Musso & Frank

Yesterday Jimmy Karen took Harper and I out to lunch at Musso & Frank Grill, which has occupied the same real estate on 6667 Hollywood Boulevard since 1919. Jimmy and a rotating crew of fellow Hollywood stalwarts such as legendary producer Walter Seltzer, (who will be celebrating his ninetieth birthday in two weeks!), have been meeting for lunch on Wednesdays in the back corner booth for decades.

Musso's is a dark, musty place with mahogany paneled walls and red-leather booths. The waiters all look as though they've been there since the place opened and still wear bowties, red jackets and black slacks. It was like having lunch in a museum exhibit. The menu hasn't apparently changed much in eighty years, and you can still order fried liver and onions or corned beef hash.

Jimmy and his pals spent much of the time railing against incumbent George W. Bush and lamenting Kerry's missteps on the campaign trail, and the rest of the time regaling the youngsters, (me and Harper), with tales from the Hollywood trenches. When the check arrived Jimmy and Pat Harrington, (a great actor who, sadly, is best remembered for his role as Schneider on television's 'One Day at a Time'), who were sitting on either side of me, fought over who'd pay for my lunch.