The Brief

It’s a Wednesday morning at around 6:30 a.m., and people are streaming into Friendship Auditorium in Los Feliz — a spacious venue operated by the city typically used for weddings and other ceremonies. But this morning, what’s on the menu is a hearty breakfast, the chance to “flip the egg,” and an art lecture from Robocop himself, Peter Weller.

That is just one part of the weekly meeting at the Los Angeles Breakfast Club — a gathering that began 100 years ago for the city’s rich and famous to share a meal and have fun while learning something enriching along the way. Today, it remains one of Los Angeles' best-kept secrets.

Walt Disney on his initiation day with Guests and Mickey, September 28, 1932.

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Courtesy Los Angeles Breakfast Club.

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Joe DiMaggio being initiated on Ham the Sawhorse, with Club Manager Harold Link and member Don Lake, August 18, 1943

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Courtesy Los Angeles Breakfast Club.

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“The original founders, if they came today, would still recognize so much of what’s happening. Most of the traditions date back to the 1920s,” said Los Angeles Breakfast Club historian Rachel Skytt, co-author of the forthcoming book, The Los Angeles Breakfast Club: A Century of Hollywood, Hi-Jinx, and Ham & Eggs.

The club, Skytt and her co-authors say, started after a group of avid horsemen, including local banker Marco Hellman and merchant Maurice De Mond, finished their ride along the trails near Griffith Park.

“They were wealthy businessmen pretending to be cowboys,” said Sandi Hemmerlein, a co-author of the book. “Naturally, they worked up an appetite on horseback, so one of them arranged to serve breakfast out of a chuckwagon.”

Eventually, the group moved the festivities down to a nearby riding academy, hired a chef and some waiters, and built a picnic table in the shape of a horseshoe.

A postcard featuring exterior of The LABC's second clubhouse on Los Feliz Blvd (1937-1965) and cryptogram.

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Courtesy Los Angeles Breakfast Club.

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A postcard with driving directions to The LABC's second clubhouse on Los Feliz Blvd (1937-1965).

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Courtesy Los Angeles Breakfast Club.

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Initial membership consisted only of men, but women attended as guests and speakers at the club almost from the start, with opera singer Amelita Galli-Curci as the first honorary member in 1926.

“During that time, the Breakfast Club had two sister clubs, which were women-only,” Skytt said.

It wasn’t until 1981 when the men’s chapter — by that time known as the Los Angeles Breakfast Club — became officially co-ed.

Who’s who in L.A.

Calvin Coolidge and Grace Coolidge on their initiation day with movie star Mary Pickford and others, February 19, 1930

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Courtesy Los Angeles Breakfast Club.

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Since the beginning, the club’s ethos was strongly nonpartisan and nonpolitical — and more about fun than networking and business. Hemmerlein mentions that bitter newspaper rivals Harry Chandler and William Randolph Hearst were photographed shaking hands and smiling here in 1926.

“De Mond and Hellman were both Jewish, and lots of the movie business members too: Jack and Sam Warner, Samuel Goldwyn, Jesse Lasky, Carl Laemmle, Louis B. Mayer, Sid Grauman,” Hammerlein says.

The club also had at least one Native American member, movie director Edwin Carewe.

Over the years, past members include Edgar Rice Burroughs, Joe DiMaggio, Ronald Reagan, Walt Disney, John Philip Sousa, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, and Babe Ruth.

And every one of them has had their hand put onto a plate of fried eggs and learned the club’s special wrist-rotating handshake, a ritual known as “flipping the egg.”

A day at the club

The Los Angeles Breakfast Club's "Ham-and-Egg Cryptogram" is a coded chant recited at their weekly meetings.

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James Bartlett

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LAist

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Alex Evans, Co-Executive Director of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, puppeteers Bull the Frog for the Los Angeles Breakfast Club, February 17, 2021

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Courtesy Los Angeles Breakfast Club.

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That special handshake has endured for decades. But today’s attendees — anywhere from 100 to 200 each time — are a much more diverse bunch. Some have colored dyed hair, while others wear big hats, tiki shirts, or breakfast-themed clothes, and there’s a man carrying a large squirrel hand puppet.

But first, the day starts with the bracing breakfast of ham and eggs and other food staples.

Then the lights go down.

The Roosters, regulars of the club, deliver a friendly heckle during a breakfast meeting in February 2024.

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Larry Underhill

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Courtesy Los Angeles Breakfast Club

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A breakfast meeting being held at Friendship Auditorium

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Larry Underhill

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Courtesy Los Angeles Breakfast Club.

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On this particular morning, conductor of ceremonies Kahlil Nelson begins the proceedings by singing his version of “The Lambeth Walk” — the classic song from the musical Me and My Girl — with lyrics about Buckaroo Bonzai and Robocop as an affectionate preamble to the day’s guest lecturer, actor and art historian Weller.

Then everyone gets on their feet, doing some light stretching, led by exercise goddess Carole Nese, who is sporting multi-colored LED wristbands. Naturally, everyone groans melodramatically as they bend to touch their toes: This club loves a good ham.

Today, there is a new member initiation: A woman sits on Ham the Sawhorse, blindfolded, as Club President Mickey Corcoran asks her to repeat a specially written membership vow based around the initiate’s hobbies and interests.

The main course of the morning is the lecture, the subjects of which have ranged from Googie architecture and old-school restaurants to the city’s parrot population.

Today, Weller is holding court on Italian art throughout history.

The Los Angeles Breakfast Club podium with two fresh sunny-side-up eggs ready for initiations.

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Christopher Gibson

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LAist

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Judging by the audience reaction, the talk is a hit, and Weller concludes by saying:

“You guys are the warmest and strangest group of people I’ve ever met!”

Quite a compliment coming from the man who starred in the movie adaptation of William S. Burrough’s Naked Lunch.

How to join and how to visit

Los Angeles Breakfast Club meets every Wednesday at 7 a.m. Fees and details on membership can be found at www.labreakfastclub.com

L.A. County health officials Wednesday confirmed the county's seventh measles case this year — a traveler who passed through Hollywood Burbank Airport on the morning of June 17.

They're warning people who may have come in contact with the person of possible exposure to the highly contagious virus.

What you should know: Public health officials say the infected traveler arrived on Southwest Airlines Flight 4245 Gate A4 on June 17 at the Hollywood Burbank Airport. Anyone who was at that gate between 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. may have been exposed.

Officials also noted that people who were at the Thrifty Rental Car Service on June 17 from 9:20 to 10:20 a.m. and on June 18 from 10:25 to 11:25 a.m. may have been exposed. That's located at 2627 N. Hollywood Way in Burbank.

What if I was on the flight? Public health officials say passengers sitting next to the traveler will be notified by local health departments and should monitor for symptoms. Keep in mind those symptoms could appear up to three weeks after you were exposed.

Symptoms to look out for: Common symptoms include runny nose, fever cough, or a rash. It's also important if you develop these symptoms, don't just walk into a health care center without calling ahead first.

For people exposed on June 17, the last day to monitor for symptoms is July 8. For those exposed on June 18, the last day to monitor for symptoms is July 19.

How can I protect myself?: It's important to check if you are vaccinated against the measles. As health officials noted in the news release reporting the latest case: "The most effective way to protect yourself and your family is with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine."

The Los Angeles Unified Board voted unanimously to appoint Andres Chait, a longtime district administrator, as superintendent days after his predecessor resigned.

 “This board's decision reflects the confidence in Mr. Chait's leadership, his decades of service to Los Angeles Unified, and his demonstrated ability to guide the district during this period of transition,” said board President Scott Schmerelson.

The board met privately to discuss the district’s top job three days after Alberto Carvalho resigned. Carvalho wrote in a letter that he was leaving “because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction.”

The board placed Carvalho on paid administrative leave following FBI searches of his home and district office in February and appointed Chait acting superintendent. Carvalho has not been charged with a crime and has maintained his innocence.

Who is Andres Chait?

Chait rose through the ranks from teacher to administrator at LAUSD over nearly three decades. The responsibilities of his most recent role, chief of school operations, included overseeing school safety, athletics and the district’s office of emergency management.

Chait thanked the board, the community and his family after the announcement Wednesday and reflected on his first day as a kindergarten teacher 30 years ago. “ I was probably more nervous than the kids were, but I knew then that this was a place where I could make a positive difference in the lives of students and families,” Chait said. “I've always known that there is no greater accelerator of change and opportunity than the schoolhouse, and that is still true today.”

What is the superintendent responsible for?

LAUSD is the country’s second-largest school district, employs 83,000 people and enrolls more than 400,000 students across more than 1,000 schools. Despite recent gains in student test scores, the majority of students are not proficient in reading and math skills for their grade level. The district also faces looming financial challenges from declining enrollment — which is tied to state funding — and federal investigations into programs designed to help underserved students succeed.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

A former state parks superintendent who oversaw Orange County beaches was charged Wednesday with secretly filming naked male lifeguards and other workers inside the locker room at Bolsa Chica State Beach. The former superintendent, Kevin Pearsall, is also accused of sending some of the images to two other men.

What charges does he face?

Pearsall, 59, of Long Beach, faces five felony counts of eavesdropping, 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming another and three misdemeanor counts of unlawful dissemination of private recordings. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 18 years and eight months behind bars.

Scott C. Thomas, a defense attorney representing Pearsall, declined to comment in the wake of the charges being announced by the Orange County District Attorney's office. Pearsall is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 6 and could enter a plea at that time.

Details of the investigation

In July 2025, a California State Parks officer discovered a USB stick with a hidden camera in the men's locker room at Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters. The officer contacted California Highway Patrol, which launched an investigation.

The investigation found Pearsall allegedly had recorded numerous secret videos in the locker room over an 11-month period beginning in August 2024, according to the DA's announcement. Pearsall retired from his job shortly after CHP served search warrants in the case. He turned himself in earlier this week.

State Parks reaction

Marty Greenstein, a spokesperson for California State Parks, told LAist the agency “takes these charges very seriously and has fully cooperated with law enforcement through every step of the investigation.” Greenstein declined to comment further, citing the active criminal investigation.

Making your way through South Coast Plaza — the sleek consumer cathedral in Costa Mesa, a sort of mall of malls — past Uniqlo window displays and Pop Mart blind boxes, there's a good chance you'll eventually land at Tiny's, the new casual restaurant from Chef Sang Yoon.

The burger shack-meets-Asian convenience store is the latest from Yoon, best known for Father's Office, the Los Angeles institution where he's spent two decades running one of the city's most uncompromising kitchens — no substitutions, no exceptions.

Tiny’s marks Yoon’s first venture into Orange County — a deliberately accessible entry point for a chef who has spent decades at the top of L.A.'s gastropub scene.

The concept

Tiny's is the place Yoon wanted to exist as a kid.

Inside, you're greeted by shelves stocked in the style of a konbini, the beloved Japanese convenience corner store, with cilantro-flavored Doritos from China, elote-flavored Turtle Chips from Korea and, for the purists, the requisite Japanese Kit-Kats and Pocky too.

At the counter, a friendly employee greets you beneath a letterboard menu anchored by Yoon’s signature 30-day dry-aged beef burger. Starting at $9 for a plain burger, up to $12 for the Tokyo Dog dressed in bonito flakes and furikake, there's also salt and vinegar tots, french fries, miso mac 'n' cheese and soft serve that runs from Straus vanilla to Pineapple Dole Whip, available as a swirl, cup, cone or float. That's the menu, streamlined by design.

Chef Sang Yoon's cheeseburger and Tokyo Dog at Tiny's, his new fast-casual concept inside South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa

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Grid Vongpiansuksa

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Courtesy Tiny's Burger

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For Yoon, the son of Korean immigrants who grew up between two worlds, the idea of opening a burger stand with a konbini was about tapping into the happy place of his memories: after school with friends, trying out the latest snacks to hit the market to Friday nights with the entire family celebrating after a long week of grinding it out with burgers and chili fries.

"The corner burger stand is where life happened. ... What if those two of my favorite things were under one roof?" said Yoon.

Tiny the dog

Inspiration for the name Tiny’s came from a somewhat unlikely place: Yoon’s beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Yoon describes her as appearing extremely cute and friendly, but in reality, she was actually sassy and judgmental. Illustrations bearing Tiny’s "don't mess with me" vibe can be seen throughout the restaurant.

“People would rather hear this from a sassy, cute dog than me. So I decided that we should channel Tiny. And let this belong to her," Yoon said.

The food

The cheeseburger itself is simple: a thin patty topped with melted American cheese and Tiny's signature sauce — a blend of Kewpie mayo, caramelized gochujang, ssamjang and tomato — finished with pickle chips and a bed of lettuce.

What sets it apart is what you can’t see, the same 30-day dry-aged chuck Yoon has used at Father’s Office for over 25 years.

“I still don’t think there’s any product superior to that for the purpose of a hamburger,” he said.

The spread at Tiny's includes the cheeseburger, miso mac 'n' cheese, chicken nuggets, tater tots, fries and a jammy egg sando — a konbini staple in Japan.

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Grid Vongpiansuksa

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Courtesy Tiny's Burger

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The nuggets ($10) had a crispy, craggy exterior finished with visible seasoning crystals, a small but deliberate touch, and came with a fresh herbaceous dipping sauce. As for the chili fries ($8), the chili itself was sufficient as an L.A.-style chili (think Tommy's), but since Lao Gan Ma chili crisp was promised in the name, I was expecting that distinctive, crunchy, fermented kick — but left wanting more of it. It felt more like a whisper than a statement.

The miso mac 'n' cheese ($6) was a highlight of the meal, especially for someone who doesn't usually order mac 'n' cheese. Fresh ridged elbow pasta with a proper chew in each bite, and salty morsels of miso folded into a tight cheese sauce had me picking up forkfuls until it was mostly gone. Consider my position reconsidered.

Encouraged, I went back and ordered a Dole Whip ($7). The electric, tangy flavor, paired with the soft creaminess, served as a suitable exclamation point for my lunch that day.

With Tiny's, Yoon has built his most personal restaurant — accessible in price, but uncompromising in intention.

Could mall food now be on a new trajectory? Perhaps we've finally transcended corn dogs at Hot Dog on a Stick and cinnamon rolls at Cinnabon.

After dining at Tiny’s, all signs point to yes.