1960s-era celebrity hangout Dear John’s is scheduled to close in two years. Until then, a nightly farewell pop-up bash.
Stepping into Dear John’s in Culver City, my pupils dilate as far as they can. The dining room is as dark as a planetarium simulating deep space; the sparkle-coated drop ceiling above the bar glints like a far-off star system. As my eyes adjust, I can make out a panorama of midcentury kitsch-splendor: wood paneling, distressed brick, red tablecloths, enveloping leather booths. The jubilant crowd looks remarkably dressed up.
Actor Johnny Harlowe opened Dear John’s in 1962 — at the urging, so goes the story, of his buddy Frank Sinatra. Frequented by the legend, and with two movie studio complexes nearby, the restaurant was a fixture for celebrities and other entertainment-industry types. Harlowe sold the restaurant in the ’80s; the glitterati moved on and Dear John’s languished. Last year it briefly incarnated as a place called Lucky’s that served quesadillas, nachos and cheeseburgers.
Server Hank Kelly is an art piece unto himself. Dapper in his penguin suit, with gray streaking through his dark hair, he’s the house ace with tableside Caesar salads. The restaurant’s partners recruited him from Vito in Santa Monica, where for years he made a show of marrying olive oil and lemon juice in a wooden bowl, flurried with parm, united with romaine and croutons. His suave moves now set the perfect mood at Dear John’s.
Desserts, modeled after steakhouses of yore, swerve rich to the point of silliness: a hunk of citrus-kissed cheesecake, a bombastic sundae finished with colored sprinkles and one radiant maraschino cherry. Have another cocktail instead — a rummy Hemingway, maybe, or a potent Vieux Carre. This team doesn’t give in to camp; none of the drinks will leave you with a sugar headache.
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