cafe 50's

for a quintessential diner experience, you've gotta check out cafe 50's on santa monica boulevard. not only is the whole place decked out in 1950's kitsch, but the waitresses are all dressed up in red and white, and the cooks even wear those cute little cook hats. i mean, seriously, how adorable is that?! the ceilings and walls are covered in old school movie posters. there are mini-juke boxes in every booth. and there are tons of games to play with while you're eating: battleship, connect four, operation, uno, etc. if you want, you can even sit at the counter and watch the cooks do their thing while you're sipping on your yummy milkshake.

while eating out is certainly about the whole dining experience, i must say that the food at cafe 50's is absolutely YUMMILICIOUS. eri and i pretty much go once every 2 months (at least) -- it's our favorite roomie dine-out spot (considering that we don't dine out together too much). and if you join their frequent diner program, you get coupons in the mail for great discounts and free entrees/desserts/shakes! it totally makes the trip worth it. plus they have specials every single day of the week, like 50% off burgers and omelettes on mondays, and pajama night the last wednesday of every month (where you can get free food if you wear a traditional, two-piece jammie set -- no slinky numbers allowed!). i've yet to try the jammie thing, but i suppose it's fun for the kids. and don't forget: there are magicians over the weekend! (yeah, if you like that sort of thing. ahem. ok, just checking.)

even though i've gone on and on about everything else, the food is seriously REALLY good. (crystal was apparently not a fan, but i've had enough diner food to know that this place is pretty top-notch.) the menu is humongoid, but before you look at anything else, you really should check out the shake list. i mean, SERIOUSLY. i think the best thing is probably the pumpkin shake, but sadly, that's only offered during the fall months. (why, i have no idea, especially since anyone can get canned pumpkin nowadays -- which btw is totally DELISH -- but i won't complain b/c distance/time makes the heart grow fonder.) personally, when i can't get the pumpkin shake, i drool just as much over the coffee and oreo cookie shakes. i tried the breakfast shake last night, but it was simply too healthy. i've been dying to try the sunshine shake, so i think that'll be up next.

in terms of options, the menu is FABulous and seriously has something for everyone. i used to love going in and getting breakfast food -- yummy (and huge) omelettes, chorizo and eggs (mmm...), joe's scramble (eggs, beef, cheese, HEAVEN), all w/a side of order of crispy bacon (pork is best, but turkey ain't shabby) and a big glass of iced coffee. BTW, REMEMBER THAT ONE WHOLE EGG IS 70% OF YOUR DAILY CHOLESTEROL ALLOTMENT!! as soon as i learned that, i was THRILLED w/myself for having gotten egg white omelettes every time i've ordered omelettes. eek! to think that they make JUMBO omelettes with FIVE eggs. GROSSNESS. in any case, grease certainly makes food taste good. mmm....

even though i still get breakfast every now and again, i've certainly expanded out over the years. the calico cobb salad (every so often w/blue cheese dressing) is ginormous and delicious. i've even tried the luscious fried mac 'n cheese. granted, it's only good for the first 5 minutes when it's hot and melty, but it's AMAZING. deep friend mac 'n cheese wedges. i mean, who can argue w/something like that? and while i don't like sandwiches generally, i had a hankering for a grilled cheese last night. and it totally hit the spot! i wish i'd had more of an appetite (and/or not been vegetarian for the month), b/c i'd love to have tried the fried egg sandwich or the BLT. mmm.... next time i suppose! i'm sure i won't have a problem remembering.

needless to say, i've already expounded on the MANY reasons that cafe 50's is one of my top picks in LA. however, i have to add that it helps that eri loves it too! and so did marie (our old roommate)! so it's kind of like a nostalgic place to come back to every so often. i think we all need at least one of those in our immediate vicinity!

check it:

cafe 50's
11623 santa monica blvd
west los angeles, ca
310.479.1955

http://www.cafe50s.com/index.html