Modern Family – IAMNOTASTALKER

February 12, 2018February 11, 2018

South Pasadena Public Library from “Say Anything . . . “

I was incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of John Mahoney last week. Not only did I love the actor in pretty much every role he played, but his Hollywood story is such an unusual and admirable one. After graduating from college, Mahoney tried his hand at a few different occupations including teaching English at a university and editing a medical journal. Then at the not-so-tender age of 37, he switched gears and decided to follow his passion – acting. He found quick success on Broadway, even winning a Tony for his performance in The House of Blue Leaves in 1986, before ultimately heading to Tinseltown where he hit the big time with memorable parts in such iconic productions as Moonstruck, Barton Fink, She’s the One, Primal Fear, Reality Bites, In the Line of Fire, and, of course, Frasier, among countless others. It is extraordinary that Mahoney accomplished so much after such a late-in-life career shift. What an inspiration – and proof that it is never too late to change course in order to pursue your dreams! So today I thought I’d honor John by writing about South Pasadena Public Library – a locale from one of his early movies, 1989’s Say Anything . . .

[ad]

Truth be told, South Pasadena Public Library did not actually appear in the final cut of Say Anything . . . The building – or more accurately Library Park, which surrounds it – pops up in one of the flick’s alternate scenes that can be viewed on both the 20th Anniversary Edition and Special Edition DVDs. In the scene, Diane Court (Ione Skye) asks ex-boyfriend Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) to take her back outside of what is supposed to be the kick-boxing dojo where Lloyd works. Though interior dojo bits were shot at the same North Hollywood spot used as the Cobra Kai karate studio in The Karate Kid, the segment taking place outside of the dojo was lensed on the western side of Library Park along Diamond Avenue, a good 15 miles away.

I recognized the locale immediately upon watching the alternate scene a couple of years ago while I was on a hunt for the house where Diane lived in the flick.

South Pasadena Public Library is a tough spot to forget.

The city’s original library was established in 1907 thanks to a $12,000 grant from steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Designed by architect Norman Marsh, the building, which Carnegie himself visited in 1910, boasted a Classical Revival style. You can see an image of it from its early days here and here. Sadly, virtually none of that structure remains. After being expanded in 1916 via another grant from Carnegie (this one to the tune of $6,000), the facility was completely overhauled in 1930 and given a Mediterranean Revival motif, once again created by Marsh, along with architects D.D. Smith and Herbert J. Powell. Their design still graces the site’s El Centro Street edifice today.

Formerly the library’s front entrance, the El Centro Street façade now serves as entry to the facility’s Community Room.

Constructed as the library’s main reading area during the 1930 renovation, the Community Room retains much of its original design, including a hand-painted beam ceiling, leaded glass windows, and wrought iron detailing. You can see a 1946 image of its interior here and a current picture here.

Today, the Community Room hosts special city events and can be rented out for certain functions.

In 1982, South Pasadena Public Library again underwent a remodel and expansion, but this time only the property’s southern face, situated along Oxley Street, was touched. That edifice, designed by architect Howard Henry Morgridge, is pictured below.

It now serves as the facility’s main entrance.

As you can see, it is quite a departure from the 1930 design.

The two varying faces of the library, which is South Pasadena Cultural Heritage Landmark #10, make for an interesting and striking piece of architecture.

Surrounding the site is Library Park, a lush 2-acre space overflowing with trees, sprawling lawns, and pathways.

The towering Moreton Bay fig that stands as the park’s focal point is nothing short of magical.

Though its origin is not entirely known, per the City of South Pasadena website, the tree was likely planted by Street Department employee Willem Garret Andries Kloezeman in 1930.

Library Park is one of South Pas’ most picturesque and serene spots.

So it is no surprise that the park, along with the library itself, has found its way onto both the big and small screens in a myriad of other productions besides Say Anything . . .

In Rob Zombie’s 2007 horror flick Halloween, the exterior of South Pasadena Public Library briefly masks as Haddonfield High School.

Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler) schools Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) on the importance of hair extensions while walking along a path on the western side of Library Park in the 2009 romcom The Ugly Truth.

Rebecca Harper (Emily VanCamp) catches her boyfriend, Justin Walker (Dave Annable), kissing his sponsee, Chelsea Yeager (Kaitlin Doubleday), on the library steps after an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in the Season 3 episode of Brothers & Sisters titled “Owning It,” which aired in 2009.

In the Season 1 episode of Modern Family titled “Moon Landing,” which aired in 2010, Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (Sofia Vergara) brings Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) to Library Park to show him where she got into a recent car accident.

South Pasadena Public Library pops up several times as the Carson Springs Department of Social Services in the Season 5 episode of The Mentalist titled “Red John’s Rules,” which aired in 2013.

The interior of the Community Room also appears in the episode.

That same year, Dr. Daniel Pierce (Eric McCormack) attends a supposed Brooksville, Pennsylvania town hall meeting at the library in the Season 2 episode of Perception titled “Toxic.”

The interior of the Community Room was also utilized in the episode.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: South Pasadena Public Library, from Say Anything . . . , is located at 1100 Oxley Street in South Pasadena. Kaldi Coffee and Tea, another frequent film star, can be found just across the road at 1019 El Centro Street.

February 5, 2018June 5, 2018

Kaldi Coffee and Tea from “Lady Bird”

The Grim Cheaper and I are almost all settled in to our new desert home, so I should be getting back to my regularly scheduled blog programing in the near future. Thanks for bearing with me over the past few weeks. For my first post-move locale, I thought I’d write about a spot I originally covered back in early 2010 – Kaldi Coffee and Tea in South Pasadena, which I was thrilled to see pop up numerous times while watching a for-your-consideration DVD of Lady Bird prior to the SAG Awards in early January. Though I did not particularly like the Greta Gerwig-directed coming-of-age drama, Kaldi has long been one of my favorite San Gabriel Valley cafés, so I figured it was most definitely due for a re-post. Because of our move, I was not able to venture out to South Pas to snap any additional photos of the place, but, thankfully, my parents happened to be in L.A. for a brief visit last week and, while there, my mom did some Kaldi stalking on my behalf. Thanks, mom!

[ad]

The handsome brick building that houses Kaldi Coffee and Tea was originally constructed in 1903 as South Pasadena Bank, founded by George W. E. Griffith.

Designed by architect Thomas Preston in what this National Register of Historic Places Inventory calls “typical western storefront style,” the site has the distinction of being the city’s very first bank.

During its early years, the property also acted as a sort of unofficial city hall with its upper floor serving as office space for South Pasadena trustees.

Per the Historic Places Inventory, the building, which is South Pasadena Cultural Heritage Landmark #8, informed the architecture of nearby Mission Street, where most of the structures boast a similar two-story brick aesthetic.

The site’s ground-level corner space was transformed into Kaldi Coffee and Tea in 1995.

The café has been a South Pas staple ever since.

Though sold to new owners Susan and Chanho Park in December 2011, not much of the place has been changed over its two-plus decades in operation. Kaldi still serves up fabulous coffee, espresso specialties, sandwiches, salads, and bakery staples in a bright, sun-filled atmosphere.

So it should come as no surprise that the café is pretty much always bustling, as evidenced in the photos above and below.

Regardless of that fact, Kaldi still makes for a peaceful, quiet spot to enjoy a cup of joe.

Masking as Sacramento’s New Helvetia Coffee Shop, Kaldi is featured numerous times throughout Lady Bird. It first appears in the scene in which Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) goes out with her new boyfriend, Danny O’Neill (Lucas Hedges), and some friends to hear a band play on Thanksgiving.

Lady Bird later gets a job at the café . . .

. . . where she gets into trouble for flirting on her first day.

Kaldi pops up in a few additional scenes, as well.

Lady Bird is hardly the first production to feature Kaldi. In fact, the place is something of a South Pasadena filming landmark, which is not surprising considering its charming Anywhere, U.S.A. look.

Felix Bonhoeffer (Anthony Hopkins) has coffee at Kaldi with his friend Tracy (Lisa Pepper) at the beginning of 2007’s incredibly weird drama Slipstream, though not much of the space can be seen in the scene.

Kaldi pops up a couple of times as Danny (Paul Rudd) and Beth’s (Elizabeth Banks) local coffee shop in the 2008 comedy Role Models.

That same year, the office space directly above Kaldi portrayed a therapist’s office in the horror flick Prom Night, which I learned thanks to the Movie Locations and More website. (South Pasadena’s oft-filmed Library Park – which is situated across the street and which I blogged about here – can be seen through the windows in the second screen capture below.)

As was the case in Lady Bird, Kaldi masks as a Sacramento café in The Ugly Truth. The locale is featured twice in the 2009 romcom – first in the scene in which Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler) begins to teach Abby Richter (Katharine Heigl) the way to a man’s heart.

Later, Kaldi is where Abby shows off her new boyfriend, Colin (Eric Winter), to her best friend, Joy (Bree Turner).

The coffee shop also pops up twice on the television series Brothers & Sisters. In the Season 3 episode titled “Owning It,” which aired in 2009, Tommy Walker (Balthazar Getty) meets with Kent Barnes (Scott Klace) at Kaldi to discuss his scheme to buy a vineyard.

And in Season 5’s “Get a Room,” which aired in 2010, Kaldi masks as the coffee shop near Wexley University where Kittie McCallister (Calista Flockhart) meets and flirts with handsome, young barista Seth Whitley (Ryan Devlin).

Kaldi portrays Cup ‘N Cakes Cafe, where Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (Sofia Vergara) gets into not one, but two car accidents in the Season 1 episode of Modern Family titled “Moon Landing,” which aired in 2010.

The café plays Berkeley Coffee, where Jim Kazinsky (Mike O’Malley) works – and gets dumped by Sarah Braverman (Lauren Graham) – in the Season 1 episode of Parenthood titled “The Deep End of the Pool,” which aired in 2010.

In the Season 4 episode of Rizzoli & Isles titled “We Are Family,” which aired in 2013, Kaldi masquerades as Boston’s “College Café,” where Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) spies on her sister, Cailin Martin (Emilee Wallace).

Kaldi Coffee and Tea also pops up in the pilot episode of Splitting Up Together, which aired in 2018 – only in an establishing shot, though.

All actual filming took place at Habitat Coffee Shop and Cafe located at 3708 North Eagle Rock Boulevard in Glassell Park.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to my mom for stalking this location for me and for taking the photos that appear in this post!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Kaldi Coffee and Tea, aka New Helvetia Coffee Shop from Lady Bird, is located at 1019 El Centro Street in South Pasadena.

March 23, 2016March 22, 2016

Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel from “The Ugly Truth”

It has been said that Los Angeles has no regard for its history. Today’s post is a testament to that assertion. On March 1st of this year, the doors of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel were closed in order for a massive remodel and renovation process to take place. Though the building is set to re-open in 2018 as a condo/hotel hybrid, it will sadly have a completely different look and feel than its predecessor. The property had long been on my To-Stalk List and was a place I had always wanted to book a stay at, but unfortunately that was never to be. I did get to finally see it in person, though, a couple of days before its closure, and the site was just as grand as I had imagined, which makes the redesign all the more tragic.

[ad]

The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel first opened its doors to the public on June 1st, 1966. At the time, it was known as The Century Plaza Hotel. The curved, 19-story property was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed the World Trade Center in New York. (Fellow stalker Michael, of of The Golden Spoon Café and Downtown Christmas Shopping District from The Brady Bunch fame, recently stayed at the hotel and was nice enough to share many of the photos he took for use in this post, including the two below. Thank you, Michael! Smile )

The 726-room luxury hotel was situated on top of what was once the 20th Century Fox Studios backlot, which was sold off in 1961 after the film company found itself in dire financial straits due to a series of flops. At the time of its inception, the property was run by Western International Hotels (in 1980, Western International became Westin Hotels & Resorts).

The property was a celebrity magnet from the get-go with such stars as Bob Hope, Walt Disney, Tom Hanks, Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Stewart, Jon Voight, James Garner, Clark Gable, Whoopi Goldberg, Lucille Ball, Robert Duvall, John Ritter, and Loretta Young all spending time there. In a great show of foresight, during the hotel’s construction, Western International representatives spoke with Secret Service personnel in order to ensure that the building would be assembled with the utmost security. As such, The Century Plaza played host to every single United States president from Lyndon Johnson on. Nancy and Ronald Reagan were such frequent guests that the press was apt to call the place the “Western White House.”

In 1984, a second building, this one a 297-room tower named The Tower at Century Plaza, was added to the property. Sadly, it no longer stands. In 1999, The Century Plaza and The Tower at Century Plaza were sold and the new owners chose to operate them as separate hotels, changing The Tower’s name to the St. Regis Los Angeles. Though The Century Plaza continued to run strong, the St. Regis was shuttered in January 2005 and sold once again. Although it was originally set to be renovated into a residential tower, it was ultimately demolished and The Century, Candy Spelling’s new digs, now stands in its place – which is rather ironic (and maddening) being that the St. Regis appeared in an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. Thanks to fellow stalker “Alexis Colby,” who commented on my post about Season 1’s epic “Spring Dance” episode, I learned that the St. Regis was the building featured in the establishing shot of the hotel where the West Beverly gang’s formal was held. All actual filming took place at Sheraton Universal City, though.

Ronald Reagan was The Tower at Century Plaza’s first guest in 1984. In honor of his long history with the hotel, the building’s 8,000-square-foot penthouse, which encompassed the entire 32nd floor, was renamed “The Ronald Reagan Suite” in 1999. An exhibit of photographs of the former president was displayed in a portion of the suite. When the building was demolished, the exhibit was moved to The Century Plaza, where it was recreated in a second floor anteroom. One of the employees was nice enough to show it to us while we were stalking the place.

In August 2005, shortly after the St. Regis was sold, The Century Plaza was purchased by Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc., a renovation was begun, and the structure was renamed Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. It was then sold once again three years later to the Next Century Associates development company and plans were quickly set in motion to demolish the historic structure and build two 50-story condominium buildings in its place. Thanks to uproar from the community and efforts by preservationists and politicians (L.A. City Councilman Paul Koretz even went so far as to say the building would be demolished “over my dead body and even then I hoped my heirs would fight it”), those plans were thwarted and the hotel was instead set to be renovated, with two new 46-story towers constructed behind it. The property closed its doors on March 1st to begin the process.

We were there two days prior to that, on February 28th, and there was a definite feeling of nostalgia in the air. Many of the hotel employees had worked on the premises for decades. We spoke to quite a few during our brief visit. Some wiped their eyes as they talked to us. All were proud of The Century Plaza, wanting to show it off. I found myself on the verge of tears several times while speaking with them. You can read two great articles about a few of the long-time employees here and here.

The renovation is said to be a “sensitive rehabilitation” of the historic property. While I believe the exterior will be left untouched, the interior will largely be gutted. (Thank you to Michael for the second picture that appears below.)

The revamped structure will house 394 hotel rooms and 63 condominium units and is set to open in 2018.

Sadly, the hotel’s legendary Los Angeles Ballroom will be a casualty of the renovation.

The 25,000-square-foot room, which was remodeled to the tune of $1.3 million in 2012, was not only the site of both of Ronald Reagan’s presidential election victory parties, but is also where President Nixon hosted a celebratory welcome home dinner for the Apollo 11 astronauts on August 13th, 1969.

Not only is the ballroom one of the most massive I’ve ever seen (not to mention sparkly) . . .

. . . but the hall leading into it is pretty darn extraordinary in and of itself.

I mean, that ceiling!

The Century Plaza Hotel has been featured in so many productions over the years that it would be virtually impossible for me to chronicle them all here. So for brevity’s sake (or is it too late for that at this point? Winking smile ), I will only list a few of my favorites.

The Century Plaza, playing itself, was where Mike (Gerard Butler) and Abby (Katherine Heigl) stayed while visiting L.A. in one of my all-time faves, the 2009 romcom The Ugly Truth.

While I originally thought that one of the property’s curved hallways was utilized in the filming of the movie, upon closer inspection, now I am not so sure. Though similar, there appear to be marked differences in the actual hallways from what appeared onscreen, most notably the ceiling, light fixtures, and recession of the doors. I am now thinking that the hallway may have been a set re-creation, though that seems like a considerable amount of trouble to go through for the filming of such a short scene. (Thank you to Michael for the photo below.)

I am also unsure if an actual (but heavily dressed) suite at The Century Plaza was used in the filming or if a set based upon one was built for the shoot.

Some recent photos of one of the hotel’s rooms are pictured below, once again courtesy of Michael.

The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza was also where Phil (Ty Burrell) and Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) – or should I say “Clive Bixby” and “Juliana”? – celebrated Valentine’s Day in the Season 1 episode of Modern Family titled “My Funky Valentine.” The couple started out their evening in the hotel’s X Bar.

That bar had already been shuttered by the time we stalked The Century Plaza, but I was able to get a few photos of it through the glass entrance doors.

After dinner, Claire (who is going “commando,” shall we say, underneath her trench coat) and Phil start to make their way up to their room, but trouble ensues when Claire’s coat get caught in the escalator.

While stuck, she proceeds to run into pretty much everyone she knows, including her father and step-mother, Jay (Ed O’Neill) and Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (Sofia Vergara), who all ask the same question – why not just take the jacket off? (Thank you to Michael for the escalator photographs that appear above and below.)

The Los Angeles Ballroom was also featured in the episode as the spot where Jay and Gloria caught a comedian’s act.

Despite the escalator issues from the year prior, Claire and Phil returned to The Century Plaza to celebrate the following Valentine’s Day in Season 2’s “Bixby’s Back.” Once again, they started out their evening in X Bar.

They then proceeded to head up, separately, to their room. One of the hotel’s actual hallways was featured in the scene.

Phil, though, accidentally grabbed the key card of the woman sitting next to him at X Bar, instead of the key card Claire left behind, and enters the wrong room, resulting in him almost being arrested. Another Valentine’s Day down the tubes! One of the hotel’s actual rooms was used in that scene.

The Hyatt Century Plaza popped up yet again on Modern Family, as the hotel where Alex Dunphy’s (Ariel Winter) academic decathlon was held in the Season 4 episode titled “Mistery Date.”

In the 1980 comedy 9 to 5, The Century Plaza was the hotel that Franklin M. Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman) sent his wife Missy (Marian Mercer) to.

Alex Munday (Lucy Liu) rides a horse and lassos a bad guy in front of The Century Plaza at the beginning of Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.

And in the Season 6 episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 titled “Nancy’s Choice,” Susan Keats (Emma Caulfield) wins a journalism award at The Century Plaza.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to Michael for letting me use so many of his fabulous photos in this post!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel, from The Ugly Truth, is located at 2025 Avenue of the Stars in Century City. The property is currently closed to the public and undergoing renovations.

June 5, 2015June 4, 2015

Dinah’s Family Restaurant from “Modern Family”

While I primarily love stalking filming locations of the residential variety, restaurants come in at a close second. So when my friend Owen, of the When Write Is Blog, recently told me about Dinah’s Family Restaurant, a historic Westchester eatery that was featured in a Season 3 episode of Modern Family, I ran right out to stalk it – and grab a bite to eat.

[ad]

Dinah’s Family Restaurant was originally established in 1959 by the Ernst family.

It is still owned by the same family today. Mario Ernst and his wife, Teri, took over operations of the restaurant in 1989.

The couple gave both the interior and the menu an upgrade shortly thereafter. Thankfully though, the place still has a fabulous retro feel.

The eatery is most famous for its Secret Recipe Chicken. According to Gayot, over 1,500,000 pieces of it have been sold since Dinah’s opening! I decided to forgo the fried chicken while there and opted for my usual order of chicken strips. They were fabulous, as were the mashed potatoes and gravy that they came with. The Grim Cheaper opted for a turkey sandwich and it was uh-ma-zing, too! The turkey looked and tasted like it had literally just been carved. I actually ended up liking his sandwich more than my chicken strips. Sacrilege, I know!

According to a fabulous Eater L.A. article, Dinah’s bucket-shaped signage served as the inspiration for the famous Kentucky Fried Chicken signs. Apparently, a former Dinah’s server went to work for KFC in the 1960s, told them about the bucket sign, they copied it and the rest is history!

Thanks to its retro aesthetic, Dinah’s has been featured numerous times onscreen. In the Season 3 episode of Modern Family titled “The Last Walt,” the eatery masked as the Moonbeam Diner where Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell), in the hopes of creating a special memory, took his daughter Alex (Ariel Winter) to sample the “World’s Greatest Milkshake.” As Phil says, “You can’t expect me to see a sign that says ‘World’s Greatest Milkshake – 50 miles’ and not drive to it!” Unfortunately, after driving said 50 miles and arriving at the diner, they discover that the milkshake machine is broken. Phil then makes Alex try everything labeled “World’s Greatest” on the Moonbeam’s menu, eventually causing her to throw up all over their booth.

The exterior of Dinah’s also appears in the episode in a very heartwarming scene in which Phil writes Alex’s initials on the restaurant’s sign, imitating a gesture that Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan made for his daughter during a moon landing.

Dinah’s Family Restaurant masqueraded as Stacks House of Pancakes, where the German nihilists dined on lingonberry pancakes, in the 1998 Coen Brothers comedy The Big Lebowski.

Wilson (Terence Stamp) and Elaine (Lesley Ann Warren) have dinner at Dinah’s in the ultra-weird 1999 crime drama The Limey.

While Little Miss Sunshine was not actually filmed at Dinah’s, a bucket of the restaurant’s famous fried chicken did make an appearance in the 2006 comedy. In one of the movie’s early scenes, Sheryl Hoover (Toni Collete) brings Dinah’s home for dinner, which is amusing considering the fact that the Hoover family supposedly lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Grandpa Edwin Hoover (Alan Arkin) is not happy with Sheryl’s take-out choice and says, “What’s that? Chicken? Every night it’s the f*cking chicken! Holy God almighty! Is it possible, just once, we could get something to eat for dinner around here that’s not the goddamn f*cking chicken?“

Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) interviews Rick (Riz Ahmed) to be his new intern at Dinah’s in the 2014 thriller Nightcrawler.

In the Season 2 episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. titled “Love in the Time of Hydra,” which aired this past March, Agent 33 (Ming-Na Wen) and Grant Ward (Brett Dalton) kidnap Selwyn (Landall Goolsby) from Dinah’s.

Dinah’s Family Restaurant also appeared in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle, though I am unsure of which episode.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Owen, from the When Write Is Wrong blog, for telling me about this location! Smile

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Dinah’s Family Restaurant, aka the Moonbeam Diner from Modern Family, is located at 6521 South Sepulveda Boulevard in Westchester. You can visit Dinah’s official website here.

April 10, 2015April 9, 2015

18th Street Coffee House from “Modern Family”

As I have said countless times before on this blog, there’s pretty much nothing I love more than a filming location that serves coffee. So I thought stalking the 18th Street Coffee House in Santa Monica, which was featured in the Season 6 episode of Modern Family titled “Rash Decisions,” would be a pleasant experience. I was wrong. But more on that in a bit.

[ad]

In “Rash Decisions,” Alex Dunphy (Ariel Winter) attends a college interview for Princeton at a local café. While there, she realizes that the interviewer, Vanessa (Aya Cash), is bored, so she recounts a story recently told by her sister, Haley Dunphy (Sarah Hyland), involving sneaking into Dodger Stadium. In doing so, she inadvertently calls Vanessa “slut.” Interview over!

Thankfully, 18th Street Coffee House’s real life exterior signage was clearly shown in the scene which made the place easy to track down.

When I showed up to stalk the café, I took several photographs outside before walking in, large camera in hand. I ordered my drink, camera still in hand (did I mention it was large?), and asked the barista all sorts of questions about the filming of “Rash Decisions,” questions she seemed just barely to tolerate. The attitude there is just a wee bit pretentious (as evidenced by countless reviews on Yelp). I fangirled out nonetheless, explaining that I had come in solely to see the place because of its appearance on Modern Family. After I got my latte, I snapped the picture below and all of a sudden the barista got upset with me, not-at-all politely informing me that photographs were most certainly not allowed on the premises. You’d think she would have mentioned this beforehand, while I was asking about Modern Family, when she undoubtedly had to have seen the big ol’ camera in my hand. Either way, I would have expected her to be polite about the whole thing, which she was not. I’ll never understand places that don’t allow photographs, but do allow filming. Not to mention that there are a myriad of customer pictures of the place featured on the 18th Street Coffee Shop Facebook page. Go figure.

The 18th Street Coffee House actually has quite a few rules. Cell phone use is prohibited there, which is something I can typically get behind. Who wants to listen to someone talking loudly on a phone inside of an eatery? That is one of my biggest pet peeves. But, according to several Yelpers, at 18th Street you aren’t allowed to look at your phone. So if you want to grab a coffee, sit down and answer a few emails, be forewarned that you will not be allowed to (though the guy in the above photo appears to be doing so). The rule is apparently in place to encourage interaction and conversation. While I agree that it is a nice sentiment to want customers to interact with the people they are dining with rather than having their heads buried in cell phones during a visit, when someone is alone I don’t see why he or she should not be able to check their email or surf the web via their cell phone. I’m all about having rules and like the thought of a restaurant wanting to establish a peaceful, quiet environment, but there is also such a thing as overkill. (This scene from Bridesmaids comes to mind.)

It has long been rumored that the 18th Street Coffee House is owned by Bob Dylan and this 2002 Los Angeles magazine article stated that the place’s business permit, as well as that of the boxing club located downstairs from it, are in the name of Dylan’s manager, Jeff Rosen. When asked about the ownership, Jeff said, “I know nothing about that . .. Can’t you find something more interesting to write about?” Yep, that pretty much sums up the attitude of the whole place.

My coffee was excellent, though. The place was not so pretentious as to not offer whole milk (another of my pet peeves when it comes to coffee shops), so my latte was perfectly creamy and delicious. And I will say that the café is definitely picturesque, both inside and out, though I will, sadly, most likely not be going back.

The 18th Street Coffee Shop has appeared onscreen several times. In the Season 1 episode of Californication titled “The Devil’s Threesome,” which aired in 2007, Mia Lewis (Madeline Zima) and Dani (Rachel Miner) discussed what Dani thought was Mia’s new book [though the tome was actually written by Hank Moody (David Duchovny)] over coffee at 18th Street.

In 2009, the coffee shop popped up in the Season 7 episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm titled “Denise Handicapped,” as the spot where Larry David (playing himself) met a handicapped woman named Denise (Anita Barone).

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: 18th Street Coffee House, from the “Rash Decisions” episode of Modern Family, is located at 1725 Broadway in Santa Monica.

February 27, 2015February 27, 2015

Ronnie and Amber’s House from “Modern Family”

This season of Modern Family brought to life a storyline that is basically my worst fear – nightmare neighbors. Poor Phil (Ty Burrell) and Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) had their tranquility disturbed in the episode titled “Won’t You Be Our Neighbor” when loudmouth medicinal marijuana dealer Ronnie LaFontaine (Steve Zahn), his wife, Amber (Andrea Anders), and their two children moved in next door. It’s been a horrific (and rather comical) ordeal ever since, with antics including a dry-docked boat parked in the driveway, an invitation to swing and a rather ugly fight over Halloween decorations. So while in the Cheviot Hills area with my friends Lavonna, Kim, Melissa and Maria last November, I just had to stop by to do some stalking of the place.

[ad]

As depicted on Modern Family, the LaFontaine residence is located right next door to the Dunphys, at 10342 Dunleer Drive.

In real life, the Mediterranean-style dwelling is quite spectacular. The pad, which was originally built in 1933, boasts 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, 3,100 square feet and a 0.14-acre plot of land.

The house was recently listed as a rental with The Agency (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Mauricio Umanksy’s real estate company) for $9,500 a month (gardener and housekeeper included!). You can check out some interior pictures of the residence here. It is truly gorgeous inside, though I could do without that black-tiled bathroom.

The LaFontaine house has appeared in a few episodes of Modern Family, beginning with “Won’t You Be Our Neighbor.” In the episode, Phil takes on the listing for the house next door. Though he thinks he has found the perfect couple to purchase the place (not only does the husband collect fine wine, but he also works in PR for high-end shoe companies!), he and Claire scare them off, leaving room for the LaFontaines’ offer to be accepted.

The pad then popped up in “Halloween 3: AwesomeLand,” in which Claire and Ronnie went head-to-head in a battle to have the scariest decorated house in the neighborhood.

Most recently, it was featured in “The Big Guns,” in which Ronnie decided to park his large boat “Jackpot” in the homes’ shared driveway.

While we were stalking the residence, we happened to meet a woman who was working on the premises and she informed us that a house just up the street had also been used in “Halloween 3: AwesomeLand,” in the scene in which Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill) and Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (Sofia Vergara) took their kids trick-or-treating. So we ran right over to stalk it. Sadly though, very little of it can be seen in the episode.

As you can see below, in real life the house is much larger than it appeared to be onscreen.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Los Angeles magazine online.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Ronnie and Amber’s house from Modern Family is located at 10342 Dunleer Drive in Cheviot Hills. The residence where Jay and Gloria’s children trick-or-treated in “Halloween 3: AwesomeLand” is located a block west at 10424 Dunleer Drive.

September 9, 2014December 6, 2018

The Daily Grill at LAX from “Red Eye”

I am officially back from vacation today (yesterday’s post was pre-written). I could not have had a more fabulous time and was heartbroken when my best friend, Robin, and his family returned to their native Switzerland. During moments like this, I am reminded of the quote, “Don’t be sorry it’s over. Be glad it happened.”

[ad]

Before I get to today’s locale, I thought I would share some photos of the amazing house our group rented for the week. The pad was the perfect little oasis in the middle of Hollywood and we could not have enjoyed our time there more. I only wish our stay had been longer.

It is a tradition during each of Robin’s visits to grab one final cocktail at the Daily Grill at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal before he and his family board their return flight home. Knowing that the time to say good-bye is near, we are all typically in tears before our drinks have even arrived, so we have come to refer to the place as “the sad restaurant.” I blogged about the eatery back in December 2011 to chronicle its appearance in Friends with Benefits, but, at the time, was unaware that it had also been featured in the 2005 thriller Red Eye. So, prior to boarding our plane to Switzerland last summer, the GC and I headed over to the Daily Grill to both grab a drink and snap some more pictures. Somehow I completely forgot to write a second post on the place, though.

Flash forward to Robin’s visit this past April. When we arrived at LAX prior to his return flight, we were shocked to discover that the Daily Grill had been shuttered and completely gutted as part of the Tom Bradley Terminal’s current renovation, which is expected to be completed sometime next year. I was hoping that a new eatery would have opened in the former Grill space by the time that Robin and his family departed this past Friday evening, but the area is still a construction zone and, from what the nice lady at Swiss International Air Lines told us, there are no plans for a restaurant to be put in that area. So that only leaves one place in all of LAX located outside of the security checkpoints to grab a drink – Daniel’s Bistro + Bar, and let’s just say that it definitely does not have the same ambiance as the Daily Grill.

In Red Eye, Tom Bradley International Terminal stood in for Miami International Airport, where Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) landed after a rather scary flight from Dallas, Texas, during which she was kidnapped. Upon escaping her attacker and departing the plane, Rachel walked towards the Daily Grill.

My photograph below was shot from the opposite angle from which the scene was filmed, but you can see that the floor pattern matches in both images.

To hide from her kidnapper and airport security, Rachel then sat down with two strangers at a Daily Grill table. When the eatery was in existence, it took up the entire northeast portion of Tom Bradley’s mezzanine and was split in two by a concourse that ran through its middle. In Red Eye, Rachel sat in the portion of the restaurant seen on the right side of my photograph below (again, my picture was taken from the opposite angle from which the scene was shot).

The escalators located adjacent to the Daily Grill also appeared in the scene.

Those escalators were also featured in the 2005 romcom Rumor Has It.

Manny Delgado (Rico Rodriguez) headed up the same escalators to catch his flight to Columbia in the Season 5 episode of Modern Family titled “Suddenly, Last Summer.”

And the area just below the escalators, which serves as Tom Bradley’s ticketing counters, is where the Backstreet Boys danced in their 1999 “I Want It That Way” music video. You can watch it here.

As I talked about in my December 2011 post, the Daily Grill was featured in Friends with Benefits. In the movie, it masqueraded as the Newark Liberty International Airport restaurant where Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Mr. Harper (Richard Jenkins) ate a meal in their underwear.

In the scene, the two ate in the Daily Grill’s northeast section, in the area overlooking the international check-in counters.

For more stalking fun, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Los Angeles magazine online. And you can check out my other blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic, here.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Daily Grill, from Red Eye, was formerly located on the Mezzanine Level of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, inside of the Los Angeles International Airport at 380 World Way in Los Angeles. The entire terminal is currently under construction and there is no longer a restaurant in that area.

May 24, 2011May 23, 2011

Pappa Don’s Delicatessen from “Modern Family”

I must apologize in advance for the length of today’s post. I spent most of my day yesterday at the Walk of Fame star ceremony for American Idol creator Simon Fuller – an event which I will be writing about later this week – and therefore did not have time to write a very lengthy blog post for today, so I am sorry. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago a fellow stalker named Cait wrote a comment on my blog post about Carmine’s II Restaurant from the “Boy’s Night” episode of Modern Family alerting me to the fact that the series had filmed its Season 1 episode titled “Fifteen Percent” at Pappa Don’s Delicatessen in South Pasadena. In her comment, Cait said she “you probably already know this (you know everything!) . . .”, but I have to admit that not only did I NOT know that information, until reading Cait’s comment I had never even heard of Pappa Don’s! So I immediately added the restaurant to my lengthy “To Stalk” list and finally made it out there to stalk the place this past Thursday afternoon. Yay!

Pappa Don’s Delicatessen was originally founded by the eponymous “Pappa Don” in the early 1960s. Sometime during the 80s Pappa sold the restaurant to a chef named Harry – a man whom many diners came to refer to as the “Soup Nazi” due to his reportedly gruff exterior. Harry apparently had no tolerance whatsoever for patrons who added what he felt were inappropriate additions to his sandwich creations. LOL Sadly, Harry passed away unexpectedly in August of 2007 at the tender age of 58 and Pappa’s was forced to shutter its doors for a time. On February 28th, 2008, the deli re-opened, this time under new owners who thankfully made very few changes to the restaurant or its menu. Pappa Don’s Delicatessen is a VERY cool little spot that serves up some fabulous sandwiches at EXTREMELY low prices. Because I am diabetic and usually try to avoid carbs altogether, I was unfortunately not able to sample any of the deli’s grub, but I purchased one of their “Anchor” sandwiches – which consisted of tuna salad on sourdough with Swiss cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, and mayo, all for only $4.95 – to take home to the Grim Cheaper and he absolutely devoured the thing. Said it was one of the best tuna salad sandwiches he had ever eaten.

[ad]

In the “Fifteen Percent” episode of Modern Family, Cameron Tucker (aka Eric Stonestreet) runs into his father-in-law, Jay Pritchett (aka Ed O’Neill), who is hanging out with his group of friends in front of Pappa Don’s. While there Jay ends up introducing Cameron not as his son-in-law, but as “a friend of my son’s”.

When Cameron tells his husband Mitchell Pritchett (aka Jesse Tyler Ferguson) how he was introduced, Mitchell marches right on over to the deli to confront his father. While there, he ends up meeting Jay’s friend, Shorty (aka Chazz Palminteri), whom he is convinced is gay.

The deli showed up once again at the very end of the episode in the scene in which Shorty, who has spent most of the episode adamantly denying that he is gay, gifts Jay with two tickets to see “the great Michael Buble”, who “sings like an angel”. Ah, Shorty, I couldn’t agree with you more on that count! And he’s not bad to look at, either. Winking smile

Susanne, the SUPER-nice owner of Pappa Don’s, also informed me that the deli had been featured in the pilot episode of the new Fox television series Traffic Light, in the scene in which Mike (aka The Office’s David Denman), Adam (aka Nelson Franklin), and Ethan (aka Love Actually’s Kris Marshall) discuss the fact that Ethan can get away with saying anything, no matter how obnoxious, thanks to the fact that he has a British accent.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Cait for telling me about this location! Smile

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Pappa Don’s Delicatessen, from the “Fifteen Percent” episode of Modern Family, is located at 303 Pasadena Avenue in South Pasadena. You can visit the restaurant’s official website here. Pappa Don’s is open Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the place only accepts cash, so make sure to visit an ATM before you stop by.

May 5, 2011May 4, 2011

Carmine’s II Restaurant from “Modern Family”

This past Saturday night, I dragged the Grim Cheaper out to stalk a historic restaurant named Carmine’s II, which was featured prominently in the recently-aired Season 2 episode of Modern Family titled “Boys’ Night”. Carmine’s has been a virtual West-L.A.-institution for almost four decades now, having originally been founded in 1972 by New York native Carmine Competelli, Sr. The eatery, which featured authentic Italian recipes from the “old country”, became an instant success and, thanks to its close proximity to both The Culver Studios and Sony Pictures Studios (formerly MGM), was extremely popular with the showbiz set. Just a few of the luminaries who dined there regularly during the heyday of Hollywood include Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Linda Ronstadt, Robert DeNiro, Milton Berle, Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall, Ronald Reagan, and Governor Jerry Brown. Carmine became such close friends with members of the Rat Pack, in fact, that according to this article written by original Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman, Dean Martin drove Carmine’s eldest son, Carmine Jr., to his senior prom! When Carmine Sr. passed away in 1982 at the tender age of 52, Carmine Jr., who was then only 19 years old, took over management of the restaurant. At some point shortly thereafter he shuttered the property and then re-opened it in 1995 under the new name Carmine’s II. And it is still going strong to this day.

[ad]

In the “Boys’ Night” episode of Modern Family, Mitchell Pritchett (aka Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron Tucker (aka Eric Stonestreet) go for a boys’ night out at Carmine’s II along with their friends Pepper (aka Nathan Lane), Longinus (aka Kevin Daniels), and Crispin (aka Craig Zimmerman). While there, they run into Mitchell’s dad, Jay (aka Ed O’Neill), and much to Mitchell’s dismay, his friends invite Jay to join them for a few drinks. A good time ends up being had by all, though, and Mitchell ends up seeing a whole new side of his father.

While watching the episode, I had noticed a neon sign in the window of the restaurant that read “Carmine’s”.

So, I wrongly assumed that filming had taken place at Carmine’s Restaurant and Bar in South Pasadena (pictured above), an eatery that I had driven by countless times over the years, but had never dined at. It was not until I walked through the establishment’s front doors that I realized how wrong that assumption was! Oh, how to put this nicely? The Carmine’s in South Pasadena is a complete and total dive! Now I am not the type of girl who necessarily dislikes dive restaurants. Quite the contrary, in fact. But this was more of a duck!-cause-a-bar-fight-is-about-to-break-out-type of place than the we-serve-chicken-strips-and-ranch-dressing-in-a-casual-setting kind of establishment that I so adore. Upon our arrival, the GC took one look at our surroundings and said, “We are SO out of here!” It was not until I got home and did some online research later that night that I discovered that there was another, completely unrelated restaurant named Carmine’s located in the West-L.A.-area. (And yes, I am such a huge dork that I actually posed for the above photograph before realizing I was in the wrong place! As Pinky Lovejoy, from the Thinking Pink blog, would say, “MAJOR FAIL!”)

I cannot tell you how ecstatic I am that I was eventually able to track the correct Carmine’s down, as it was honestly one on the BEST restaurants that I have ever had the pleasure of dining at. Both the GC and I loved, loved, loved it! The setting is intimate and cozy with a definite Rat-Pack-vibe, the staff is some of the friendliest I have ever encountered, and the food . . . oh, what do I even say about the food? It was magnificent! When our bartender found out that it was our very first visit to Carmine’s, he informed us that we were not allowed to leave without first sampling some of the restaurant’s famous deep-fried calamari and I can honestly say that it was, hands down, the BEST fried calamari that I have ever eaten in my entire life! OMG! I’m salivating right now just thinking about it! The Chicken Milanese entrée that the GC and I split was also nothing short of incredible. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this place! Carmine Sr. always prided himself on the fact that he made his diners feel “at home” and Carmine Jr. has definitely upheld that tradition. After just one meal there, I can honestly say that Carmine’s II is my new favorite restaurant.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Carmine’s II restaurant, from the “Boys’ Night” episode of Modern Family, is located at 10463 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles. You can visit the restaurant’s official website here.

March 18, 2011March 17, 2011

Alicia Silverstone’s “The Kind Diet” Book Signing

This past Wednesday night I dragged the Grim Cheaper out to my favorite local bookstore, Vroman’s (which coincidentally just appeared in the most recent episode of Modern Family, but more on that later), to attend the book signing and discussion for Alicia Silverstone’s new lifestyle tome The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet. Even though I am not in any way, shape, or form a vegan, I was absolutely DYING to attend the book signing because, as I have mentioned a few times before on this blog, not only is Clueless one of my all-time favorite movies, but Alicia and I happened to grow up in the same hometown – San Mateo, California – so I have always had a very special place in my heart for the actress. Because I am a diabetic and on a very strict, virtually no-carbohydrate diet, though, and because most vegan diets that I have read about tend to favor carbs, I was not actually interested in purchasing a copy of Alicia’s book for myself. But my good friend Nat, who actually attended San Mateo High School – Alicia’s alma mater – is a vegan and she absolutely LOVES Alicia’s book – and her lifestyle blog, The Kind Life – so I decided I would purchase a copy for her as a little “just because” present. Which is how the GC and I found ourselves heading over to Vroman’s at about 5 p.m. this past Wednesday night. And, as always, before the event got started, I sent him outside to snap some photographs of Alicia when she arrived. Winking smile

The signing began right on time, at 7 p.m., but for some reason it was VERY strictly monitored. No photographs WHATSOEVER were allowed during the event – not when Alicia walked into the room, not during the discussion session, and not while standing in line waiting to have our books signed. We were told shortly before her arrival that each guest would be allowed one – and only one – posed photograph with Alicia (which I could NOT have been more excited about as most celebs will not actually pose for pictures during a signing), but otherwise photographs of any kind would not be allowed. To enforce this, two quite burly Pasadena policemen were on site and they threatened to remove anyone who was even spotted with a camera in their hands during the event! So I was extremely thankful that the GC had managed to snap some photographs of Alicia outside of the store.

Alicia, who is currently pregnant, was ABSOLUTELY adorable in person and much taller than I had expected her to be, although she was wearing some fairly tall heels. She walked directly to the podium upon arrival, introduced herself, and started speaking about why she decided to write The Kind Diet, which was an extremely surreal moment for me as it was like watching the Haitian immigrant debate scene from Clueless (pictured above) come alive before my very eyes. I kept having to pinch myself to make sure that it was all really happening and that I wasn’t actually at home sitting in front of my television set. I have to say that in person, Alicia reminded me A LOT of Cher, her Clueless alter-ego. In real life, Alicia has the same mannerisms, facial expressions, and vocal tendencies that I had grown so familiar with from watching the movie over and over again. And I can honestly say that I love Alicia even more now than I did before. The actress came off as extremely charming, warm, genuine, and sweet. She was also poised, well-read, and wildly knowledgeable about veganism, holistic medicine, and healthy nutrition. I was riveted listening to her and, while not a vegan, found myself agreeing whole-heartedly with the vast majority of what she had to say. She also handled herself incredibly well when one of the audience members asked her an asinine question about veganism and pregnancy, in which he tried to make Alicia look bad. (Honestly, if you don’t agree with her lifestyle and are not a fan of hers, then why come to the event????) Alicia responded to him, though, with honesty, wit, and a bit of snarkiness and ended up making him look like a complete and total moron. As we left the event, I found myself wondering how she managed to do that! I cannot tell you how much I would love to be able to tell a rude person off without breaking my cool and all the while seeming poised and charming. But I digress. I was most surprised to hear Alicia speak about diabetes and veganism. As it turns out, her diet does not favor carbohydrates at all and is actually very similar to the diet I am currently on, so it looks like I am now going to have to buy a copy of the book for myself!

After Alicia’s speech, which lasted about thirty minutes, we all lined up to meet the actress. Alicia really took her time with all of her fans and seemed to have an incredibly warm and open personality. And, as promised, every guest got to pose for a photograph with her, which I was absolutely floored about!

Nat’s signed book is pictured above.

[ad]

Alicia’s inscription reads, “Dear Natalie, Thank you for loving the book! <3, Alicia Silverstone”.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, fave show Modern Family recently did some filming on location at Vroman’s Bookstore. The final scene of the Season 2 episode titled “Two Monkeys and a Panda”, in which Mitchell Pritchett (aka Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron Tucker (aka Eric Stonestreet) peruse various books on parenting, took place near the store’s Current Event’s section.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Vroman’s Bookstore is located at 695 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. You can check out the store’s upcoming signings here. You can purchase Alicia Silverstone’s book The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet here. You can visit Alicia’s lifestyle blog, The Kind Life, here. And you can check out future L.A.-area book signings and other celebrity events on my Upcoming Celebrity Events page here.