Meliia’s Disneyland dream gets a boost, Christen Montero enters Ward 2 race, $20,000 in scholarships awarded and a call for better late-night dining in Riverside.
I was driving around Los Angeles late at night recently and saw the city’s business after dark, places bustling with people in the wee hours, good places to eat open very late. And I thought about you.
You’ve grown so much. We have a healthy nightlife scene now, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
Of all the things you do right, finding a place to eat after 10 p.m. isn’t one of them. You can find a food truck or drive-through. But sometimes I don’t want to eat outside or in my car. There are chain diners like Denny’s and Norm’s. You’re capable of more.
I’d like a place to sit with a friend and a club sandwich while they’re in town for a wedding. Maybe I can’t sleep and want to people-watch or talk to a stranger at the counter over pie.
There used to be a 24-hour diner downtown where Ixtapa is. Swifty’s, then Petey’s, then the 12 Steppin’ Cafe. Gone.
What if proprietors could rent a kitchen for several hours on weekend nights? Different operators, same space, each building their own following. Look at Arcade’s Devereaux House concept at Backstreet.
You’re a city of 300,000 people. You deserve places with soul, where stories live in the walls.
This isn’t about finding fault. This is about seeing your potential.
