October's SPIRITS with SPIRITS

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual gathering of regional ghost hunters. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.” All those who attend will receive a free G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have, please wear it so others can find you.

Tired of hearing about vampires? For those seeking refuge from those other dwellers of the night, come out and join us at one of the most anti-vampire restaurants in the Los Angeles area.

THE DATE: October 13th, 2009 (Tuesday)
THE PLACE: The Stinking Rose

(55 N. La Cienega, Beverly Hills) map
THE TIME: 8:00pm to the "Witching Hour"

THE GHOST(S):

There is a saying in the restaurant business that all you need is one truly good entree to make your restaurant a success. Based on this idea, Lawrence Frank started a business venture that many of his friends and colleagues thought was crazy. His plan was to open a very fancy restaurant that served a lavish prime-rib dinner with all the trimmings (in the midst of the Great Depression). His strategy was to limit the menu to just that one meal, thereby cutting many of the costs associated with running a restaurant, and subsequently he could pass the savings on to the customers. To keep his budget low, he purchased the almost worthless swamp land on the east side of La Cienega Blvd. He opened his restaurant in 1938, and called it "Lawry's," which he thought was a fancy-sounding mispronunciation of his own name Larry. To complete the experience, he even had a staff member costumed in a chef's white uniform (with a fake gold medal around the neck) to slice the meat at the table. Enough struggling families were able to treat themselves once and a while to a reasonably priced meal fit for a king that the restaurant became a success. Walt Disney would later try to copy this formula for his Plaza Inn Restaurant in Disneyland, which also served cheap prime-rib dinners.

As Lawry's client base grew (and the prices increased), the restaurant moved into a bigger building across the street in 1947. It was at this location that Lawry's invented "valet parking" to make the patrons feel even more special. Needless to say, other restaurants followed, and the swamp was converted into the world's first "restaurant row." Lawry's continued at this location, until 1993, when it moved back across the street (to its original site) and the Stinking Rose (with great food all its own) moved in.

Although, Lawry's no longer occupies this location, it appears that someone (or something) from that era still does. Various members of the kitchen staff have told GHOULA that there are strange happenings in the kitchen. After hours, the pots, pans, and other cooking tools seem to move by themselves, and appear in strange locations immediately after the staff have cleaned them and put them away for the night. One employee told a story about the time he and a co-worker were taking out the trash. As they hauled the bags into the dumpster behind the building, they heard an almost deafening crash (coming from the open door to the kitchen) followed by the clanging sounds of pots bouncing and rolling on the floor. They looked at each other and ran back inside, only to discover the kitchen just as neat and orderly as when they left it moments ago. Is this the playful ghost of Lawrence Frank, who spent so many years in this building, turning his restaurant into the corporate empire, whose Lawry branded food items can now be bought in super markets? Or, is it the frustrated spirit of a talented chef, who was forced to make the same meal over and over again, everyday for years? Come to the Stinking Rose and find out.

http://www.thestinkingrose.com/

(to see last month's SPIRITS with SPIRITS location...)