July 13, 2008

I Love Lucy (and her restaurant too)


Lucy's El Adobe
5536 Melrose Avenue,
Hollywood, CA 90038
(323) 462-9421

Across the street from Paramount Studios, tucked away behind a curtain of vines and worn bricks lies Lucy's El Adobe, perhaps the best damn Mexican restaurant ever. This may be a bold statement, but many people would agree; Lucy's is the restaurant equivalent to Studio 54. Celebrities would flock to the little cafe for cocktails and dinner. It may be the restaurant's low key atmosphere, complete with dim lighting and small, private tables where it would be nearly impossible to be recognized. Or perhaps it's their delicious cheese enchiladas and rich hot chocolate, or their creamy, homemade flan that's always sold out by dinner time. Although this may sound like any other quaint L.A. restaurant, there is one thing El Adobe has that no one else does: their owner, Lucy.

Lucy is the sweetest lady you'll ever meet. She adds the extra warm touch that makes the food taste truly homemade by making you feel like you're eating out of her dining room. She's been the "earth mother" to many prominent people who frequent her restaurant, such as former California governor Jerry Brown. But her maternal instincts aren't just reserved for big wigs; she's been known to feed struggling musicians and actors, including my father in the '80s when he was a broke guitarist new to L.A.

Today Lucy's isn't quite the same as it was 30 years ago; the restaurant has increased considerably in size with addition of 2 patios and an outdoor bar. The prices of the former whole-in-wall's menu has gone up considerably with inflation. And unfortunately, Lucy is much older now and rarely works at the restaurant. Her son has taken over, and is responsible for many of the changes to beef up the restaurant, but the lack of Lucy's presence is certainly felt. But the service is still great; many of the waiters have been there for years, and if you go enough times, they'll remember what your "usual" is. And they still have the BEST enchiladas verdes I've ever had.