Hollywood’s Iconic Restaurant Musso & Frank Turns 104!
Time to raise an ice cold Martini glass to Musso & Frank – because it turned 104!
Known for its iconic Martini, this classic Hollywood landmark is located on the famed Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood.
And what’s out front? That’s right, this place is so cool it has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame!
The legendary Musso & Frank Restaurant has been the watering hold for Hollywood’s biggest stars…
Musso & Frank has always been Hollywood’s clubhouse – name a star and they were there – usually enjoying one of their legendary Martinis – like this one that I had recently:
Quentin Tarantino’s brilliant “Once Upon A Time In…Hollywood” shot several scenes inside Musso & Frank with Leonardo Dicaprio, Brad Pitt and Al Pacino – reminding millions of film fans about this classic institution.
To celebrate their birthday, I say we toast with one of legendary Bartender Manny Aguirre’s Martinis!
I own their terrific coffee table book “The Musso & Frank Grill,” written by Michael Callahan and including recipes for such M&F favorites as sand dabs and calf’s liver!
Here’s a look at the restaurant interior, as it has looked for a century:
When we were recently at the restaurant, my wife Alex started with the classic avocado salad, which comes to the table with a half hard-boiled egg, tomato wedge, pickle spear and steamed asparagus spear!
What a classic old school dish! For her main course, she got the legendary Sand Dabs, presented simply on the plate:
I had a classic steak with a side of mashed potatoes and spinach…a great way to celebrates Hollywood’s past!
It all started in 1919, when Frank Toulet formed a fateful partnership with Joseph Musso. The men in 1922 hired French chef Jean Rue, who would showcase his artistry at Musso & Frank for 53 years.
Musso and Toulet sold their restaurant to a duo of Italian immigrants named Joseph Carissimi and John Mosso in 1927, and today, Musso & Frank is owned and operated by the families of Mosso’s three granddaughters: John and Cathy Echeverria and their son, Mark Echeverria; Steve and Anne Jones; and Richard and Kristen Kohlmeyer.
Perhaps the best news in the terrific story is that these signature Martinis will never be sold beyond this Hollywood location – they have stated they will NEVER expand to other locations:
“We’re here to serve our community,” Echeverria said. “It’s what we do.”
And serve it they do, including this iconic dish:
This classic Fettucine Alfredo dish has a star-studded beginning – click here for the story and the recipe so you can make it at home as well!
Sadly, there are very few places that survive this long in Hollywood:
Chasen’s was another classic restaurant, famous for their chili, which Elizabeth Taylor had flown to Rome while she was filming there!
Here’s the story of this classic Hollywood haunt – and that famous recipe, so you can make it at home yourself:
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Here’s to another 104 years of Musso and Frank Martinis!
Categories: Art, Books / Media, Food, food blog, Food Review, Hollywood, Memoirs, Pop Culture, Real Estate, Recipes, Restaurants, Talent/Celebrities, Travel Memoir, Wacky Food
johnrieber 
Happy Birthday is certainly in order!
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104!
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Thanks for letting me know it’s still open. I ate there almost every Saturday morning during the 27 years I spent living in the Hollywood Hills – within walking distance (though I mostly drove down the hill because I didn’t want to walk back up stuffed to the gills). I had several interesting “Hollywood” meetings, many dinners with creative folks, and of course a few martinis now and then. I hope it’s still open next spring when I come to LA to polish a book I am co-writing with an old partner about our various experiences in the biz!
Peter Barbour
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Thanks for the note! It’s going strong and in fact has expanded the location a bit – so you should be able to have a Martini – also look forward to the book!
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Good to see it has lasted for so long, John.
By comparison, Rules restaurant in Covent Garden, London, has been operating continuously since 1798, and it is still hard to get a booking for a table! 🙂
https://rules.co.uk/
Best wishes, Pete.
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HA! Well I’ve told you Pete that there is no respect for history in LA..everything gets torn down for the most part…so we try to support the few legendary places that still exist!
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Fascinating! If I’m ever in the area, I want certainly to stop by. After all, each of us is famous in our own way.
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As you say, not many restaurants survive for this length of time.
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