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As the Tesla diner prepares to open in Hollywood, we focus on long-time, homegrown varieties, like Swingers, the iconic, quirky Fairfax district hangout.
Why it matters: Diners in L.A. have existed since the 1950s, synonymous with car and cruising culture. Today, they still hold a special place in our hearts whenever we crave fried food or a milkshake.
Why now? With the Tesla Diner opening soon, we wanted to explore what makes our diners unique, from the food to the sense of community.
You may have heard that Elon Musk is expanding his Tesla footprint with a 24-hour diner opening some time later this year smack dab in the middle of Hollywood.
Musk promises that the space on Santa Monica Boulevard, near La Brea, will be “Grease meets The Jetsons with Superchargers,” equipped with two movie screens and multiple supercharging stations featuring “1950s retro charm” and “dazzling neon lights.”
From my drive by the construction site earlier this week, that's certainly its vibe.
(I was a little surprised by how small it seems. It feels like traffic is going to be a nightmare once it opens. You've been warned).
While it may be exciting for all the Elon stans and Tesla drivers out there, it made me think about our already-existing much-loved diners.
West Coast diner culture has always been distinctive. Initially, it was centered on classic cars and cruising culture, and there’s no doubt that Elon and his army of Tesla charging ports are looking to capitalize on that very idea of cool.
But over the years, we’ve also added other strands of SoCal to the mix, like using fresh and organic produce or including huevos rancheros or teriyaki bowls on the menu. Damn, we really do make it our own!
This week, we’re going to focus on different diners in SoCal. Today, it’s Swingers in the Fairfax District. Later in the week, look out for Le Hut Dinette in Santa Ana and Max & Helen's, Phil Rosenthal’s upcoming diner in Larchmont (as in Phil Rosenthal of Netflix's Somebody Feed Phil fame.)
The history of diners in America dates back to the late 1800s, when mobile lunch carts sold food outside East Coast factories and offices. By the early 20th century, decommissioned diner cars were being repurposed and converted into freestanding restaurants.
On the West Coast, diners developed a unique style that combined 1930s Art Deco aesthetics with 1950s Googie architecture.
With all-day, endless-option breakfasts and quick and easy communal eating at the counter, it became the perfect dine-out option for Angelenos busy building the city.
Taking that exact formula and running with it, Swingers opened in 1993 on Beverly Boulevard in the Fairfax district, creating its unique take on the traditional form.
Situated less than 10 minutes from the upcoming Tesla diner, Swingers owner Stephanie Wilson describes her diner as a sacred space that offers a respite from the outside world.
“ Swingers has been a place where, when things feel wrong in the world, you know you can go and everything's gonna feel the same and the same familiar faces will be there,” she said.
Catering to a creative clientele, she says the diner is inviting and welcoming to all.
"The weirder you are, the cooler you'll look at Swingers; we love that about our customers and neighborhood,” Wilson said.
Wilson describes its menu as “elevated,” offering food a cut above what you'd normally find at a diner.
“ It's healthy, but you can be bad if you wanna be, too,” Wilson said.
She says most customers tend to stick to classic diner food, like the All-American Breakfast (two organic eggs, served with your choice of bacon or sausage, with both vegetarian and vegan options available) that comes with a side of pancakes.
More modern dishes like avocado toast can do well, but Wilson said that whenever they’ve tried to get too fancy with their menu offerings, they tend to fall flat. Like when they added quinoa oats with a maple syrup drizzle. “It was tasty, but no one ordered it,” she said.
While many regulars tend to sink into a booth, where the signature plaid vinyl pattern is cozy and makes for a good photo op, I personally love to grab a seat at the counter and watch the kitchen and wait staff interact with each other while listening to music from the jukebox.
A diner space often has a sense of built-in nostalgia, but Swingers has its own version.
"We mostly like to keep Swingers exactly as you remember it," Wilson said. "Our retro design and general vibe to me will always be perfection.
“ It's the same as when you walked in 12 or 22 years ago. The wallpaper's the same, the vibe is the same, and even the servers look the same, so I think that that kind of history is so important to honor and to support."
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The Hollywood Walk of Fame has a new neighbor — a star dedicated to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Why it matters: The Fire Department has been honored with an “Award of Excellence Star” for its public service during the Palisades and Sunset fires, which burned in the Pacific Palisades and Hollywood Hills neighborhoods of L.A. in January.
Why now: The star was unveiled on Hollywood Boulevard on Friday at a ceremony hosted by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Hollywood Community Foundation.
Awards of Excellence celebrate organizations for their positive impacts on Hollywood and the entertainment industry, according to organizers. Fewer than 10 have been handed out so far, including to the LA Times, Dodgers and Disneyland.
The backstory: The idea of awarding a star to the Fire Department was prompted by an eighth-grade class essay from Eniola Taiwo, 14, from Connecticut. In an essay on personal heroes, Taiwo called for L.A. firefighters to be recognized. She sent the letter to the Chamber of Commerce.
“This star for first responders will reach the hearts of many first responders and let them know that what they do is recognized and appreciated,” Taiwo’s letter read. “It will also encourage young people like me to be a change in the world.”
The Award of Excellence Star is in front of the Ovation Entertainment Complex next to the Walk of Fame; however, it is separate from the official program.
What officials say: Steve Nissen, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement Taiwo’s letter was the inspiration for a monument that will “forever shine in Hollywood.”
“This recognition is not only about honoring the bravery of the Los Angeles Fire Department but also about celebrating the vision of a young student whose words reminded us all of the importance of gratitude and civic pride,” said Nissen, who’s also president and CEO of the Hollywood Community Foundation.
Go deeper: LA's wildfires: Your recovery guide
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Fallout from allegations of an ethics breach by Los Angeles’ elected city attorney has reached the City Council. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Friday requesting a closed-session meeting about an allegation that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto improperly contacted a witness days before her office entered into one of the city’s biggest settlements in recent years. The motion came a day after LAist reported about the allegation.
The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.
The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.
What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."
What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."
Topline:
Fallout from allegations of an ethics breach by Los Angeles’ elected city attorney has reached the City Council. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Friday requesting a closed-session meeting about an allegation that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto improperly contacted a witness days before her office entered into one of the city’s biggest settlements in recent years. The motion came a day after LAist reported about the allegation.
The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.
The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.
What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."
What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."
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Today marks el Día de La Virgen de Guadalupe, or the day of the Virgen of Guadalupe, an important holiday for Catholics and those of Mexican descent. In Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana builds an elaborate altar in her honor that draws hundreds of visitors.
What is the holiday celebrating? In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman, wearing a green veil with her hands clasped in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak. Every year on Dec. 12, worshippers of the saint celebrate the Guadalupita with prayer and song.
Read on … for how worshippers in Santa Ana celebrate.
Every year in Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe that draws hundreds of visitors.
Along the front of the house, the multi-colored altar is filled with lights, flowers and a stained-glass tapestry behind a sculpture of the Lady of Guadalupe. Cantabrana’s roof also is lit up with the green, white and red lights that spell out “Virgen de Guadalupe” and a cross.
Visitors are welcomed with music and the smell of roses as they celebrate the saint, but this year’s gathering comes after a dark year for immigrant communities.
In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego between Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands together in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak.
To celebrate in Santa Ana, worshippers gathered late-night Wednesday and in the very early hours Dec. 12 to pray the rosary, sing hymns and celebrate the saint.
Cantabrana has hosted worshippers at his home for 27 years — 17 in Santa Ana.
The altar started out small, he said, and over the years, he added a fabric background, more lights and flowers (lots and lots of flowers).
“It started with me making a promise to la Virgen de Guadalupe that while I had life and a home to build an altar, that I would do it,” Cantabrana said. “Everything you see in photos and videos is pretty, but when you come and see it live, it's more than pretty. It's beautiful.”
Many also look to the Lady of Guadalupe for protection, especially at a time when federal enforcement has rattled immigrant communities.
“People don’t want to go to work, they don’t want to take their kids to school, but the love we have for our Virgen de Guadalupe,” Cantabrana said. “We see that la Virgen de Guadalupe has a lot of power, and so we know immigration [enforcement] won’t come here.”
Margarita Lopez of Garden Grove has been visiting the altar for three years with her husband. She’s been celebrating the Virgencita since she was a young girl. Honoring the saint is as important now as ever, she said.
“We ask, and she performs miracles,” Lopez said.
Claudia Tapia, a lifelong Santa Ana resident, said the Virgin Mary represents strength.
“Right now, with everything going on, a lot of our families [have] turned and prayed to the Virgen for strength during these times,” Tapia said. “She's a very strong symbol of Mexican culture, of unity, of faith and of resilience.”
The shrine will stay up into the new year on the corner of Broadway and Camile Street.
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California’s unemployment agency kept paying cellphone bills for 4 1/2 years without checking whether its workers actually were using the devices. That’s how it racked up $4.6 million in fees for mobile devices its workers were not using, according to a new state audit detailing wasteful spending at several government agencies.
The investigation: The Employment Development Department acquired 7,224 cellphones and wireless hotspots by December 2020. State auditors analyzed 54 months of invoices since then and found half the devices were unused for at least two years, 25% were unused for three years and 99 of them were never used at all. The investigation, which auditors opened after receiving a tip, identified 6,285 devices that were unused for at least four consecutive months and said the department spent $4.6 million on monthly service fees for them.
Department response: Officials told auditors they were unaware of the spending, but auditors pointed to regular invoices from Verizon that showed which phones were not being used. The unemployment department began acting on the auditors’ findings in April, when it canceled service plans for 2,825 devices. It has since implemented a policy to terminate service plans for devices that go unused for 90 days.
California’s unemployment agency kept paying cellphone bills for 4 1/2 years without checking whether its workers actually were using the devices.
That’s how it racked up $4.6 million in fees for mobile devices its workers were not using, according to a new state audit detailing wasteful spending at several government agencies.
The Employment Development Department’s excessive cellphone bills date to the COVID-19 pandemic, when it shifted call center employees to remote work and faced pressure to release benefits to millions of suddenly unemployed Californians.
It acquired 7,224 cellphones and wireless hotspots by December 2020. State auditors analyzed 54 months of invoices since then and found half the devices were unused for at least two years, 25% were unused for three years and 99 of them were never used at all.
The investigation, which auditors opened after receiving a tip, identified 6,285 devices that were unused for at least four consecutive months, and said the department spent $4.6 million on monthly service fees for them.
From the beginning, the department had about 2,000 more cellphones than call center employees, according to the audit. The gap widened over time after the pandemic ended and the department’s staffing returned to its normal headcount.
As of April, the audit said the department had 1,787 unemployment call center employees, but was paying monthly service fees for 5,097 mobile devices.
“Although obtaining the mobile devices during COVID-19 may have been a good idea to serve the public, continuing to pay the monthly service fees for so many unused devices, especially post-COVID-19, was wasteful,” the audit said.
Department officials told auditors they were unaware of the spending, but auditors pointed to regular invoices from Verizon that showed which phones were not being used.
“We would have expected EDD management to have reconsidered the need to pay the monthly service fees for so many devices that had no voice, message, or data usage,” the audit said.
The unemployment department began acting on the auditors’ findings in April, when it canceled service plans for 2,825 devices. It has since implemented a policy to terminate service plans for devices that go unused for 90 days.
The California state auditor highlighted the mobile devices in its regular report on “improper activities by state agencies and employees.” The audit also showed that the California Air Resources Board overpaid an employee who was on extended leave as he prepared to retire by $171,000.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
