Photo Essay: Baseball Buzz Returns to Ontario, California With the Opening of ONT Field

Ontario Airport in California's Inland Empire has been staging a major comeback—and it may have launched its biggest flex yet.

I remember when the only way for me to fly JetBlue from New York City to the West Coast was from JFK to ONT or LGB (Long Beach)—and then JetBlue ceased operations out of ONT in 2008 and the mid-sized airport's business declined by nearly half. 

That was back when Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) controlled ONT and didn't prioritize regional air transport. But then ownership of the Ontario airport transferred to the locally-focused Ontario International Airport Authority in 2016—and when JetBlue returned in 2018, that seemed to be a major sign of an upswing. 

By the end of 2019, the number of passengers passing through the airport rebounded to its 2008 numbers. And in the following years, ONT continued to break its own records, celebrate more milestones, and welcome more airlines to its runways and gates. 

 

Now, ONT holds the naming rights for the new baseball stadium in Ontario, called ONT Field. 

Photo Essay: Christmastime at the Arboretum's Queen Anne Cottage

Of all the world-class botanic gardens in the Los Angeles area, I've probably been to the LA Arboretum the least. 

I don't really know why—be it the distance or simply the absence of a miniature train and a corpse flower. 

But one thing the Arboretum shares with its counterparts, like Descanso Gardens and The Huntington, is that it's located on the grounds of a historic estate. 

This was once the land of pioneer E.J. "Lucky" Baldwin, who came to Northern California in search of gold in 1853. He settled in Southern California in 1875, purchasing the Rancho Santa Anita and later subdividing it to create Arcadia, where the arboretum is now located.

 

Despite his wealth, Baldwin lived quite humbly in a small adobe home. But in 1885, he built a magnificent Queen Anne cottage for the entertaining of guests—and to show off how well he'd done for himself. 

Photo Essay: The Life and Career of Elvis Presley, As Seen Through Graceland's Costume, Car, and Airplane Collections

It actually never really occurred to me that going to Graceland would mean more than just visiting the mansion that Elvis Presley lived in until his death in 1977. 

 

But actually there's more—a lot more—across the street, including the "Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum."

Photo Essay: The Memphis of Elvis, Beyond Graceland

The easy explanation for my recent Memphis trip was that I was celebrating my 50th birthday at Graceland. 

But the truth is, I went to Memphis for Elvis. All of Elvis. 

After all, most casual Elvis fans seem to segregate his career into two eras—young Elvis (à la Jailhouse Rock) and Vegas Elvis—and typically prefer the "earlier" one versus the "late" one. But my favorite Elvis era is a middle era: the '68 Comeback Special, when he was coming out of his Paramount movie career and getting back into performing live, right before he started his Las Vegas residency in 1969. 

And I have much affection for the cape-wearing, lei-laden, karate-chopping Elvis of Aloha from Hawaii, That's the Way It Is, and his final album (a live-and-studio combo) Moody Blue. 

I'd already chased all those Elvises around two states—like at the Honeymoon Hideaway and other sites around Palm Springs, and at the former International Hotel on the Vegas Strip. But now, it was time for me to finally experience what remains of The King in his longtime hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

And that's more than just Graceland (pictured above, of which at least one photo essay is forthcoming.)

Photo Essay: An Unnatural Superbloom at a Wildlife Crossing to Come (And Breaking News of a Possible Successful Crossing Into Griffith Park)

The news came out today that there have been some unconfirmed reports of another mountain lion making an appearance in Griffith Park. 

The timing was perfect, as I'd just happened to have taken a tour of the site of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing under construction over the 101 Freeway at Liberty Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains in Agoura Hills, California.

 

Photo Essay: Golf Carts on Parade in Palm Desert, Rolling Out of a Pandemic Hiatus

When I was researching golf carts for my post on the golf cart museum in La Quinta, California earlier this year, I came across some information about an annual golf cart parade that takes place just before Halloween in the nearby community of Palm Desert, also in the Coachella Valley. 

I knew I had to go.  

Photo Essay: Tail O' the Pup Once Again Unleashes Frankfurters Out of A Giant Hot Dog—This Time on Route 66

The Tail O' the Pup hot dog stand has been in storage ever since I moved to LA in 2011 (technically it got mothballed in 2005).

But I've always felt something of a connection to it. 

Maybe it's because its prior two locations were both in my neighborhood, at intersections I pass on a nearly daily basis (Beverly and La Cienega, basically where the Sofitel is now, and, after 1986, Beverly and San Vicente).

 

And now it's back in my neighborhood—in a new location on Santa Monica Boulevard, the old Route 66 in West Hollywood. 

Will Shamrocks and Horseshoes Bring Enough Luck to Keep Tom Bergin's Open For Good? (Updated for 2026)

[Last updated 3/17/26 2:37 PM PT—I'm happy to report that Tom Bergin's is still going strong and hosting its annual St. Patrick's Day parking lot bash! Bartenders are still slinging Irish coffees—now in hot and cold/iced varieties—and the food is stupendous.] 

Located on the cusp of Miracle Mile, a stone's throw from the Metro Purple Line Extension that'll revitalize the neighborhood when it opens, Tom Bergin's is one of the longest‐running bars in Los Angeles—with what's widely agreed to be the second‐oldest liquor license in the city.

But in 2018, preservationists found themselves scrambling for designation as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument to save it from a developer's wrecking ball.

Its owner at the time—former bar regular Derek Schreck, who'd bought the establishment in 2013—was essentially marketing it as a tear-down, despite having promised patrons that he'd only sell to a buyer who'd keep it as a restaurant.

After Schreck took over in early 2014—later adding the attic speakeasy, The Vestry, in 2017—he was heralded for having saved the historic establishment. Everybody thought he would carry the torch from the three prior sets of owners—none of whom had changed it all that much.

Warner Ebbink and executive chef Brandon Boudet of Little Dom's and 101 Coffee Shop operated it from 2012-3. Closing night was July 7, 2013—and the occasion of my first visit ever.

It was like the last night on earth. They'd pretty much stopped charging the crowd and was just giving everything away. Actor Luke Perry (RIP) was bartending for part of that night.

Things were different, though, when Schreck shuttered the space in Summer 2018. There was no grand celebration. The lights went out with a whimper, as the staff eked out the last droplets of Tullamore Dew and gave branded glassware away to the few patrons who knew it was still open—at least kinda open, though the food had run out and the spirit had faded.

At the time, it was easy to think, "We've been through this before." Every time the tavern closes, it seems like it's going to be forever. But Bergin's always comes back.

Then the unthinkable happened: Schreck publicly opposed landmark designation. And that created a greater sense of alarm—because why would he care, unless he was hoping to sell to someone who planned to level it?

Don't worry—this story doesn't have a tragic ending, at least not yet.

But first, let's go back to the beginning.

Photo Essay: Welcome Back, Formosa Cafe!

Until 2017, one of the most stalwart mainstays of Hollywood nightlife was the Formosa Cafe, located along Route 66...



...across the street from the movie lot that was, at one time or another, Pickford-Fairbanks Studios, United Artists Studio, or Samuel Goldwyn Studio.



The Cantonese-themed bar and restaurant, known for its appearance in the Lana Turner scene in L.A. Confidential, has been closed for two and a half years.



But the closure was only temporary, as the 1933 Group—also known for its restorations of Highland Park Bowl and the barrel-shaped Idle Hour—took over ownership of it.



The nightlife group completely restored the the old Pacific Electric Red Car trolley-turned-dining room...



...and made it actually look like a train again.



Of course, lot of work was done on stuff you can't see, too.



The Formosa Cafe was preserved as a historic landmark in the early 1990s, when its lease expired and it was threatened with demolition as plans to expand The Lot attempted to encroach on the restaurant's footprint. In 2004, the developer of the "Gateway" shopping mall next door agreed to build around it after being wooed by its charms.



It's satisfying to see it survive another preservation threat—and keep the floor safe belonging to Bugsy Siegel intact.



First opened in 1925, Formosa Cafe was more or less family-run from 1945 to 2014.



But the oldest section of the restaurant  the train car—PE #913, in service from 1902 to 1906.



And it's key to preserving the history of the Formosa.

In fact, when it first opened, the Formosa—then known as The Red Post Cafe—was just that old red streetcar!



Fortunately, much of the original decor and memorabilia—including all those photos of all those celebrities who've passed through the doors of the Formosa—was saved from the last (historically inappropriate) renovation.



1933 Group managed to get them back from the last owner.



If there's anything new that's been added, it's hard to tell. The restoration is that seamless.



In fact, the entire back bar area was added on, enclosing an outdoor portion of the restaurant's former iteration.



The pagoda looks as though it could've been there for ages.



And based on the renovations to both the structure and the menu, it looks like the Formosa is ready to have a new heyday.

There's still a lot of life left in this former Hollywood starlet.



And Hollywood sure does love a comeback story.

 

The Formosa Cafe has been in "soft open" for a week...

Flyer: Formosa Cafe Facebook

...and officially reopens tonight, June 28, 2019.



Welcome back to West Hollywood!

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The Formosa Cafe Gets Ready To Step Back Into the Spotlight

One of the most stalwart mainstays of Hollywood nightlife has been the Formosa Cafe...



... located along Route 66, across the street from the movie lot that was, at one time or another, Pickford-Fairbanks Studios, United Artists Studio, or Samuel Goldwyn Studio.

That is, until recently.

The Cantonese-themed bar and restaurant, known for its appearance in the Lana Turner scene in L.A. Confidential, has been closed since January.



But the closure is only temporary, as the 1933 Group—also known for its restorations of Highland Park Bowl and the barrel-shaped Idle Hour—has taken over ownership of it, under the leadership of co-founder Bobby Green. In addition to saving old buildings, Green has relatively quickly established himself as the King of LA Theme Bars (Bigfoot Lodge, Bigfoot West, Sassafras, etc.).



Although the condition of the Formosa Cafe appears to be pretty good, Green says that a lot of the work that needs to be done is on stuff that you can't see.



But the one thing you can see is the old Pacific Electric Red Car trolley-turned-dining room, which needs a little TLC.



That's why the Formosa Cafe is in the running to win preservation funding from the "Vote Your Main Street" competition as part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Partners in Preservation program...



...which is being co-sponsored by National Geographic and American Express.



First opened in 1925, Formosa Cafe was more or less family-run from 1945 to 2014. But it's always been kind of a bumpy ride for the movie star haunt.



It was preserved as a historic landmark in the early 1990s when its lease expired and it was threatened with demolition as plans to expand The Lot attempted to encroach on the restaurant's footprint.



In 2004, the developer of the "Gateway" shopping mall next door agreed to build around it after being wooed by its charms.



A decade later, new management took over with a major overhaul of the menu. It was OK then, but it wasn't great.



And then in 2015, the interior was—as its biggest fans claimed—"gutted," with the ceiling having been painted black and the walls being covered with new faux Chinese (but more like Victorian bordello) red velvet wallpaper.



Maybe those in charge thought that they were "modernizing" the vintage eatery.



But these days, everything old is new again. We Angelenos prefer vintage—so much so that even when a new place opens, it does its darnedest to look as though it's been there for ages.



And the Formosa has been there for ages—so why not celebrate that?



As the oldest section of the restaurant, the train car—PE #913, in service from 1902 to 1906—is key to preserving the history of the Formosa.



In fact, when it first opened, the Formosa—then known as The Red Post Cafe—was just that old red streetcar!



Now, of course, the ravages of time are a little more than visible. Its grey roots are growing in, and the crevices of its wrinkles are deepening.



It happens to the best of the Hollywood starlets—but there's no reason that the Formosa should retire from the spotlight.



Not only is there so much history here—including past ties to organized crime (including regulars Mickey Cohen and Bugsy Siegel)—but a lot of what's been done to its interior can be undone. (And fortunately, the infamous safe in the floor still peeks through the laminate flooring that was recently slapped down on top of the original hardwood.)



And Green reports that much of the original decor and memorabilia—including all those photos of all those celebrities who've passed through the doors of the Formosa—were saved from the last (historically inappropriate) renovation.



He's just got to get them back from the last owner.



The fundraising campaign runs through October 31—and, until then, fans of the Formosa can give it up to five votes on a daily basis.



Sure, the Formosa's heyday is long gone—and was so way before I moved to LA in 2011. But I'm hoping that, if its other projects are any indication, the 1933 Group can bring a new heyday to the Formosa.

After all, Hollywood loves a comeback story. And there's still a lot of life left in this ol' girl.

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