Go back in time for dinner

Today KPCC featured the man behind the website Los Angeles Time Machines. Despite its archaic design, it's a great resource for restaurants and bars across the southland that are still operating in, basically, their vintage state. Canter's. Clifton's. Casa Bianca. Cicada. If you're familiar with these restaurants — a deli, a cafeteria, a pizza joint, fancy French — you'll notice the cuisine is all over the place. But for this site, whose proprietor is a member of the newly-minted Southern California Restaurant Historical Society, it's all about the decor.

Of course, to be around for 80 years (or less) the food has to be good enough to become classic, like Bob's Big Boy. In some cases, it's truly excellent. And the bars — well, they can probably all mix a drink just fine. For the decor, we suggest checking out The Blue Room in Burbank in person (we can't speak for the jukebox, which was near-disastrous at our last visit). Although it's hard to capture in pictures, it is indeed one fine looking blue room.

The best thing about LA Time Machines is that it's a wonderful time suck, full of history and pictures. Not that you need a time suck on Friday afternoon...