Vintage Vibes @ Formosa Café

Step out of this faded
eastern part of WeHo
and hop inside a blast
from the past:Tucked
away behind a massive
crimson red brick
frontage with white and
black striped awnings,
near the corner where
Santa Monica liaises
with La Brea Blvd., this
former trolley car-
turned-lounge evokes
a golden period when
Duesenbergs were
depositing fur-swathed
movie stars on the red
carpeted entryway.
Entering Formosa is
entering a time warp:
an authentic slice of L.A.
history, embodying the
(vintage-) stuff that
Tinseltown's folklore
is made of.

Opened in 1939 by
Jimmy Bernstein, the
Formosa Café has
been entertaining
celebrities and
Hollywood's
aristocracy in the '40s
and '50s. Today, the
sexy vintage vibes
still linger in the air,
although the clientele
definitely lacks the
cachet of its heyday.
Still highly atmospheric,
the aura of this time-
honored movie-star
hangout with venerable
Hollywood décor is
abuzz with pockets full
of memoirs and
nostalgia of a glorious
era: Its awe-inspiring,
dimly-lit film noir-esque
interiors are famed for
their iconic deep red
leather booths where
once Marilyn, Elvis,
Bogart and the likes
used to dig into chicken
chow mein, while Gable
and Sinatra rubbed
elbows at the long bar
sipping potent Martinis
into the wee.

Particularly eye-catching are
the 250 autographed black-
and-whites  – virtually the
Who is Who of Hollywood
– that hark back to Formosa
Café’s legendary past as a
supposed clandestine spot
for some precarious
Hollywood affairs: Legend
has it that Frank Sinatra
spent a good many nights
pining over Ava Gardner.
This must-visit destination
still bills itself as a celebrity
hangout and you may even
be lucky enough to spot Bono
or Beck in a booth.

Equally, civilian booze buddies,
in-the-know-hardcore-regulars,
history buffs, and dive bar busters
have a jolly love affair with this local
favorite, frequently popping in to
raise a glass – pre-dinner or after-
hours drinks – and ogle the view
from the rooftop patio that is open
Thursdays to Saturdays. While the
studio next door is still active in
both TV and movie production, the
Café serves as a popular industry
watering hole, dishing out mediocre
Chinese, American and seafood
dishes. While it started out as a
Chinese eatery, it has expanded
the menu in recent years to include
some Thai, Japanese, and Korean
dishes. Faithful patrons claim that
their Lobster Mac 'n Cheese is
addictive.
After dark Formosa's mixologists
work wonders, hand-crafting mean
concoctions that hit the spot. The
Whiskey Sour is going to rock your
world with egg whites, sugar syrup
and lemon juice.
Step into this vintage microcosm
of past Hollywood glamour and
chink flutes against a rarefied
backdrop of red and black hues
... like straight out of a Raymond
Chandler paperback.