Clifford Clinton was a bold man. How bold? First, he opened a business that catered to the everyman in the middle of the Great Depression. Second, he took on the mayor of Los Angeles, the LA Times, and the LAPD. That little disagreement got so heated that the LAPD set a bomb off in his Los Feliz home. Needless to say, he was undeterred and as a result, he changed the power and scope of LA politics. If you want more on that, follow this link.
Clifton’s is like a moment frozen in time. This is a place that serves the stick-to-your-ribs kind of food that the shuffling masses in the last century yearned for. Clifton’s specializes in the dense fair that our grandmothers told us would make us grow big and strong.
The Clinton family has hung in there at the same location with the same menu for over seventy years.
The food is just one thing that sets Clifton’s apart from the rest. The décor is another reason to show up. The three-floored cafeteria is set up to look like a cabin, complete with real wood paneling, fishing bears, and a running stream. There is also a chapel for those that are weary in spirit.
Stop into Clifton’s and get a piece of pie and some coffee. It should be on everyone’s to-do list the next time you’re in downtown LA.
