On a muggy Saturday afternoon, I sat on Saltie Girl’s patio, downing a silky clam chowder, fried lobster and waffles, oysters, stone fruit salad, and one of the most colorful tuna tostadas I’ve ever seen, deep in the Sunset Strip. The iconic street has
recently been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, as a century-old water main ruptured on July 16, spilling 17 million gallons of water and creating a sinkhole that closed the Sunset Strip at Holloway Drive. As crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) worked to fix it, a second water main break occurred one mile away at Santa Monica Boulevard and Laurel Avenue on Thursday, July 23.
The Saturday I visited, I was curious to see how quickly I could hop over to Henry’s Secret Ice Cream for a pint of peach cobbler, a trek that should take a few minutes by driving only .7 miles west. Instead, the direction app took me 12 minutes around Sunset Plaza Drive, then through unfamiliar streets lined by multimillion-dollar homes, only to spill me out at Doheny onto a mostly empty street. I immediately thought about the area’s anchor businesses like Dialog Cafe, a busy restaurant for nearby residents, or those looking for a popular location to open a laptop and work.
Dialog team members texted co-owner Tadeh “Todd” Ghazalian in the early hours of July 17, telling him to get to the Sunset location. He says the leak began at approximately 3:30 a.m. When Ghazalian arrived, water, dirt, and sand damaged Dialog’s floors, basement, storage, and equipment. By 7 a.m., LADWP turned off the water and closed the street to the public. “It was like walking into a movie scene,” says Ghazalian. “Right now, we’re figuring out insurance, what the building needs, and how these things are handled.”
Other impacted businesses are Mel’s Drive-In. The Los Angeles Times reports the longtime restaurant saw a 30 to 40 percent drop in sales that same week. Henry’s Ice Cream owner Brad Ray had to figure out what to do as LADWP turned off the block’s water source. “There was less driving traffic, that’s for sure,” says Ray. “That made it a little cumbersome for an ice cream operation. [But] we also didn’t have water from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.”
Bar Next Door owner Brynn Smith noticed a difference for her popular bar, which lives next to Henry’s Secret Ice Cream. “It’s six blocks from Bar Next Door, so people can get to us. But with traffic, this caused a little dip in sales for us. It affects the whole street with people thinking they can’t get through. At least we can cool off with a drink.”
It’s still early to assess the damage on Santa Monica Boulevard, which runs parallel to Connie & Ted’s (which closed on July 3), Or Bar, Employees Only, and Delilah. KTLA reports that LADWP crews are working to repair a ruptured 6-inch pipe at Santa Monica Boulevard and Laurel Avenue. Estimates of reopening the Sunset Boulevard break could happen as early as today, July 24, but businesses and restaurants will remain closed.
Dialog’s Ghazalian has considered opening a temporary location as they embark on repairs (the longtime cafe also has a smaller outpost within an Equinox in West Los Angeles, which has continued operations). The team launched a GoFundMe fundraiser for $500,000 that will go directly to his employees and to help fund the temporary space. He still worries about his local customers. “The largest thing for us is to find a place for our big team,” says Ghazalian. “We’re a busy place with a lot of goodwill with the community. I would hate for us not to be there for everybody now.”
More for the table
- On July 31, Casa Vega’s owner Christy Vega will welcome her cousin, chef Javier Plascencia, for a one-night residency. The Soul of Baja chef will reimagine Casa Vega’s classics either as a prix fixe experience or à la carte from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Secure a reservation on OpenTable.
- One of my favorite places to find a sizeable pancake stack is closing on August 9. Lake Balboa’s Heart’s Coffee Shop opened in 1967. Spookie Foodie’s Ansley Layne posted a heartfelt Instagram tribute to the longtime restaurant.
- Amazingly, I’ve never set foot in a Hard Rock Cafe. SF Gate’s Karen Palmer has, and she captured her visit to the last-remaining Hollywood and Highland location, which seems to be a shell of what the former chain once was.
- The iconic 34-year-old Sky’s Gourmet Tacos announced it will close on August 15 but continue its catering business. Look out for Eater’s full coverage on the end of Sky’s era next week.
