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I'll Have a Salad, With a Side of Stucco
When you think of LAX, you probably think of the maddening loop of roadway you have to navigate in order to get to your terminal, or the absurdity of those rods of light, or inevitable news segment before big holiday travel days with Johnny-on-the-spot interviews with tired people waiting in line for their flight to Aunt Betsy's in Boise. You may also think about Encounter, the restaurant housed in that legendary criss-crossed arch building with the pretty lights. But if you want to eat at Encounter, you'll have to rethink you plans.
Last night officials shut down the eatery because it just might not be able to hold itself up–-literally, although the airport's website's news item ("LAX'S THEME BUILDING EXTERIOR RENOVATION TO BEGIN; ENCOUNTER RESTAURANT CLOSED DURING PROJECT") about the repair takes on a tone of "oh, this was all part of our plan." Hmmm.
According to the LA Times article
Inspectors uncovered the problem after a 1,000-pound piece of white stucco fell off the underside of one of the arches and smashed into the eatery's roof. No one was injured.
The arches don't actually provide structural support, but we can't imagine any diner ordering a side of stucco with their salad. Yikes!
The restaurant is slated to be closed for repairs for about six months. The Times goes on to mention that those iconic arches haven't been renovated since they were erected...in the 1950s.
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