LAist Quiz: SoCal Inventions

This is the first I've heard of the fortune cookie being invented in Los Angeles. At the very least, I don't think it's as definitive as you claim it to be.

See http://sanfrancisco.about.com/cs/daytrips/a/fortunecook.htm for example.

But I can name three very important food related-inventions that undeniably originated in Los Angeles:

1) The Cobb Salad was invented at the Brown Derby in 1937;
2) The French Dip Sandwich was the brainchild of an Angeleno named Philippe; and
3) Lew Wasserman invented the concept of back end (i.e., profit) participation in a motion picture while a bigwig in Los Angeles, forever changing the way movie deals were made and ushering in the age of the entertainment lawyer. Previously, entertainment law wasn't really a specialization. What does this have to do with food, you ask? Well, without back end participation, actors wouldn't eat nearly as well as they do nowadays.

Maven

OK, L.A. trivia buffs. Here you go:

The Mai Tai was invented at Trader Vic's in Beverly Hills

The Green Apple Martini was invented at the Crowne Plaza

The cheeseburger was invented at the Rite Spot Restaurant on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena sometime in the 1920's (actual year varies)

In 1890, Edwin Earl invented the first refrigerated rail car (this was part of booster efforts to encourage east coasters to move west, shipping our lovely fruits and vegetables to the east coast as inducement to recruit new Angelenos)

The Super Soaker power water drencher was invented by L.A. aerospace engineer Lonnie Johnson in 1988

And ...

The Los Angeles Fire Department invented underwgarf fire fighting boats for dealing with pier fires in the L.A. harbors