{"id":208287,"date":"2026-03-07T01:56:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T01:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/208287\/"},"modified":"2026-03-07T01:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T01:56:09","slug":"serving-spoon-among-l-a-restaurants-honored-by-james-beard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/208287\/","title":{"rendered":"Serving Spoon Among L.A. Restaurants Honored by James Beard"},"content":{"rendered":"

An award from the James Beard Foundation<\/a> cements your restaurant as a leader in the culinary world and bestows the respect of the late \u201cdean of American cookery\u201d on your establishment. About 25 years ago, the organization began to honor favorite vintage restaurants with a special America\u2019s Classics Award. <\/a>The class of 2026 was announced recently and includes a WWII-era oyster house in Philadelphia and century-old Johnny\u2019s Caf\u00e9 in Omaha.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"The Serving Spoon in InglewoodCredit: Photo courtesy The Serving Spoon<\/p>\n

Only one restaurant was honored in California, the modest Serving Spoon in Inglewood<\/a>. The building was built in 1969 and housed Molly\u2019s Coffee Shop in the 1970s. \u00a0Since 1983, the mini-mall soul food restaurant has received immediate rave reviews and continues to serve up catfish and collard greens, though the offerings these days mostly revolve around breakfast since the last seating is at 1:30 p.m. \u00a0Third-generation owners Justin Johnson and Jessica Bane keep up the family traditions.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"The Serving Spoon in InglewoodCredit: Photo courtesy The Serving Spoon<\/p>\n

In the 28 years the program has been in effect, only five L.A. area restaurants have received the honor: Philippe\u2019s<\/a>, Langer\u2019s<\/a>, Yuca\u2019s<\/a>, Casa Vega<\/a> and Guelaguetza<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Canter\u2019s DelicatessenCredit: Photo by Steven Miller<\/p>\n

The city of Los Angeles also has a program to recognize historic restaurants \u2013 and businesses of all kinds with 722 operations honored so far. The list includes plenty of restaurants like Cole\u2019s<\/a> and Eastside Deli <\/a>that date back over 100 years but is also filled with more contemporary shops like an ice cream shop and 98 cent store in South Central from the 1990s.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Cole\u2019s French Dip in Downtown Los AngelesCredit: Photo by Caterpillar84<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s surprising that icons like Musso and Frank<\/a> or Canter\u2019s<\/a> or Formosa Caf\u00e9<\/a> are not on either list. Some of L.A.\u2019s finest legacy restaurants are profiled in historian Peter Moruzzi\u2019s book Classic Dining: Discovering America\u2019s Finest Mid-Century Restaurants<\/a>. This writer wishes they could also be included on these surveys.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Musso & Frank GrillCredit: Photo by Courtney \u201cCoco\u201d Maul<\/p>\n