The MOG, I moved here in '84 and have seen them come and go. Never seen such a bunch like the ones moving in right now though. Trying to make us all look like fools and "educate" us. Cause we're so "backward" and they're so "enlightened". Having a computer and online access doesn't make you smarter it only makes you more arrogant and annoying..Can't wait till they crawl back into the woodwork. Just head west...

sweatywest November 22, 2012 at 05:26 am

Can we all at least agree that if someone makes a go of it, and opens a quality business that we'll try to support it as a community? Regardless if we've lived here for 3 or 30 years? Or does someone want to make the argument that we're all better off with more abandoned buildings? Good grief.

Charles Miller November 22, 2012 at 12:55 pm

For back story, in one of those bursts of openings in the early 2000s (I have lived here as early as '87) I ran into the owner of the property who was a very long time resident and was in his late 80's at the time. As owner of the property, he had many offers to open this as a restaurant, but turned nearly all of them down as he wanted that had experience running a restaurant (I did not) and to see a hamburger restaurant return as he had been a customer of the original restaurant. That is why he changed the sign from Smokin' Bones to Famous Spot to try and attract the kind of buyer who would recognize its historical significance. He was the one that fisrt told me that Bob Weir had worked for the restaurant before opening Bob's Big Boy and that Carl Karcher used to deliver buns from a L.A. bakery opening his BBQ and hotdog stand in Anaheim (Carl's Jr.) and the original McDonald brother's came here before opening their first restaurant on Huntington Drive in Monrovia (before openung their first actual McDonald's in San Bernandino) He was pretty adamant about having the right owner come in so held tight to the property until someone promised to honor its history. Why is it getting attention now? It could be he has passed away and his family or a new owner is more open to other types of food choices.

ChickenBoyFan November 22, 2012 at 02:07 pm

Sorry, but every time some blighted area in the city, or abandoned building, becomes viable again, ol'ChickenBoyFan rejoices, and my joy is not only confined to Historic Highland Park. But,the truth about HHLP is that, there is a world of difference in the 2 council districts. Huizar has been very engaged in the renewal of N.HHLP. I haven't heard one complaint about the changes on York Blvd from long time property owners whom have watched their property values rise as a result of his efforts. CD1 has a lot of projects that they are starting to work on, all supported by Gardea. That corner has no where to go but up. Hell, if the diner goes belly up, we'll just put in another community garden in that spot. So, hang in there MG, and stop fighting happiness. When positive changes happen in the hood, all people benefit. So let's be one big happy Historic Highland Park Thanksgiving table of flan, apple pie, green tea ice cream, and baklava. We're delicious

nonoise November 22, 2012 at 02:14 pm

Gardea has done nothing in 12 years in CD1 working for do nothing Reyes. Now he wants to change things? Where has be been?

The MOG November 22, 2012 at 02:27 pm

CBF, N.HHLP? For God's sake Give It Up! You're in Highland Park, already! H.P., if you want to shorten it, but N.HHLP? The communities of NELA, were once united from Sereno to Eagle Rock! That's what the main problema is, CBF! The other problemo are the Newbies who would like to pit "North" vs "South." We are ONE. Let's eliminate "Factual Based Votes" from OUR neighborhood elections. That's Step #1.

The MOG November 22, 2012 at 03:23 pm

Stick a fork in me, CBF! 'cause I'm done! I'm done yelping everytime you hank my chain with your deliberately provocative posts. Understand? I'm not going to respond to them anymore. I've made my point anyway...but why do we need another resturant/diner? Why not a Community Center/Non-Profit? I'd like to see a place where immigrants could go to get help understanding voter info.,learn English,& Apply For Citizenship. Not just that though. The Center could be Multi-Purpose. There could be a Q-High, like I suggested(classes are Virtual Academy.Over The Net), & a Center For Business Mentorship For Youth. It could easily support a Job Co-Operative, connecting employers with workers. I'd much rather see something serving all the youth(far out number noodle slurping hipsters anyway.)

nonoise November 22, 2012 at 03:38 pm

ChickenBoy, the only projects being done in CD1 are the projects!! Section 8. That's it. Oh, and condo developments. Developers are funding Jose Gardea's campaign. They not funding candidate Jesse Rosas campaign. He will do what is right for the community and not developers.
Jose worked for do nothing Reyes for 12 years and did nothing to improve our community. Vote for someone that will do the job, Jesse Rosas.

nonoise November 22, 2012 at 03:41 pm

Reyes wasted money on a million dollar water fountain when the community needed a community center. Cypress Park still has no community center unless you count the small fire station they still use. Where was Jose Gardea?

Jason November 22, 2012 at 04:43 pm

Why do so many posts on this site devolve into petty name-calling and/or political discussions? The original blog by David was to talk about the possibility of a new restaurant opening in our neighborhood. Let's focus on the positives and the opportunities that can bring.
Have a happy Thanksgiving.

nonoise November 22, 2012 at 05:21 pm

Jason, the discussion on political issues is because improvements and opening businesses can only happen when government is "business friendly". And, our city council is not friendly to businesses when they have to jump through a million hoops to open a business and get taxed like crazy and too many permits and too many rules to deal with. And, that is not mentioning the parking meters that customers have to be to go to any business.
The complicated process of opening a business has been done by city councilmembers Ed Reyes, Garcetti and Jan Perry (running for mayor) and Jose (running for CD1) and Gil Cedillo (running for CD1). I can not understand anyone would vote for these people when they are not "business friendly" and do nothing to improve our communities. The point is vote for people that will bring positives and opportunities and make our district "business friendly". Our community has no job opportunities. Those do nothing's should not be allowed another vote. They have not brought our community any jobs. Vote for job creation and opportunities, not for do nothing re-runs.

Albert Mason November 22, 2012 at 10:51 pm

I agree nonoise. And we need term limits on EVERYBODY not just on the President. All those fossils in Sacramento are laughing at all of us. I don't understand why people keep voting without thinking things through. Seems like no one reads their voter ballot.

The MOG November 23, 2012 at 01:36 am

change the channel

Bob Bailey November 27, 2012 at 02:45 pm

If your talking about Art his problem is he wanted 51% of the business and he wanted control of the menu. If you were regular you will that first page of the menu was the same for everyone that tried to run a restaurant there.

Bob Bailey November 27, 2012 at 02:49 pm

One thing HLP is a gang tag from the 70's and 80's from the Highland Park boys.
It's H.P. one other thing it's Northeast Not North East!

Amy Duddleston January 11, 2013 at 03:11 pm

Yeah, something like The Toasted Bun in Glendale!