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[[File:Chasen's Restaurant, Los Angeles, June 1987-7290015520.jpg|thumb|right|Chasen's interior, June 1987]] |
[[File:Chasen's Restaurant, Los Angeles, June 1987-7290015520.jpg|thumb|right|Chasen's interior, June 1987]] |
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'''Chasen's''' was a restaurant frequented by entertainers in [[West Hollywood]], [[California]], located at 9039 [[Beverly Boulevard]] on the border of Beverly Hills. It opened for business in 1936 and was the site of the [[Academy Award]]s party for many years. It was also famous for its [[Chili con carne|chili]]. [[Elizabeth Taylor]] had several orders of Chasen's chili flown to the set of ''[[Cleopatra (1963 film)|Cleopatra]]'' in |
'''Chasen's''' was a restaurant frequented by entertainers in [[West Hollywood]], [[California]], located at 9039 [[Beverly Boulevard]] on the border of Beverly Hills. It opened for business in 1936 and was the site of the [[Academy Award]]s party for many years. It was also famous for its [[Chili con carne|chili]]. [[Elizabeth Taylor]] had several orders of Chasen's chili flown to the set of ''[[Cleopatra (1963 film)|Cleopatra]]'' in 1963 while filming in Rome.<ref>{{cite What the Great Ate: A Curious History of Food and Famebook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LffETl_hqAcC&pg=PA135|page=135|title=What the Great Ate: A Curious History of Food and Fame|publisher=Crown Publishing Group|last1=Jacob|first1=Matthew|last2=Jacob|first2=Mark|year=2010|isbn=978-0-307-46195-7}}</ref> |
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Many of the restaurant's regular customers had booths named in their honor. The [[Ronald Reagan]] booth is now on display at the [[Ronald Reagan Presidential Library]], and was where Reagan proposed to [[Nancy Reagan|Nancy Davis]]. Other well-known entertainers with their own booths included [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Alfred Hitchcock]], [[James Stewart]], and [[Groucho Marx]]. The restaurant suffered a decline in business over the course of many years and closed permanently in 1995.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Brown |first=David |date=February 20, 1995 |title=Chasen's Fadeout |journal=The New Yorker |location=New York City |editor-first=Tina |editor-last=Brown |editor-link=Tina Brown |issn=0028-792X |oclc=320541675 |accessdate= |
Many of the restaurant's regular customers had booths named in their honor. The [[Ronald Reagan]] booth is now on display at the [[Ronald Reagan Presidential Library]], and was where Reagan proposed to [[Nancy Reagan|Nancy Davis]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sh4RDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT255|page=255|title=L.A.'s Legendary Restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places Where Hollywood Ate, Drank, and Played|last=Geary|first=George|publisher=Santa Monica Press|year=2016|isbn=978-1-59580-801-1}}</ref> Other well-known entertainers with their own booths included [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Alfred Hitchcock]], [[James Stewart]], and [[Groucho Marx]]. The restaurant suffered a decline in business over the course of many years and closed permanently in 1995.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1995/02/20/chasens-fadeout|last=Brown |first=David | page=88| date=February 20, 1995 |title=Chasen's Fadeout |journal=[[The New Yorker]] |location=New York City |editor-first=Tina |editor-last=Brown |editor-link=Tina Brown |issn=0028-792X |oclc=320541675 |accessdate=5 February, 2020|url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1995/02/20/1995_02_20_088_TNY_CARDS_000369220 |url-access=}}</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Revision as of 14:46, 5 February 2020
| Chasen's | |
|---|---|
 Chasen's entrance from Beverly Blvd. October 1997 | |
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1936 |
| Closed | April 1, 1995 |
| Previous owner(s) | Dave Chasen (1936–1973) Maude Chasen (1973–1995) |
| Food type | American |
| Dress code | Formal |
| Street address | 9039 Beverly Boulevard |
| City | West Hollywood |
| State | California |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 90048 |
| Country | US |
| Coordinates | 34°04′39″N 118°23′21″W / 34.0774°N 118.3892°W |
| Known for | Favorite of Hollywood elite and other celebrities |
Chasen's was a restaurant frequented by entertainers in West Hollywood, California, located at 9039 Beverly Boulevard on the border of Beverly Hills. It opened for business in 1936 and was the site of the Academy Awards party for many years. It was also famous for its chili. Elizabeth Taylor had several orders of Chasen's chili flown to the set of Cleopatra in 1963 while filming in Rome.[1]
Many of the restaurant's regular customers had booths named in their honor. The Ronald Reagan booth is now on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and was where Reagan proposed to Nancy Davis.[2] Other well-known entertainers with their own booths included Frank Sinatra, Alfred Hitchcock, James Stewart, and Groucho Marx. The restaurant suffered a decline in business over the course of many years and closed permanently in 1995.[3]
History
Comedian Dave Chasen opened the restaurant in December 1936[4] on the advice of director Frank Capra.
it was initially called "Chasen's Southern Pit". The New Yorker's editor Harold Ross funded the operation, along with business associate Daniel Silberberg.[4]
It was nothing more than a shack at the beginning, but it quickly became well known for its chili and was soon a favorite among Hollywood actors. Capra had to lend Chasen his silverware for the restaurant's operation.[4]
Walt Disney, Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Temple, Cary Grant, Jack Benny, Jackie Gleason, W. C. Fields, James Cagney, Clark Gable, and F. Scott Fitzgerald were customers. As newer generations took the reins of Hollywood, trendier restaurants drew the celebrities and stole some of Chasen's clientele, but many stayed faithful to the end. Gregory Peck, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Richard Nixon, James Stewart, Don Rickles, Milton Berle, Kirk Douglas, Ronald Reagan, and Jack Lord were still regulars, along with newer celebrities such as John Travolta, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and Mel Gibson. Ed McMahon and Johnny Carson were frequent guests. Carol Burnett treated guest stars of her variety show to dinner at Chasen's following the Friday night tapings from 1967 to 1978. Chasen's did not accept credit cards. Instead, established or recognized customers simply signed for their charges and had a bill mailed to them.[5][6]
The restaurant closed on April 1, 1995 and the site was used for private parties and as a filming location (The Opposite of Sex). In 1997, its contents were auctioned off, including pictures, bars, booths, and paneling. Many original photos and artwork from Chasen's walls, ten of the booths, and the barstools are now found in Santa Paula, California in the Mupu Grill on Main street, including a piece by LeRoy Neiman of Tommy The Maitre'D. Comedian Brian Haley purchased the Frank Sinatra booth, the bar, the front awning, and many other items. The original building was demolished except for the Beverly Blvd side and a Bristol Farms grocery store was built in its place. The store's cafe features several booths from the original Chasen's and some of the original paneling.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Template:Cite What the Great Ate: A Curious History of Food and Famebook
- ^ Geary, George (2016). L.A.'s Legendary Restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places Where Hollywood Ate, Drank, and Played. Santa Monica Press. p. 255. ISBN 978-1-59580-801-1.
- ^ Brown, David (February 20, 1995). Brown, Tina (ed.). "Chasen's Fadeout". The New Yorker. New York City: 88. ISSN 0028-792X. OCLC 320541675. Retrieved 5 February, 2020.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b c Kunkel, Thomas (1995). Genius in Disguise. New York: Random House. p. 237. ISBN 0-679-41837-7.
- ^ Grace, Michael (October 25, 2011). "CHASEN'S – Dave Chasen's legendary Hollywood restaurant to the stars didn't allow credit cards or "celebrity chefs"!". Cruising the Past. (blog).
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Kang, Matthew (2015-01-30). "Only A Shadow Remains of Chasen's, One of LA's Most Historic Restaurants". Eater LA. Retrieved 2019-10-23.