The Formosa Cafe

Location, location, location.

Just across the street from the studio lot that once held companies like Pickford-Fairbanks (1922), United Artists (1927), Samual Goldwyn (1940), and eventually Warner Bros Hollywood (1980), the Formosa Cafe was the destination of choice for both starlets and mobsters alike during Hollywood's golden age.

It was here, surrounded by cigarette smoke and red velvet wallpaper, that John Wayne threw back drinks at the bar, Lana Turner danced in the aisles, and Bugsy Siegel stashed cash in a specially designed safe under his favorite booth. 

I soaked it all in during a recent visit to the storied hideaway, sampling a menu known for its Kung Pao Chicken and Chili Wontons. But the only kick I needed was just being there. There amongst the ghosts of Hollywood royalty. 

"We don't have an Eiffel Tower in Hollywood, we have things like the Formosa." - Steven Gaydos, Los Angeles Film Critics Association