Saturday, December 17, 2005

The Bounty and Other Landmarks

Fast week. Friday night was our company holiday dinner. At the H. M. S. Bounty which, along with my office building, is right across the street from the Ambassador Hotel.

It was very comfortable and cozy. Ramon set up our party of 28 in the back dining room with its red velvet walls and deeply tufted crescent booths. The Chilean Merlot was good and while I had the Salmon, Will had the Fish and Chips. Salmon was excellent; Will wasn'’t as thrilled with his Fish and Chips.

The Bounty'’s a really cool place. Unpretentious, nice and dark, and the drinks are strong. In the 8 years I'’ve worked on the next block we'’ve had a few get togethers there after work. Get about 6 people at a table and Ramon starts bringing out the good snacks (egg rolls and chicken wings), on the house. The last time I was in there for drinks after work, Kiefer Sutherland walked in. Hey, it'’s L. A. Nothing new.

The old timer’s still go there. Jeopardy on the T. V. behind the bar. The regulars and the hip. Great place to hang out.

It's such a shame that the Ambassador couldn'’t be saved. I hope the H. M. S. Bounty doesn'’t someday meet the same end. But then again, inevitably, landmarks come and go. The Brown Derby on the same block is gone. Well, there is something left of it. The restaurant was torn down and the dome is all that remains sitting atop a Korean cafe or nightclub in the strip mall that was built on its former site.

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