The Decades-Long History Of Cook’s Corner (And Other Headlines)

Cook’s Corner, a neighborhood bar in the Trabuco Canyon community in southern Orange County, was rocked by tragedy on Wednesday night when a gunman opened fire, killing at least three people and injuring six others. My colleague Caitlin Hernàndez took a step back to write about the history of the beloved hangout, which goes back to at least 1926.

Deep community ties

Owned by the Cook family, its first known use was as a converted beekeeper’s cabin. As the decades went on, the clientele went from dusty miners to die-hard bikers and families with kids. When you enter, a sign greets you that says, “Cold beer. Good food. Children welcome.”

As the community deals with the aftermath of Wednesday’s shooting, the endurance and impact of Cook’s Corner’s decades-long business is reflected in a message on its website:

“We’ve experienced major earthquakes, forest fires, floods, recessions and other disasters,” its website says. “We’ve gotten through all of them and came out stronger.”

Read more about its history here.

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Wait... one more thing

TGIFF! (Thank Gab, It’s Food Friday!)

A customer pays at Colossus in Long Beach.

(

Brian Feinzimer

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for LAist

)

This week felt like a whirlwind of all things and so I’m very glad that it’s finally Food Friday!

Wait, what is Food Friday? Every Friday, we'll give you ideas on what to eat, where to go and what to cook — plus the people and stories behind the dishes.

In today’s edition, associate food editor Gab Chabràn is taking a deep dive into tipping, fees and service charges.

He decided to take a closer look after we talked to the Reddit user who inspired a whole spreadsheet breaking down all the surcharges in Los Angeles.

Gab’s first stop is a neighborhood cafe to buy a bag of coffee beans — where he was prompted for a tip. And, he asked the question that I too would probably ask: Should I be tipping on this bag of coffee beans?

Is this normal? Is this legal? You’re going to have to read his story to get the full explainer.