First, Let Me Fix You A Drink…
It’s the best Martini in Hollywood, and it’s served at the legendary Musso & Frank restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard!
This photo is from their Cookbook / Memoir, and I will be cooking from it for my latest “52 In 22” challenge!
Grab your cocktail, take a seat, and get hungry, because I have a legendary “True Hollywood Story” to tell…
This is the stack of the second ten cookbooks I am cooking through for my yearlong “52 In 22” cooking challenge.
Second from the bottom is the terrific cookbook / memoir from “The Musso And Frank Grill” – timeless and delicious food and a legendary Hollywood hangout.
Working in the entertainment industry, I have many friends who call this their second home.
The restaurant opened in 1919 – and has survived the pandemic and is still going strong – it’s located in the heart of Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard – and it has a star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame right outside the front door…so let’s discuss our cooking challenge for today!
So that’s my goal: and let’s get started with one of their signature appetizers – this is a photo from the cookbook:
Stuffed Celery feels like its from another era because it is, but the memoir tells great stories of the celebrities who have enjoyed these iconic dishes…
This is the recipe from the cookbook – and I’m going to make it at home!
Here are the ingredients…I used a pound of crumbled Rocquefort Cheese, a cup of sour cream, and salt and pepper…
Combine it as creamy as you like an set aside, then drain a can of black olives and have those ready as well…of course, my Whole Foods olives were a bit more naturally brown, but they taste just as good.
Next, make your Vinaigrette…half a shallot dices, a teaspoon and a quarter of Mustard, two ounces of red wine vinegar and I used 5 oz. of olive oil…
Add it all together and stir until it’s creamy, then set aside…
Next, cut your celery sticks into the size you like, and stuff with the Roquefort mix…they are ready to plate.
Last part involves chopping your romaine hearts, add the watercress in torn pieces, and stir in your vinaigrette…put your stuffed celery sticks on top, add a black olive and sprinkle with paprika and here you are:
The next part of this classic Hollywood feast is to head to Rome and see how Alfredo made his famous pasta dish – here’s the famous story:
Here is the recipe and famous story in the cookbook:
Making Alfredo’s Fettucine!
Here’s the recipe and a photo of the finished dish from the book – and I will explain what makes this recipe so special in a moment. First, let’s get cooking!
OK, I see what you are thinking: why didn’t I make fresh pasta? Because I didn’t – I don’t currently have a pasta rolling machine, and felt trying to do it from scratch wouldn’t be good for the finished product.
So this is store-bought fresh Fettucine – the other two ingredients are butter and parmesan cheese.
Here’s the trick however, to making this extra special – first, cook the pasta in less water, just enough to cook it – here’s why:
You see, the pasta water has a much more flavorful pasta taste because there is so little water – add a cup to the butter, cook it down by half, and there is your sauce!
Add the cooked pasta into the sauce and combine it all…shave parmesan in as well, mix it all up and make your Martini!
The Cookbook / Memoir tells stories of how simple yet delicious the Musso & Frank Martini is – served ice cold, stirred never shaken! Just Vodka strained through ice!
Now, time to plate the Fettucine!
Shave your desired amount of Parmesan cheese over the top, sprinkle a bit of basil on it, and slide it next to your Celery Sticks and Martini, and your multi-course Musso & Frank feast awaits…
It was a trip back in time!
The Fettucine Alfredo is creamy and silky, the celery sticks are a fun burst of flavor, and the Martini ice cold and deliciously refreshing!
One last note: Musso & Frank is also renowned for their Sand Dabs dish – which my friend Alison Martino just had:
Make this and you will love it! As for Alison, her Father is the legendary Singer Al Martino – who also happens to play “Johnny Fontaine” in “The Godfather!”

Alison does more to keep classic Hollywood alive than anyone else in town!
As for Musso & Frank, they have a star on the Walk Of Fame – see that story here:
And if you want to know more about Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks – who got Chef Alfredo to give up his Fettucine recipe, stop by their “Pickfari” estate, which is right down the hill from my house!
Click here for that story:
If you are still reading, you probably know that I am cooking 52 recipes from one of my 52 cookbooks in 2022: called the “52 In 22” cooking challenge!
That included this “bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin” from Anthony Bourdain – click here to see how I did:
If you go to my main page, you can sign up and every week another recipe will show up on your doorstep!
Also, my food blog has al of them as well, plus so much more!
Click here to see all of the fun food from around the world I share!
Let me know what you think of my “52 In 22” challenge and my classic Hollywood feast!
If you like the story, share it with friends on social media! Thanks!
Categories: Art, Books / Media, cookbooks, Food, food blog, Food Review, Hollywood, Italy, Los Angeles, Memoirs, Pop Culture, Recipes, Restaurants, Talent/Celebrities, Travel, Travel Memoir, Wacky Food
A fantastic meal, John. Thanks for sharing these great recipes.
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I might have to skip the starter, as I don’t care for Roquefort Cheese. But I am ready to join you for the pasta and the martini! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Any time Pete…you’d LOVED the restaurant! So much Hollywood history!~
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John! Sometimes you have so many good things in a post, I’m overwhelmed. My ‘ants on a log’ are good, but light years away from your stuffed celery. And the simple secret to Alfredo? Sheesh! The best Italian cooks always have simple recipes.
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Thank you for such a terrific comment! Yes, the creaminess of the water, since you use so little to boil the pasta, really makes a creamy butter-infused sauce!
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Brilliant idea, and I’d like to be a fly on the wall when the chef discovered that method. Best to you, John!
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these do seem to be classic retro dishes, timeless. and the martini looks magnificent. I’m a huge fan of cookbooks with the stories immersed in with the recipes.
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Yes, this place LOVES making classics: they have a stuffed avocado and a liver and onions dish as well! The place is filled with Hollywood history – it has been THE celebrity hangout for a century! Thanks for commenting!
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sounds amazing
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Oh wow, looks amazing! It’s always great to be able to recreate the food from a famous restaurant! Well done, John!👍✨
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It was so much fun! Thank you for your comment!
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These look wonderful! And those celery stix take humble celery to a whole different level!
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This meal looks fabulous and is something I would enjoy!! Thanks.
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