Musso and Frank Grill

Musso & Frank Grill is a restaurant located on Hollywood Boulevard. Their actual website is under construction however they have a fan site with 7 Chapters of history and stories.  Opened in 1919, it is steeped in Hollywood history, having been the hideout of a host of famous Hollywood celebrities from days gone by. It is named for original owners Joseph Musso and Frank Toulet.  As Hollywood's oldest eatery (since 1919), Musso & Frank is the paragon of Old Hollywood grillrooms. In its heyday it was a popular destination for Hollywood's elite, including movie stars, film directors and producers and the great writers F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Bukowski, William Faulkner, and Ernest Hemingway drank here during their screenwriting days and where Orson Welles used to hold court. Legend has it that Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, and Douglas Fairbanks raced each other down Hollywood Boulevard on horseback, the loser having to pick up the dinner tab at Musso & Frank's.

We went on a Thursday night, around 7ish, the restaurant was actually pretty empty but the bar was packed.  We scored 1 bar stool so we shared it/Grete stood.  The bartender was nice and anxious to make us a drink...whatever we wanted.  Grete chose a Grasshopper and I had a Cosmo.  They are known for their martini's but I'm not a big fan of straight up martini's so I went with the Cosmo.  I tried Grete's drink, a little too sweet for me.  It reminded me of the Girl Scout cookie, thin mint.  My Cosmo was good but nothing special.  If I were to go back, I would bite the bullet and try a dirty martini.  If it's going to be my first one might as well be at a place that is known to have the best in the city.

Their dinner menu looked good but we didn't get any eats.  They have nightly specials.  The special that night was prime rib and it reminded me of classic Hollywood which overall sums up the vibe of this place.  If you're in the mood to get glammed up (you don't have to) and relive the old days, Musso and Frank's Grill is the place to go.