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| A 1957 advertisement. (Click on image to zoom in) |
The French Cafe was demolished in 2007. The building sat at the corner of Whittier and 22nd Street for decades. Its demise upset the Montebello community. Some hoped that the old structure would find re-use as a community theater. The following pictures were taken yesterday on my pilgrimage to the site. (Click on image to zoom in)
This was my favorite restaurant as a kid growing up in Monterey Park. For every birthday or special occasion, my brother and I would ask to go to the French Restaurant to celebrate. I was so saddened to discover it had been demolished. So many fond memories. I wish I could have seen it once more or gotten a menu as a memento. Time marches on but not always for the better...
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It was also my favorite restaurant growing up in Monterey Park during the 60s. I wonder if we knew each other? Diane
DeleteThis was DEFINITELY my favorite restaurant back in the 50's and 60's while growing up in East L.A. My Mom worked there before I started school. I got to go in there while she worked and the staff shoved great French Fries and other great food in my face. I even sat at the bar and Marcel made me Hopalong Cassidy's (Shirley Temple's). How in the world can they tear this place down??? "Ay Ca rumba"! As Bart Simpson would say!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting my above comments. In case anyone reading this would be interested the French Cafe was actually a Basque style restaurant. You ordered your main course usually roast beef or chicken then soup, salad, french fries, etc were all brought out family style in huge amounts. Marcel and Jeanne (she liked being called Jennette) were Basque from the northern area of France. OK, enough history!
ReplyDeleteHi, I visited Jeanne in 1987 when I was in California, the French Cafe was closed but she lived there. I'm so sorry to know that Marcel and Jeanne's restaurant was desmolished !
Deleteand for information, Jeanne was born in Béarn (not in "Pays Basque")in the southwest of France.
Sorry but Jeanne was my second niece, one of my grandmother's sisters. They were from the south of France My Grandmother was born in Ogre de Bain about five miles from where my Grandfather was born. Another sister "Grace," and her son Marcel worked at the restaurant. "Little Marcel" wanted to keep the restaurant when "Big Marcel" passed but Jeanne wouldn't allow it. "Little Marcel" and his wife Petra, opened a French Restaurant in Pico Rivera On Lakewood Blvd. next to, I believe what was called The Turf Club. Unfortunately, Little Marcel passed in the early 1990's at a very young age.
DeleteWe had many great meals at both restaurants. I truly miss Marcel and Jeanne and Marcel and Petra. We used to fill up on soup, fresh sour dough french bread and Chicken livers in Pate shells, before the main course even got there.
If anyone has the recipe for their soup, please post it, it was great.
I have two jugs bottled exclusively for Marcel & Jeanne's French Restaurant anyone have an idea what they're worth now?
ReplyDeleteUsed to the French Cafe while growing up in Montebello . Actually , had great spaghetti , and the dishes that had a bisquit type of item with gravy !
ReplyDeleteWonder what ever happened to Johnny , the waiter ?
Sounds like the Chicken livers in Pate shells. They were Great.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the pics. Makes me want to cry. They had the best food I ever tasted. We used to go there all the time from the time I was a baby. I was hoping one of the family members opened a restaurant in the area. We moved away years ago but would come back if I knew I could get food like that. I wonder about Johnny & Fifi too. We always had Fifi for our waitress. I am still trying to make the soup. The only place I've eaten that is similar is (never as good) is Woolgrowers in Bakersfield. If anyone know's of any place like the french cafe PLEASE post it.
my cousin and i were driving down whittier blvd.the other day and we were trying to remember the actual site of marcel and jeanne restaurant. We were able to pinpoint it to whittier and 22nd. Many fond memories going to dinner with my grandparents in the early 1970s.
ReplyDeletemy cousin and i distinctly remember the waiter johnny who we commonly referred to as "juanito".Does anyone out there know what happened to him?