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Hot Dogs and Donuts

Hot Dog! Tail of the Pup
In ultra chic Los Angeles, where expensive trends start and end in the same twenty four hour period, it is hard to think of anything less high-brow than a hot dog stand, unless it’s a hot dog stand in the shape of a giant hot dog.

Constructed in 1945 and relocated in the late 80’s a block away from where it originally stood, the Tail O’ the Pup has served it’s simple high cholesterol menu for sixty years, which translates into well over 5 million franks. 

Hollywood legend Orson Welles is said to have his limo driver pull up to the oversized frankfurter and place his order without ever leaving the backseat. The wall of celebrities tell the story of other show-biz luminaries who have enjoyed wolfing down the occasional lunch-time sandwich at this architectural landmark.

Jay Leno, Pamela Anderson, Barbara Streisand, Magic Johnson and Whoopi Goldberg have all partaken of the stand’s beefy plumpness.

The Tail O’ the Pup has also made cameos in many movies including, Brian De Palma’s, “Body Double,” and Steve Martin’s, “L.A. Story.”

The moral of the story seems to be, it doesn’t matter who you are in this town, from the toppest top banana to the smallest small fry, it is impossible to resist the allure of a giant wienie.

 You can find The Tail O’ the Pup at 329 N. San Vincente Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca., walking distance from the stylish Beverly Center Mall. 

Mmm… Really Big Donut
Just a few miles up the 405 Freeway, north of LAX Airport stands possibly the most famous donut shop in the world.

 Built in 1952, Randy’s Donuts shop in Inglewood California has become almost movie-maker shorthand for, “this story takes place in Los Angeles.” 

 In much the same way a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower suggests the elegance of Paris, or the Coliseum cues the viewer to the antiquity of Rome, the 23 foot in diameter cement pastry, that sits upon the roof of the donuttery,  implies all that is kitschy about the City of Angles.

Kitsch (kich) n:  1. sentimentality, tastelessness, or ostentation in any of the arts. 2. collectively, decorative items that are regarded as tasteless, sentimental, or ostentatious in style. 

 Movies that have used this storefront of sweet sugar coated cakes as a backdrop to their plots include; “Earth Girls are Easy” “Stripped To Kill” and “Problem Child 2”

While the aforementioned films are less than extraordinary pieces of cinematographic genius, the doughnuts themselves are pretty tasty.

Randy’s Donuts is located on 805 West Manchester Avenue, do yourself a favor and grab a bearclaw, or perhaps a honey-glazed. If nothing else, it promises to be much more palatable than “Problem Child 3.”

Weird California

 

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