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Clifton's Brookdale, Los Angeles, CA (restaurant) |
pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1563
From: Mass.
|  Posted: 2006-04-06 1:00 pm Permalink
Name: Clifton's Brookdale
Type: restaurant
Street: 648 South Broadway
City: Los Angeles
State: CA
Zip: 90014
country: USA
Phone: 213.627.1673
Status: operational
Description:
Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria, Downtown Los Angeles
[ Edited by: Bora Boris - Updated name and status. - 2011-09-06 16:35 ]
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1563
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2006-04-06 1:02 pm Permalink
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TikiJosh
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 01, 2005
Posts: 735 | Posted: 2006-04-06 1:39 pm Permalink
Oh. My. God.
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Hakalugi
Site Administrator
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 2960
From: Redondo Beach, CA
| Posted: 2006-04-06 1:46 pm Permalink
More info in the BOT and here:
http://www.cliftonscafeteria.com/pages/history_pacific_seas.html
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mrsmiley
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 3170
From: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2006-04-06 2:49 pm Permalink
Clifton's had/has a few locations and some of them are still open. The Pacific Seas is the tropical one that is no longer. Clifton's "Brookdale" is still around and although it is not tiki at all, I highly recommend checking it out. You won't believe your eyes!!
648 South Broadway, Los Angeles, California 90014
Telephone: 213.627.1673
Open 7 days a week - 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
http://www.cliftonscafeteria.com/pages/brookdale_photos.html The pictures don't do it justice.
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tikivixen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 28, 2002
Posts: 724
From: Vallejo CA
| Posted: 2006-04-06 3:19 pm Permalink
I heartily second that. It's worth braving downtown LA for (and you get to see some amazing old architecture along the way, too, including the numerous sad-but-lovely decaying movie palaces.) Clifton's is one of my favorite places on earth. It's magical...don't miss it!
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hiltiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 2980
From: Reseda, calif.
| Posted: 2006-04-06 7:37 pm Permalink
A lot of the old and dying buildings are being converted to lofts, and condos. you should check it out you are in for a surprize.
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Coco Joe
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 27, 2008
Posts: 721
From: Los Angeles
| Posted: 2010-09-18 11:33 am Permalink
Clifton's has been sold to a new owner and they are planning on adding a tiki bar
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2010/09/cliftons_sold_will_go_mor.php
_________________
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JOHN-O
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 16, 2008
Posts: 2646
From: Dogtown, USA
| Posted: 2010-09-18 11:52 am Permalink
Hopefully they will retain the "forest" decor of the lower levels. The 3rd-level has a vague regency-style, my guess is that's where the Tiki bar will be. If they have to do this, I hope it's a homage to the Pacific Seas location.
I knew the business was struggling, it's better this than have the place disappear altogether. The renovation to Cole's was pretty tasteful but I miss its former dumpy historic charm and the loss of the back room. We did gain Varnish however. I suspect the new Clifton's will be along the same lines.
If anyone wants to experience Clifton's before its eventual closing (before the renovation), I'm planning a TC group lunch there on Oct 16th...
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=37666&forum=17&vpost=552033
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tikiyaki
Grand Member (7 years) 
Joined: May 18, 2004
Posts: 2696
From: The Exotic Port of REDONDO BEACH, CA
| Posted: 2010-09-18 5:34 pm Permalink
"Clifton's sold, will go more hipster"
Great...Tiki Bars are considered "hipster"...just what we need...
While that probably works great up in San Francisco (San Francisco (Nor-Cal hipsters are less...."Hollywood") , LA hipsters are the worst kind.
Well, hopefully most of us middle-aged hawaiian shirt wearing geeks will help keep the Ed Hardy douchebag element away.
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scispy
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Sep 28, 2005
Posts: 33
From: LA/Texas
| Posted: 2010-09-19 07:56 am Permalink
I love tiki as much as the next person but I say NO to the tiki bar.
As far as I am concerned Clifton's needs to remain Clifton's.
As much as it kills me to say it- If it can't remain Clifton's then it needs to close.
My family has been going there forever. I never miss it when I am in CA.
It's The only place where you can sit and eat your mac n cheese next to a 90 year old white lady with pearls and gloves on on one side of you and a hobo with a trash bag for a purse on the other side. I remember getting all dolled up when I was a tiny girl and going shopping downtown with my grandma to Bullocks for her hats. Then to Mandels for shoes and off to Cliftons for a wonderful lunch. Such good memories.
I never trust these hipsters who buy landmarks.
If they were to buy it out and just close up Clifton's and make a niteclub there would be strong opposition. But if they buy it and say they will keep Clifton's and add a new venue upstairs to me it just means they will just keep Clifton's open for a year or two and then say it is losing too much money and will have to close. It is just a slow death for Clifton's. If it stays open I will be very suprised.....
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donhonyc
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 13, 2003
Posts: 1173
From: The Quiet EAST Village
| Posted: 2010-09-19 8:08 pm Permalink
Quote:
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I never trust these hipsters who buy landmarks.
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I hear that loud and clear. Thankfully I made it to Clifton's twice on my last few visits to LA. Once of my good friends is married to someone who was born and raised there and she had never visited Clifton's, so I was glad to be a non-resident of Los Angeles taking them there for their first visit. As far as how cool that place is goes beyond words. That little 'chapel' or should I say 'worship booth' on the second floor was beyond amazing.
When I was there I thought "they used to have stuff like this in New York, but no more. LA is way ahead of the game in pop-cultural preservation". Then I thought that sometime in the future I might eat those words, but there was still a chance that LA would come out the hero in preservation of this nature. I guess I was wrong. All I can say is the same thing I say when places like this go away: 'glad I was there when it was, really what it was'.
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JOHN-O
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 16, 2008
Posts: 2646
From: Dogtown, USA
| Posted: 2010-09-19 9:34 pm Permalink
Guys, give the place a chance. If all Andrew Meieran wanted to do was open a "hipster" place, believe me there are cheaper locations in downtown to start from scratch. Why pay for a place that has Clifton's brand just to gut its unique history and decor?
I like the idea of an upstairs bar, it would be cool to hang out at Clifton's late into the night. I'm willing to sacrifice the 3rd-level if that's what will save the place. Plus would a Poly-Pop homage to Clifton's South Seas (which I'm assuming is what they mean by "Tiki") be such a horrible thing?
What's happening in Downtown is really exciting, especially when a historic thoroughfare like Broadway is inching back to it's 1930's glory. Yes sometimes the crowd can get too "Hollywood" or USC Fraternity Row but for the most part most of the new nightlife (other than LA Live) is leveraging on downtown's historic character rather than destroying it.
Not every situation is going to be a Beverly Hills Trader Vic's. Again even though I miss the dumpy charm of the old Coles PE Buffet, I think they did a pretty good job of injecting new life into the place while retaining its history. Plus have you tasted the cocktails at Varnish (located inside Cole's)? It's top notch mixology.
I remain optimistic and look forward to the "new" Clifton's. 
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JOHN-O
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 16, 2008
Posts: 2646
From: Dogtown, USA
| Posted: 2010-09-21 1:28 pm Permalink
A little more encouraging news in this LA Times article ....
"Andrew respects the Clifford Clinton legacy that is very much a part of this business and he wants to respect our principles."
"It will fully be Clifton's as people know it," (Andrew) Meieran said. "What it's historically been will continue."
"Clifton's is designed around comfort food. That's where its strengths lie," he said. "I have no intention of changing that."
Meieran also plans to remove the metal facade attached to the front of the building in the 1960s and restore the former concrete-and-stucco exterior.
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Hakalugi
Site Administrator
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 2960
From: Redondo Beach, CA
| Posted: 2010-09-21 1:38 pm Permalink
Aside from the amazing themed decor, another great thing about Clifton's Brookdale is the "museum" on the third floor as well as all of the historical photos on the walls scattered throughout the place. I wonder what's going to happen to all that? It's like a giant Clifton's scrapbook. I would think that the new owner wouldn't be getting that stuff as he's not part of the Clifton family.
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