Musso & Frank Grill has been a favorite haunt of Hollywood actors for over 100 years. The restaurant opened on September 27, 1919, and remains incredibly popular to this day.
When Musso & Frank opened its doors on iconic Hollywood Boulevard in 1919, it was at the center of a new universe: film entrepreneurs, new studios, rehearsal spaces, radio stations, and record labels all converged on the heart of Hollywood, so Musso's became a place for a quick bite between acting classes, radio appearances, or studio meetings and auditions.
Charlie Chaplin and friends Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Paulette Goddard, Groucho Marx, Mack Sennett, Buster Keaton, and others also frequented Musso & Frank Grill. Charlie would ride his horse to Musso's for his favorite lunch – grilled lamb kidneys with bacon, prepared by Musso's first chef, Jean Rue, who headed the kitchen for over 50 years.
Apparently, Charlie Chaplin – as legend has it – challenged Douglas to a horse race on Hollywood Boulevard, and the winner had to pay the bill at Musso's. Charlie won and enjoyed a plate of roasted lamb kidneys.
The restaurant had a clubby atmosphere back then, far from the naive and flashy establishments in the city.
Below are a few photos of the restaurant from both the present and the past, including Charlie Chaplin's famous haunt, which is the most coveted spot by today's patrons, and I'm not surprised at all.
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