Eating: MessHall Kitchen Los Angeles

MessHall is the newest incarnation of the original Brown Derby in Los Feliz. Built in 1929, it was originally the home of Willard's Chicken Inn until 1941 when director Cecil B. DeMille bought the restaurant and turned it into the Brown Derby, birthplace of the "Cobb Salad." It was Michael's of Los Feliz from 1960 - 1992 and then became The Derby nightclub, home of swing dancing. After The Derby, the space became Louise's Trattoria and then a Chase Bank and in 2006 the building was declared a Historic Cultural landmark. Today, MessHall Kitchen is a 14,000 square foot space with seating for 175 people and a corrugated metal bar located in the center of the room. The long wooden communal tables and fire pits on the patio will transport you to an upscale version of an army mess hall or camp.