May 21: Cocktails in Historic Places at Formosa Cafe

Friday, May 23, 2010 - 6pm-10pm

Cocktails in Historic Places®
The Formosa Café
7156 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA  90046
 
Please join the ADSLA for Cocktails in Historic Places® at the Formosa Café, is one of old Hollywood's most storied watering holes, where stars and regular folks have dined, drank, and celebrated since 1934. Almost demolished to make way for the West Hollywood Gateway mall but luckily saved, the Formosa is currently owned and operated by the grandson of the original owner.  The bar was originally started as a front for the Jewish Mafia to launder money, and the outline of the floor safe can still be seen below a corner booth - convenient for tossing a rug on top of when some of the backers needed to conceal their funds (if additional nefarious background is your thing, know that Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, used to stop by as well).

Located across from the old Warner studio, the Formosa has long been a stop of Hollywood's stars.  Nearly everyone has wined and dined within its walls - Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable, and Elvis Presley were all regulars; legend has it that John Wayne once fell asleep in a booth; the staff, loath to wake him, left him there overnight. When they returned in the morning, Wayne was in the kitchen, preparing everyone breakfast.  More recently, it's got Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon - he's been seen there more than once, often with his wife, Kyra Sedgewick.

Come straight from work or slip into something more Deco-either way, plan to join us!  Cocktails in Historic Places® is open to members and
non-members alike and reservations are not required.
 
The Formosa Café is located at 7156 Santa Monica Boulevard, one block west of La Brea Avenue.  Street parking is available along both
Formosa Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard; you can also park in the lot of the West Hollywood Gateway mall.  Please read all posted
parking signs.

Location