{"id":170332,"date":"2026-02-09T13:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T13:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/170332\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T13:00:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T13:00:14","slug":"nostalgic-l-a-venues-that-will-take-you-back-to-a-different-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/170332\/","title":{"rendered":"Nostalgic L.A. venues that will take you back to a different era"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In May 2026 my father will be turning 95 years old! We, his three children, wish to throw him a party for about 12 people. Some guests will be elderly with walkers and canes. We would love to host this on a budget and preferably either in the San Fernando Valley or on the Westside. If it really fits the bill, we would consider other parts of Los Angeles as well. Maybe a lovely patio or some sort of charming restaurant that harks back to another time that my father would enjoy.<\/p>\n

My dad is a retired game show television producer. He loves the arts, writing, movies, comedy, sports, TV and even continues to produce entertainment shows at his senior assisted living facility. We are so blessed to have him in our lives. \u2014 Amy Greenberg<\/p>\n

\"L.A. <\/a> <\/p>\n

Looking for things to do in L.A.? Ask us your questions<\/a> and our expert guides will share highly specific recommendations.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what we suggest: <\/p>\n

Happy early birthday to your dad! Ninety-five is a major feat that is definitely worth celebrating. I\u2019ve put together a list of four restaurants with patios that I think will fit the vibe that you\u2019re looking for. <\/p>\n

When I think about nostalgic eateries, Casablanca<\/a> in Venice is the first spot that comes to mind. Open since 1980, the old-school Mexican restaurant doubles as a shrine to the 1943 film of the same name. It offers all of the Mexican classics you\u2019d expect (burritos, tacos and quesadillas) and even has a margarita cart. There\u2019s an outdoor patio (which can be reserved for a fee on Thursdays or Sundays), but my colleague Amy King, Times creative director and deputy managing editor, says the vibe is much cooler inside. For special occasions, notably birthdays, the restaurant gives the celebrant a padlock to place on a gate outside of the restaurant \u2014 a callback to the Pont des Arts in Paris, a bridge where visitors used to place \u201clove locks.\u201d <\/p>\n

Given that your father worked in show business, he may already be familiar with the Smoke House in Burbank<\/a>, which is just minutes away from Warner Bros. Studios. With headshots of stars hanging on the walls and blood-red vinyl booths, the restaurant has been a draw for Hollywood types since the late 1940s. My colleague Christopher Reynolds, who recently went with his wife and friends who were visiting from out of town, tells me \u201cYou really feel that the restaurant has been in that location since 1949.\u201d He also says the cheesy garlic bread is a must-try. If you\u2019d prefer a semi-private room instead of a table in the main dining room, the minimum fee is $1,200, which will be applied to your order. <\/p>\n

For a laidback restaurant with a backyard barbecue feel, consider Le Great Outdoor<\/a> in the Bergamot Station complex in Santa Monica. The completely alfresco restaurant is adorned with picnic tables spread across two levels and dreamy string lights. Le Great Outdoor\u2019s menu changes based on what\u2019s available at the local farmers market and everything is cooked over a live fire. Senior food editor Danielle Dorsey<\/a> notes that the restaurant has a \u201ccasual and convivial\u201d atmosphere, making it a fun place to host a birthday party, especially on a sunny day. <\/p>\n

Another great Westside option is Gilbert\u2019s El Indio<\/a> in Santa Monica, which has \u201cgood food and a nice patio,\u201d King also tells me. Even \u201cFull House\u201d star Jodie Sweetin has given the family-owned restaurant her stamp of approval<\/a>: \u201cIt\u2019s just such a great classic California-Mexican restaurant,\u201d she said in her Sunday Funday feature. A staffer told me that it\u2019s best to call the restaurant to make a reservation for your party. <\/p>\n

Your dad sounds like such an interesting and fun man, so I hope that these recommendations help you plan a great birthday party for him. If you end up checking out any of these spots, please send us a photo. We\u2019d love to see it. Good luck with planning and, most importantly, have a wonderful time! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In May 2026 my father will be turning 95 years old! We, his three children, wish to throw…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":170333,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[81678,44007,6314,14063,81680,48,52,51,81679,47,50,49,63,24696,19394,1457,8267,5614,315,38280,44538],"class_list":["post-170332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-95-year-old-dad","tag-birthday-party","tag-father","tag-fee","tag-first-spot","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-le-great-outdoor","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-los-angeles-times","tag-party","tag-patio","tag-restaurant","tag-santa-monica","tag-table","tag-time","tag-vibe","tag-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}