| Los Angeles' noted Brown Derby restaurant played | | | | on Vine Street, near the famous Hollywood and Vine |
| host to many stars during Hollywood's 'Golden Age.' | | | | intersection, on Valentine's Day in 1929. Other Derbies |
| The eatery was an example of novelty architecture, | | | | were then constructed in Beverly Hills and in East |
| as it was built to look like a brown derby hat. The | | | | Hollywood. The latter had a car cafe that followed |
| Brown Derby was the first restaurant to serve | | | | the then-new drive-in trend. |
| chiffon cake, a recipe invented by an insurance | | | | The Brown Derby in Hollywood closed down in 1985. |
| salesman and later given wide distribution by Betty | | | | The building shell was restored and placed atop a |
| Crocker. | | | | strip mall on Wilshire. It is now colored orange and |
| It is said that the greatest food legacy of the Brown | | | | known as the Cafe SheeRi. |
| Derby is Cobb Salad. The dish was invented by and | | | | In June 2004, the Derby and adjacent lots were |
| named after Bob Cobb, one of the restaurant's | | | | purchased by a realty company and the plan was to |
| owners. Bob's wife asserts that he raided the | | | | demolish it to clear space for a condominium complex. |
| refrigerator late one night and just chopped up some | | | | A group of interested parties, called 'Save The Derby' |
| leftovers for a meal. Later that night, some of his | | | | sought to prevent the shell from being demolished by |
| Hollywood friends visited the restaurant and joined | | | | getting it designated as an official historical landmark. |
| Bob in partaking of his concoction. When they began | | | | Due to their efforts, in May 2006 the LA City Council |
| to ask for it on later visits, the rest was history. | | | | voted unanimously to recognize the entire edifice as |
| The Brown Derby was named after a restaurant of | | | | an official Historic Cultural Monument of the City of |
| the same name located in Malverne, New York that | | | | Los Angeles. |
| was a trendy vaudeville hangout. The first Brown | | | | In an 'I Love Lucy' show episode Lucy, Ethel and |
| Derby in Los Angeles, also called the Little Hat, | | | | Fred take in lunch at the Brown Derby. During the |
| opened its doors in February 1926, directly across | | | | show, Lucy inadvertently causes a server to dump a |
| from the Ambassador Hotel. It was often the site of | | | | plate of food on famed actor William Holden. |
| after-parties following shindigs at the Coconut Grove | | | | Presently, there is a replica of the Hollywood Brown |
| nightclub. This was the only Derby that was actually | | | | Derby at the Disney-MGM Studios in Florida's Walt |
| constructed like a hat. | | | | Disney World Resort. |
| A second LA Brown Derby restaurant was opened | | | | |