Mug shot

I was almost going through withdrawal after not eating at The Trails in Griffith Park last weekend, but we made it back there for lunch today. Luckily, fresh apple pie was waiting, so no one got hurt.

We shared a bench with Mickey, one of the friendly owners that we see every time we visit, and he divulged some information about the restaurant's origin. It's a great story about reviving a childhood memory and making it even better by offering food that's a thousand times better than typical snack-shack fare. It wasn't easy to convince L.A. Parks to sign off on resuscitating an operation that had been vacant for nine years, but the two friends persisted, appealing to city officials, interviewing hikers on videotape as part of their case, and never giving up.

The Trails has been open for more than a year, and it's finally starting to attract crowds. The L.A. Weekly listed it in the current "Best Of" issue and Huell Howser recently taped an entire episode on The Trails. Both of those are good signs for a business in SoCal--GR has benefited from them, too--but you really know you've made it when a friend makes ceramic cups for you! Mickey said they can't really sell them, but bought them anyway and to give to steady customers.


This one's mine.